It's the end of August and while there has been a blessed cool change, it has also brought with it a profound melancholy.
I wanted to write about my experience in Kansai. Reflecting on the three date tour, I have to take it all on board - the good and the not so good.
Ultimately I'm a complete unknown really. I've been living in Japan for the better half of twenty years, and I'm not sure I can really say I've amounted to much. Admittedly I'm still very reluctant to sing in Japanese, and that is probably the main reason. Also, the culture barrier is still difficult for me to overcome. I guess I still exist in my little Western world bubble…
So I had three appearances: Kyoto at a live house called Gattaca, Osaka at a craft beer pub called TNT, and at a French bistro in Kobe called Cafe de Paris.
Three very different venues, three very different experiences.
Gattaca was probably the best of all three. The sound tech crew got me to soundcheck with a decent keyboard and it sounded great along with a proper lighting setup too. The other bands playing on the night were comprised of mostly young, male university students. I was definitely something “completely different” with my middle aged white girl solo piano shtick. They were all super sweet though, and during my set they were listening attentively and clapped politely after each song. My banter was minimal, but I think after the show was better when I could just chat with them at the bar. Unfortunately it was not much of a turn out for a Thursday night guest wise. The audience was basically the other band members.
The next day I rode the train to nearby Osaka and spent the day wandering around the city, riding the ferris wheel and sampling the “okonomiyaki” which is a local specialty. That night I found my way over to the TNT craft beer pub which is run by a Californian guy, Jesse. He was super cool and friendly and helped me get set up on the in house keyboard there. My old colleague Quin Arbeitman and new friend Deron Reynolds were also on the bill that night. Quin and Deron played a mix of originals and covers, and I played a few songs from the “Silver Lining” album. We opened the night (along with Jesse on electric guitar) on a rousing cover of Radiohead's “Creep” and we also got our groove on a Raven's Tale original “Miss Jones”. Overall it went well, but again, the turnout was on the slim side.
The next day was hot and bright and I took the train to Kobe where I found a street piano to rehearse on for a spell. I again wandered the city until it was time to meet Deron at the Cafe de Paris bistro at 4pm. The cafe had an old upright that was slightly out of tune, but we had a good time playing our songs, in my case, mostly covers. A friend of Deron's popped in for half an hour, and then there was an empty house. The wait staff however were very charming and seemed to appreciate us. The manager decided to leave us and attend his daughter's ballet performance, which I thought was a bit odd, but anyway, I decided to have a few glasses of champagne and recorded myself playing my original song “Plumeria” which I posted on Instagram.
I left at around 6.30 to catch the bullet train that would get me back to Tokyo by 11pm or so. On the way home I felt all sorts of conflicting emotions. On one hand, I had spent so much money and was feeling a bit put out that the audience turnout was so low. On the other, I felt proud that I had managed to put myself out there and try something new, especially coming off the week before when I was being tested by the elements and in the process of escaping a flash flood.
Ultimately I got to see more of this amazing country and get a feel for the personality of its other big cities. Kyoto was demure, but gracious. Osaka was bombastic, but self-assured, and Kobe was haughty, but uncompromising.
I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to share my music with a small, albeit appreciative crowd. Special thanks to Koichi, Arthur, Jesse, Quin, Deron and Kirian for making me feel heard and welcome.