Monday, May 10, 2010

ICHIBAN! Japan Tour 2010

It's Wednesday, 4/28 @ 4:40 am in Tokyo and 3 pm Tuesday 4/27 in the States. Eight more hours on the plane. We're at 34,000 ft and traveling at 543 mph just passing Vancouver heading for Juneau. I like the skymap, knowing exactly where the plane is. I had dinner and checked on my band mates: all asleep.


Our hosts met us at Tokyo Narita airport. Matt and Shimmi from the Japanese band The Havenots drove us to Yokohama where we'll stay for two days. After checking in, Nikki and I checked out the tiny bathroom and tried on the traditional robes and slippers in the room.

I checked out the guitar I had for this tour. I opened the case to find a perfectly in-tune Gretsch White Falcon 6136, strung up just right. Yes. Lianna came over from her room and we played a little bit.


Then we went to dinner with our hosts. Matt, Shimmi and Toshio took us down winding narrow streets to a small place with one large table and a bar. We were the only ones in the restaurant. I like. They ordered for us appetizers and a noodle dish, all of which were excellent.
Despite being winded from the 14 hour flight, Nikki and I went out to further imbibe. We wandered through the streets of Yokohama, finding a tank full of giant squid and the Yokohama red-light district, which is comprised of exactly one adult video store.

Matt led us to a second bar where we sat on milk crates duct-taped together with slats of wood for seats on top. Rustic Japanese chic ... or just cheap? None cared. The beer was flowing and snacks such as whole tiny dried fishes came to the table.

In a bold cultural display, Matt proceeded to show us an ancient Japanese trick: lighting a cigarette incorporating chopsticks. Impressive.
All this makes for a fine evening and is an omen of a good tour. Tomorrow is sightseeing and show day #1: Tokyo.

5 comments:

  1. Radness! Keep it coming. good work!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi!Nikki!I went to your gigs in Japan.I’m Havenot’s music fan,also now,I love Nikki&The Gorevette!!I’m so looking foward to see your live ,please come to Japan again!Also I’d like to go to US someday.Thanks for show us great R&R live!

    Haruko

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  3. This is Amy's blog,I wrote comment before ,please forgive me mistake and
    little correct English.
    It's first time to send comments to US so
    I got to learn more how to use web's many.
    my name is Haruko,I've been to your gigs in Japan,and nice to meet you all,I hope that see you all again.I sing Twist and shout,Ramones,Karaoke in yokohama.
    Please this comment,and before one unvisualized.
    I have blog also,If you would like to,please
    look at them.Almost Japanese language though.
    http://feeds.feedburner.com/fc2/TZLs
    I gonna learn how to use comment.Next time,I gonna try collectlly(^.^)

    Thank you. Haruko

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love it so far...more, more, more Amy Gore!!

    ReplyDelete