F ! U ! ji Rock
The great news is I get to go to Japan for three weeks (July 21 - Aug 12).
In the summer there is a major music festival going on every weekend in Japan:
July 27-29 Fuji Rock Charan Po Rantan (performing twice!), group_inou Aug 3-5 Rock in Japan Akai Koen, ZAZEN BOYS, group_inou Aug 10-11 Rising Sun Rock andymori, Mariko Goto Aug 18-19 Summer Sonic Aug 25-26 Monster Bash Sept 1-2 Space Shower Sweet Love Akai Koen, andymori
Great to see some NMFT alumni representing! NATSUMEN and uhnellys played Fuji Rock last year. Mariko Goto is lined up for NMFT5. andymori & Akai Koen also play together at a mini-festival called Talking Rock! in Osaka
But here's the rub: I don't like summer music festivals!!!! I'd much rather watch my favorite bands perform at small venues. (away from the blistering heat, rain and mud.) But I guess going to a festival with friends and enjoying the scenery especially at sites like Fuji Rock and Rising Sun can be a great time even without watching any bands.
When I found out group_inou and Charan Po Rantan were performing at Fuji Rock on the same day (July 29), I figured I should definitely go and show my support. To sweeten the pot, Radiohead and At the Drive In would be headlining July 29th!! toe and tricot are also performing. Hell yeah! I was amped. I don't like summer music fests in general but I was looking forward to July 29 @ Fuji Rock... ... ... ... until they announced the timetable for band performances.
BLOODY!!! HELL!!! Radiohead, At the Drive In, Charan Po Rantan and group_inou... the four main bands I had my heart set on seeing are essentially playing at the same FREAKING time. Well, not EXACTLY the same time but given how far the stages tend to be from each other, the huge crowds and the often ankle-deep fields of mud that need traversing, at best I might be able to watch a portion of maybe two of the four bands' sets. My friends Ryotaro (Kulu Kulu Garden), Ikuko (Merpeoples) and Lana will be there. Ryotaro will definitely be watching At the Drive In and Lana will have her eyes glued to Thom Yorke et al. This SUCKS! F!! U!!! JI Rock or at least the bastards who did the scheduling. *Sigh*
Yeah, I'm not even sure I want to go anymore. Simply getting to Fuji Rock @ Naeba from Tokyo can be a 4-5 hour ordeal. And the terrain can be uber-muddy and treacherous if it rains. But it would be fun to hang out with Ryotaro, Ikuko and Lana.
Rock in Japan is also tempting. Especially Aug 4th with Akai Koen, ZAZEN BOYS, HALCALI (haha! I used to love their older stuff), Chatmonchy, Kimura Kaela, Perfume, Momo Lulu Gyaban etc.
I have never yet been to a 'natsu fes' (summer music festival) in Japan. Been avoiding it like the plague since they're mostly corporate events with a paucity of bands that I like playing in extreme weather. But it looks I'll brave the heat and catch at least Fuji Rock or RIJ while I'm there.
Other shows I plan to catch:
July 21 赤い公園 / チーナ @ Daikan UNIT (all night uchiage!!!) 22 Solid Afro / おにんこ @ Minami Ikebukuro Music ORG 22 Zainichi Funk / ねごと ＠ O-east 23 指先ノハク / ピアノガール / aquarifa / 或る感覚 @ Shimokita ERA 23 the grinch @ Shinjuku Red Cloth 24 きのこ帝国 / indigo la end / cathy lost @ Daikan UNIT 24 Kettles / Qomolangma Tomato / SuiseiNoboAz @ Shimokita Shelter 25 group_inou / Chatmonchy @ Shindaita FEVER 29 ?Fuji Rock
August 3 Akai Koen / OWARIKARA / KEYTALK @ Shimokita Club QUE 4 ?Rock in Japan 5 tengu invaders / clean of core / Ooru Taichi @ Shinjuku ninespice 8 きのこ帝国 / happy! Mari @ Chiba LOOK 11 haisuinonasa (one-man) @ Shibuya O-nest
Just a tentative list. I'll go to more shows than this but alot of my favorite bands are taking a break during 'natsu fes' time.