My first week in Tokyo

It's been a busy week of organizing the tour, networking, going to shows and... eating ramen.Taking photos and video footage is frowned upon at shows and I've been behaving myself for the most part. Which is unfortunate b/c I've seen some great bands over the last week.

List of shows I've attended: Feb 14: ネズミハナビ / クリープハイプ / ねごと / dry as dust / Spank Page @ LUSH
Feb 14: Bo-Peep vs Tokyo Pinslocks @ HOME
Feb 15: toe @ O-East
toe Feb 16: Go!Go!7188 / 385 / Number The @ LOFT

uchiage omurice Feb 17: henrytennis / Wienners / mothercoat / 3nd @Fever
Feb 18: met with the bands (andymori, mothercoat, goomi, Kulu Kulu Garden, Owarikara) to discuss the tour group
Feb 19: 優しくして♪ / 壊れかけのテープレコーダーズ / ひらくドア / 古宮夏希＆コークスが燃えている！/ THEラブ人間 @ BASEMENT BAR

(okay, I took a couple of short videos at this show. 1st = ひらくドア 2nd = 古宮夏希＆コークスが燃えている！)
Feb 20: Your Gold, My Pink / チャラン・ポ・ランタン / 小林太郎 / モーモールルギャバン / plenty / SxOxU @ LOFT
Feb 20: ARTLESS NOTE / 虚弱。 / direction of the chord / s-explode / the mornings/ S AND THE NICOLEKIDMEN

Highlights: - Watching negoto, Bo-Peep and Tokyo Pinsalocks on Valentine's Day straight after my flight from Canada and bumping into Chiemi and Isao of Mass Dre. - Still jetlagged but alert enough to enjoy an awe-inspiring "one-man" by toe, including a double encore! - Bumping into Mariko Goto and Yoshitaka of ミドリ at LOFT. They came to watch 385 who are from Okinawa and sound like a hybrid of ミドリ and Zazen Boys. (Miya, ex-Bleach, is INSANE on bass. Female version of Les Claypool)
Sitting next to Go!Go!, 385 and Red Pepper Girls (hahaha) during the uchiage.
- Meeting with the bands on the tour and having this awkward moment taking the group photo: (I had the camera setting on video instead of photo. hahaha)

- Last night's show at LOFT was organized by Space Shower TV and had a great, eclectic line-up. I knew nothing about チャラン・ポ・ランタン prior to the show but they just became one of my favorite acts. Quirky beyond belief and a lot of fun.
(not from the show at LOFT)
My main reason for attending the show was to see mow mow lulu gyaban who instantly became one of my favorite bands last year at the Beat Happening event @ LUSH where Fukuoka Akiko (Chatmonchy) and Nabana (detroit7) DJ'd. Since that time they've grown immensely in popularity. Apparently, they're on the verge of signing with a major label. Mow Mow's performance last night solidified my impression that they're one of the best live acts in all of Japan.

Although I'm focussed on getting everything organized for the tour in May, I've also been networking like mad to set up for a possible 2nd tour in October. Some amazing bands have expressed genuine interest in the tour including Mow Mow Lulu Gyaban, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, Go!Go!7188 and ミドリ. But before visions of an all-star vol 2, I need to ensure volume 1 of the Next Music from TOKYO!!! tour is an overwhelming success. =)