The afternoon begins with an incredible vegetarian meal cooked by the owner/hostess in the small kitchen in back. Yesterday the meal included a delicious tofu miso soup, a bean, tofu, and seaweed salad, a cabbage salad, a pumpkin hashbrown (not sure how else to describe it), fried eggplant in a ground sesame sauce, and of course a bowl of rice--all for about 850 yen. Mmmmmm
The format is pretty much the same as any old-time jam. People talk, mingle, and eat for awhile:
Then all of a sudden instruments start popping out of cases, furniture is rearranged, and the music begins:
Rockin' Charlie Poole style with props to Mr. Wade Ward (plus Uke players):
Aki-san and Fuku-chan:
One of the things that worried me about moving was being so far away from the music community that I came to love in the States. If it weren't for Bosco and Heja, I simply wouldn't be able to live here long term. Not only are they wonderful people and quickly becoming close friends of mine, they are great old-time musicians. We play at least once week, more often twice, and sometimes thrice!
It didn't take long for us to form a band: The Oconaluftee Turnpike Company, or OTC. Yeah, I know, it's a mouthful in any language and an absolute nightmare for the average Japanese, but I was outvoted by my bandmates. They liked the Cherokee connection (they feel a kinship as Japanese) and the Turnpike reference. Google the name and you'll catch the significance for me. I think "The OTC" is kind of catchy.
At any rate, after tunes yesterday, we decided to do a band photo shoot in preparation for our gig at the bar "Honky Tonk" next month.
(Those little bikes are all the rage here. I think they're ridiculous, but I've just gotta get a picture of me on one of those things one of these days!)Sorry, Jordan and Ben, it ain't a cheeseburger or a milkshake, but here you go:
6 comments:
Great stuff, Isaac! If you go to Tokyo you should look up my roommate's parents, they're old-time players...
These are the sorts of towering shots I was hoping for. They call those things bikes?!
Hey. I thought the pictures were really great. What a great community. I am really happy that you are happy. You deserve the best because you are the best. Love, your sister, Serene
Dear Jack,
Eat them noodles.
Love,
Nico
Aw, shucks...I don't know about "the best!" Thanks, Bean.
I now realize that I take Chairs for granted. That's why I give thanks every day that I live in America. We have chairs for drinking tea AND for playing music in. ;)
Hey man, your blog is BRAND new and you haven't been updating it!! I updated my blog twice a day when it was first new (in an obsessive manner). Sigh. If only I could be as obsessive about music as I was about my blog. I know, you're probably busy practicing your banjo. I'm gonna go play some scales!! Screw this blog stuff!
-Fangers
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