Blog - Weekly revue: 2013 week #51 (December 14 to 20)

Weekly revue: 2013 week #51 (December 14 to 20)

It's got quite a bit colder over the past week, but it's still fall in Tokyo.

Food: - Beef curry at Ethiopia, Ochanomizu
- Weiner Coffee at Ladrio, Jinbōchō
- Fish & chips at Bespoque, Higashi-Nakano
- Vietnam-style pork & ham stew okowa (steamed sticky rice) at Tsubame Okowa, Kōenji

Exhibition: - Went see KATOPE's exhibition at café Ladrio in Jinbōchō (already over). Lots of great paintings. I like KATOPE's mysterious imagery, and the way some parts of his works have a shiny metallic texture.

- Also went to check out QP's "813/9" solo exhibition at Sekiel Berg Café in Jiyūgaoka. Photos weren't allowed inside. The show is all on the 2nd floor above the small café, with QP's latest paintings displayed everywhere. Some huge and impressive works too, with lots of "Q-chan"! This is on until Tuesday December 24.

Music event: - Last Sunday I went to see Shimizu-san "Shimmy" Hirotaka & Maika Leboutet together with colleagues who are fans of Shimizu-san (guitarist from The Cornelius Group, ex-Bridge, etc.). The venue was tiny café Tabiraco near Shōin-jinja-mae station on Setagaya line. Shimizu-san played guitar and Maika-chan played keyboards and toy pianos, sometimes with the help of a Tenorion. The place being so small, most of the audience was less than a meter away from the artists, making it a very intimate show. Shimizu-san did some talking between each song, explaining what they're about or when he wrote them, and he was so kind to often ask me (the only foreigner) if I understood. A really friendly guy and great guitarist! I'll be sure to catch the two again sometime next year.

- I wrote a report of The Scooters' show from the other day at Shibuya WWW. Check it out here!

New music: - Free holiday mix tape from Eenie Meenie Records! Includes a new song by Old Monk, a cover of Wham's "Last Christmas" by From Bubblegum To Sky, and more. The closing track by Twisty seems to be a new solo side-project of Takashi Tsugumi (Old Monk, ex-PINE*am)!

- Also free Season's Greetings mixes from Kit Gallery (Matsuda "Chabe" Gakuji (cubismo grafico) & friends) here.

Music release news: sugar me