Missing Shows

I’m going back to LA for Thanksgiving, and that’s going to cause me to miss a few great shows while I’m away from Tokyo.

The event that’s going to make me most sorrowful about not attending is the second memorial show for the late Takayuki Fukumura on November 26, featuring advantage Lucy, Vasallo Crab 75, and Three Berry Icecream. All three are wonderful bands. I’ve written many times about guitar pop bands Lucy and Vasallo; Three Berry is the unit of female accordionist and singer Mayumi Ikemizu, formerly of Bridge. About ten bands that had worked with Fukumura played at last year’s show, which went all night. This year’s show at the Club Que in Shimokitazawa will feature only the above three bands, but word has it that one band will morph into another, the musicians from one joining another and then leaving.

Oh how I wish I could be there… Really, if you are in Tokyo, have the time, can afford it, and like this sort of music, you owe it to yourself to catch this show!

Another show that will pass me by is that of SGT, Hullabaloos and a couple of other groups at the Que on November 28. SGT is a friend’s band (he told me what the name stands for, but it escapes me now…), and is spirited, hard rock. Hullabaloos is the solo unit of the beautiful-voiced male singer of Sakanobolt, a band I saw a while ago and have been wanting to see again but is now 'taking a break'.

And then there is Caraway and more guitar pop goodness at the Ikebukuro Live Inn Rosa the next day, on November 29. Caraway is led by Osamu Shimada, the guitarist for Swinging Popsicle, one of my favorite Japanese pop bands.

There are probably other knock-out events scheduled while I’m away, but I’m going to avoid looking at Tokyo Gig Guide and Pia magazine show listings for that period so I don’t get depressed. But if you are in town, the three shows above should all be fun.