Blog - Weekly revue: 2018 week #33 (August 11 to 17)

Weekly revue: 2018 week #33 (August 11 to 17)

Food: - Pizza at Massimottavio, Eifukuchō

Music events: - I went to event "manatsu no dekigoto" (真夏の出来事) at Nishi-Azabu Shinsekai. The event featured Love Jones (the band of Itō Eriko also a member of Sunny Kubota & Old Lucky Boys), Tokyo Killer (instrumental surf rock band led by Keme (Kinoco Hotel)), Francis avec Haruko (unit of Ori Makoto (ex-Collectors) and Tajima Haruko) and Nosa Reina. I actually was looking forward to see each of these, so this show was a great opportunity! All were awesome! Reina used a soroban as a shaker-like percussion. Brilliant! Also, I was told by Francis that he played bass on Pizzicato Five's "Sister Freedom Tapes", and that the album took its name from the studio it was recorded at: Freedom Studio in Ōkubo (now Freedom Studio Infinity). I'll have to sneak in sometime. :)

Francis avec Haruko (partial) set list: S'il vous plaît! / Alexandre (Nino Ferrer cover) / Jamón, jamón / Delaware / Copacabana (Barry Manilow cover)

Nosa Reina set list: Robot (Sakakibara Ikue cover) / kūdō desu (Yura Yura Teikoku cover) / S58 / manatsu no dekigoto (Hirayama Miki cover) / saizansu Mambo (Tony Tani cover) / China Blue

- I also went to see singer Natsu Summer's release party for recent album "Natsu Summer & Dub Sensation", held at Moon Romantic. The reggae-ish album was produced by Cunimondo Takiguchi (Ryusenkei) and this special show featured him part of a full band of 9 including keyboards, two guitars, bass, steel drum, saxophone, Hirano Eiji on percussions (Happiness Records!), Kitayama Yūko on drums (city-pop beat master, also a member of band misola), and live dub PA! The show was divided in two sets, and included songs from her two albums. The whole was great! Of course I couldn't resist the chance to get 7" single "Old School Surfer" two days before its release. :)

Set list: Old School Surfer / Midsummer Weather / Long Hot Summer / Sexy (kimi wa Sexy) / Summer Illumination / issho ni yume o mimashō / Japanese Reggae Woman / machi akari / Night Shadow (yoru wa kirai) / futari ga tonari ni iru koto / Tropical Christmas
Encore: koi no Timing

Exhibition: - Went to see a food-themed group exhibition at Shinjuku Ophthalmologic Gallery. There was drawn artwork, photos, sculptures, etc. Lots of fun pieces! Manga artist Maki Hirochi also had two pieces on display, and I bought her self-produced book "Broken Heart Café Masako" and an autographed set of postcards. :)