The Reverend Double J flexes his musical muscle backing Pop singer.songwriter Danny Katz on bass.
The third and final installment of Thee Vicars Rectory, a series of warm-up shows to get the band studio ready for two of the three albums currently underway. This last one rocks the hardest and the loudest.
See the new, expanded Crawfish! Open kitchen, glass showcase beer case (maybe some new mystery bottle beers) and 1m x 3.6m more dancing dancing space in front of the counter. No silly congestion after walking in the door!!
Raku Raku / 7:15 - 7:45
RATM-an / 8:00 - 8:30
Sorcha & the Sinners / 8:45 - 9:25
Dirty T's / 9:40 - 10:20
Rev. Double J Vicars / 10:30 - 11:10
Reverend Deadbeat hosts the Blues & Jazz jam. Musicians, bring your insturment and sit in. Evrybody come and feast. ¥2,000 entry with buffet. Cheap! They also make the second best White Russian in Tokyo.
Sir Pookinstein Schwarz
(Post-punk Pookie Pop)
http://web.me.com/markschwarz/Mark_Schwarz_on_the_Interwebs/Welcome.html
Sorcha & the Sinners
(Cunt Rock)
http://sorchaandthesinners.com
The Reverend J.J. Vicars
(Deadbeat Rock 'n' Roll)
http://www.jjvicars.com/
Both Sorcha and Rev. J.J.V. will be debuting material from their new albums. You heard it here last!
"And yea, it came to pass that the band of wise musicians descended upon the venue known as Crawfish and delivered a rocketing barrage of major tuneage upon a motley group of ne'er-do-wells, drunkards and other miscreants. And when they heard the bad-ass sounds, they bestowed plaudits on the band and repented of their sins."
The Pink Cow commemorates one year since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Joining the other entertainers is Premature Evacuation, The Reverend Double J Vicars with Mark Schwarz on bass and Kaz Ibata on drums, performing Meltdown and other hits.http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/prematureevacuatio
https://www.facebook.com/events/361943653828813/
Sun., March 11th – Art Blender Artist Reception for I Heart Japan March Art Exhibition & 3/11/11 Memorial Event
–March 11 2012 marks the 1 year anniversary of the devastation in Northern Japan brought about by the Tohoku Earthquake. Our March show of artwork and photography has been submitted by people for the remembrance month of March. Some of the Artworks sold will be donated to the rebuilding efforts. If you have artwork you would like to submit for the month show please mail us asap. Please invite your friends who would also like to participate in a commemoration event on March 11th to remember the people who lost their lives and family. Thank you!
cowmail@thepinkcow.comまでメールをください。
Guest Performers:
Noe Tomorrow – Green Day covers
Watanabe Yoshiko-san Chanson
makiko hashimoto koto
Derek Hurst
Hideki Yamanaka Flamenco Guitar
David Live & MC
Paul film
Premature Evacuation – Live Blues Rock
Kiku -African Cuban dance
Artist:
Tony Boyle photos
Fudworks manga art
John Collier painting
Traci painting
Beco
Terukichi
Maya- drawing
Yu Fukazawa -photo
No Entry Charge but Donations Accepted – Please come early and enjoy a great Pink Cow dinner, The Pink Cow is a restaurant with great food so table seating is available for dinner parties only. Drinks are standing room only. For maps, menus and more info check www.thepinkcow.com.
Mild Cheddar
(Drunk Rock)
http://www.facebook.com/groups/mildcheddar/
Sorcha & the Sinners
(Cunt Rock)
http://sorchaandthesinners.com
The Reverend J.J. Vicars
(Dude Rock)
http://www.jjvicars.com/
Both Sorcha and Rev. J.J.V. will be debuting material from their new albums. You heard it here first!
The acoustic duo of J.J.V. on guitar/vocal and Hugh Ashton on dobro A.K.A. The Urban Achievers, this time rounded out with Hisa Nakase on upright bass. Blues, Bluegrass, Country, Americana and others music with splinters.
*Canceled* Reverend J.J. Vicars declines to perform at this venue any further.
Four bands including The Urban Achievers at 8:00 w/ JJV on guitar & vocal and the flaming liberal Hugh 'pirate game' Ashton on dobro.
Premature Evacuation (w/ Hisa Nakase on bass & Masaki Shibata on drums)
http://www.jjvicars.com/
Inside Neon
http://insideneon.com/
Honeydew
http://honeydewmusic.com/
Sawas Phool
http://sawasphool.com/
The Mootekkis
http://www.myspace.com/themootekkis
2 more suitably rockin' acts to be confirmed.
J.J.V., Mark Schwarz and Masaki Shibata perform an all-instrumental set.
1.) Honky Tonk2.) Hideaway3.) Comin' Home4.) Chicken Shack5.) Soul Searchin'6.) Boogie On DownShooting a music video for TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE from the LONGHAIRED LEFTOVERS album. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jjvicars4 Chirs Young mans the camera and JJV regulars Mark 'pookie bear' Schwarz and Masaki Shibata appear as themselves. Various regulars from the Pink Cow are expected to participate as part of the audience.
Going away party for Val, belly dancer extraordinaire and one of the regulars at the Pink Cow. Assortment of live music, dancers and DJs.
CK & the Blues Mules
Wilhelm - acoustic guitar
J.J. Vicars & The Desiatos 10:00 - 11:00
J.J.V. on acoustic guitar and vocals with Hugh Ashton on dobro, collectively known as The Urban Achievers, will be pickin' & grinnin' Country, Western Swing, Hillbilly Boogie, and Blues. Interspersed throughout the sets will be songs from various songwriters J.J. has worked with over the years.
8:00 - 9:10 *The Urban Achievers* JJV w/ Hugh Ashton on Dobro performing a foot stomping set of backporch Hillbilly, Blues, Country, Western Swing and a few gems from JJ's songwriter buddies
9:30 - 11:00 *Premature Evacuation* Rock 'n' Roll trio with Mark Schwarz (bass) and Masaki Shibata (drums) tearing through JJ's upcoming 5th solo CD, the for-charity Surf instrumental MELTDOWN and more honky tonk boogie. Special guest appearance by Jerry 'poppa' Vicars!
1. The Melted 7:30 – 8:10
2. Mild Dog 8:20 – 9:00
3. Inside Neon 9:10 – 9:50
4. J.J.Vicars 10:00 – 10:40
Roger Sherrin & the Boso Boys with JJV on bass and guitar.
Official first day of summer at the beach. Acoustic Americana on the beach front.
Roger Sherrin: guitar & vocals
Mori, Shinjiro: lead guitar & vocals
Matsumoto, Masahiro: lead guitar & vocals
J.J. Vicars: bass, lead guitar, & vocals
Onodera, Mika: Sound Engineer
& Michelle: Dance Master
10:10 ~ 11:00
Premature Evacuation
Punk Robot Garage Cheese Surf Rock
A bunch of abiding Dudes laying down some butt rockin' boogie. Best enjoyed with a Caucasian or an oat soda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdMa2teg_k&feature=channel_video_title
...*Update! J.J.'s dad, Jerry Vicars, will be joining the band for a few songs.
9:10 ~ 10:00
Inside Neon
Munk = Metal + Punk
Inside Neon are the exponents of Munk.
http://www.insideneon.com/home.cfm
8:10 ~ 9:00
Sorcha Chisholm
Sorcha and her bandmates Dan Karras (drums) and Arda Karaduman (bass) have been rocking the stage for only a short time but their presence is undeniable. Dark and sexy, together they deliver a raw, dynamic soundscape.
http://www.sorchamusic.com/
7:10 ~ 8:00
As Dusk Fades
Heavy Psyche-Jinja Rock
After the completion of "BENEATH THE ANVIL OF MARS", the new Ep "The Pebble Rebellion" was completed this June.
http://www.myspace.com/fadingintodust
www.reverbnation.com/asduskfades
J.J.V. on acoustic guitar and vocals with Hugh Ashton on dobro, collectively known as The Urban Achievers, will be pickin' & grinnin' Country, Western Swing, Hillbilly Boogie, and Blues. Interspersed throughout the set will be songs from various songwriters J.J. has worked with over the years.
Premature Evacuation takes the stage around 9:30 to crank out all the hits including the new single MELTDOWN.
Every Tuesday is Poker Night at The Pink Cow, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121602728903&v=info , and May 31st it's accompanied by some Hillbilly Boogie. Hugh Ashton on dobro.
Ben's Cafe is closing their doors on May 21st. The March 11th earthquake put a serious dent in their business. Pickin' an' grinnin' one last time, with High Ashton on dobro.
The final "first Thursday" open jam at Ben's Cafe before they close their doors at the end of the month. Sadly, the March 11th earthquake/tsunami delivered a hard blow to their business and the doors will close on May 20th. Come join us for the closing jam and give Ben's Cafe a proper send off!
Chef Andy will be cookin’ up some fine New Orleans Vittles! Come join us for some amazing food, Jazz music & Donate to the Relief Effort! for donation details please check the calendar page of our website at www.thepinkcow.com
New Orleans Dinner Specials:
Gumbo with Red Beans and Rice
Blackened Red Snapper with Red Beans and Rice
Jambalaya
Chorizo & New Orleans Potato Salad
Hard-Cooked Egg and Hot Pepper Vinegar Salad
Pecan Caramel Cheese Cake
Cocktail Specials:
New Orleans Hurricane
Mint Julep
Please rsvp to be sure to get a table to cowmail@thepinkcow.com!
From 7pm – please donate either a minimum of 500yen or bring food/goods donations for entry.
Blues 4 Survivors is a Blues/Roots Music fundraiser for the survivors of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan. The Pink Cow, who is hosting the event, is collecting donations in the form of supplies (see their website for details) and money to take the supplies up there, which they are doing themselves. The lineup for the evening's festivities is:
7:00 -7:45 CK & the Blues Mules http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsy9Re5FKoQ
8:00 - 8:45 Yugo Sato http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2zpYYpTCNo
9:00 - 9:45 Steve Gardner & Bill Benfield http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0j77OuXSQg
10:00 - 10:45 J.J. Vicars w/ Hisa Nakase(bass) & Masaki Shibata (drums) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiFstQ0nnJg
10:45 - 11:15 Blow out jam "Take it home, boys!"
The lineup:
7:00 - 7:30 : Iry (acoustic)
http://www.myspace.com/iry...music
7:35 - 8:05 : Martin Leroux (acoustic)
http://www.reverbnation.com/martinleroux
8:10 - 8:40 : David Whitaker (hip-hop)
http://www.reverbnation.com/lovemademusic
8:45 - 9:15 : Rhyming Gaijin (rap)
http://www.youtube.com/Rhyminggaijin
9:25 - 10:05 : Premature Evacuation (J.J. Vicars, Mark Schwarz, Masaki Shibata)
http://www.youtube.com/user/jjvicars
10:15 - 10:55 : The Watanabes (pop rock)
http://www.thewatanabes.com/
Admission is ¥1,000. The proceeds of the night will go towards the Animal Refuge Kansai's (ARK) relief efforts for animal victims of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, helping them provide animals with necessities, shelters, and facilitating relocation. Other donations will go towards purchasing necessary items for the human victims in devastated areas. Accepting financial and material donations as well!
Fundraiser for the earthquake/tsunami survivors in northeast Japan.
The Pink Cow is accepting both supplies and cash donations for the relief effort.
See their website for details.
7:00 - 7:30 / Liquid Courage (acoustic Rock covers)
7:45 - 8:15 / The Mark Show (post-punk pookie Pop)
8:30 - 9:15 / Blue Benny (SRV covers)
9:30 - 10:15 / Nik (solo guitar)
10:30 - 11:15 / J.J. Vicars & the Desiatos (hard drivin' boogie)
The jam at Ben's Cafe hosted by Mac Okuyama will be hosted by J.J.V. this month while Mac is out of Japan. A collection for the earthquake/tsunami relief effort is being taken at Ben's Cafe.
"A sparse turnout," he said tactfully. Nonetheless Hugh Ashton on dobro, Chiharu Kawai on harmonica & kazoo, and The Jewish Redneck had a good ol' barn burnin' good time jam. Relaxed and loose the songs ranged from old Blues numbers to some Country to several Stones tunes and Lynyrd Skynyrd's RAILROAD SONG, which neither Hugh nor Chiharu were familiar with. But best of all the dobro and kazoo sounded so good on THINGS I NEED, a JJV Western Swing type number, that there is now serious consideration to record it with that instrumentation.
Fundraiser for the survivors of the March 11th, 2011 earthquake that struck off the coast of Sendai, Japan and the resulting tsunami. People desperately need clean warm clothes & underwear, blankets that are small enough to pack but warm, and disposable chopsticks and things like that too. Pink Cow may be the only place collecting things like that to send directly.
Mark Schwarz on bass and Masaki Shibata on drums, the legendary rhythm section from the YouTube videos. The new insrtumental MELTDOWN will make a hasty debut (the recorded version will be sold as a single with the proceeds going to the relief effort). The Pink Cow also has live streaming so we'll see if they can turn it on so folks back home can watch as well. http://www.ustream.tv/user/thepinkcow
Met up with Robbie at Hachiko because I thought he knew the way but we were both lost down those side streets. While having a smoke at Hachiko we were looking at the usual overload of human traffic in Shibuya and having a good laugh about all those "Tokyo A Ghost Town" headlines. After eventually finding our way to the Pink Cow (Masaki was already there before us as usual, should have just called him) we parked in the back and settled into a few much needed beers. Mark showed up not long after Chiharu (who sat in on harp) and all was well. Even Masaki had a couple beers, mark it on the calendar. Then Mike Buttrick showed up and the party really started. After we were all numb enough for minor surgery Mark's brother showed up. Tim Schwarz works for CNN which prompted a very loud and intoxicated "We're drinking with the enemy!" from yours truly. Tim was a good sport and took it all in stride. He got his gig while living in Hong Kong and is far enough down the food chain to dig where we were coming from on that one. He gave us a few good inside laughs which I wouldn't post here even if I could remember them. Mark wanted to show him the Rocket Revenger bass and the ModBird guitar. I didn't know he'd never seen them before. The temporary neck on the Modbird is almost unplayable so she's on hiatus until the final neck is put on. Had I known Tim had never seen his brother's work in person I could have endured the fret buzzing for a set.
By the time we got onstage we were pretty lit. There had been belly dancers and folkie guitarist and we were several hours into the evening and the last band to go on. Traci wanted the Rock 'n' Roll band to close the show, which is usually a good idea. The people who haven't left after a few hours want to stay and keep partying. I never did make up a set list, had an idea of what tunes I wanted to do and intended to keep it loose. Without a soundcheck of any kind we opened with ICEBREAKIN' and it seemed to go over pretty good despite me forgetting a good chunk of it. DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M LIVING ON from The Hillbilly Resistance was next. Mark got the changes right having never played it before and I kept screwing them up. Egads! SHE MAY BE YOUR WOMAN was also in there somewhere and got the crowd on their feet. Mike Buttrick pulled a whole bunch of chicks out front and got everybody up dancing. Not wanting to lose momentum the song became a medley with the addition of HORNY TOAD, a Prince B-side with a Rockabilly vibe. Actually it's DELIRIOUS with different lyrics. Key change to A and now it's MATCHBOX. STINKY TWINKY and DOWNHOME kept the crowd dancing until Traci pulled Mike off the floor for fondling too many women or something (it's alla bit hazy). TEAR IT UP ended the show before the closer LAST TRAIN HOME and we were done. Sometime early in the set we debuted MELTDOWN, the Surf instrumental being released as a single soon with proceeds going to the relief effort up north.
A good time was had by all and for once our drunken debauchery was for a good cause. All the beer consumed was Japanese, or in Mike's words, "None of that European shit! Support the Japanese economy!" People brought piles of donations including warm clothes and toiletries (some of the survivors haven't bathed or changed their clothes in over a week) and from what I gathered there was a pretty good cash colection to send it all up there.
☆ Invitation to the Blues Vol.15 An event to introduce the delta blues, a traditional entertainment of Mississippi from the various points of view. Let’s get drunk and have fun!
Performers: YUGO, TAD Miura, and J.J. Vicars!
On the Shokuan Dori. In front of the “Hello work “(employment bureau) same side of Don Quijote.
Map- http://www.the-big-time.com/i/map.html
Second of a three-night stand in Fukushima.
Last of a three-night stand.
First of a three-night stand.
After nearly 20 years the original Toxic Twins reunite! Nikki Hills and J.J.V, who together cranked amps to 11 and blew out windows across Tokyo during the last true Rock era, are blowing the windows out at Warrior Celt with Max Blues (Mac Okuyama-guitar, Mark Schwarz-bass, Sugi-drums). This is a one-time only reunion as Nikki and J.J. live in different countries. Tell your grandkids, "I was there!"
For a trip in time to 'back in the day' check out http://www.jjvicars.com/music-159.html and http://www.jjvicars.com/music-160.html And be sure to check out Nikki Hills on MySpace and hear some of his recent recordings. http://www.myspace.com/nikkihills/
What a blast! Hadn't seen Nikki in 18 years and it was like no time had elapsed. He came over to the house and put a couple solos on DANGER BY DEATH, another Metal parody soon to be released as a single. Funny enough, when I was cutting the solo I was thinking of what he would play. That solo of mine is now gone and the real deal is there. Before that I pulled out the pink Ibanez RG550 that came into my possesion so he could help me set it up (it's up for sale). I know nothing about locking nuts but Nikki is an Ibanez/locking nut guy from back when they were new. He shook his head, grabbed his guitar case and asked, "What's the wildest thing I could pull out of here?" Holy whammy bar, Batman! It was an identical Ibanez RG550, left handed (Nikki's a southpaw) and the same color!!! After 18 years what are the odds of us having matching guitars? As weird as it may be for me to play an Ibanez I jusy HAD to bring it to the gig. Too cool.
We got to the Warrior Celt well after Mark Schwarz, who was the first one there, set up and then Sugi showed up. A lengthy soundcheck/jam on a couple or three songs and then some grub. Excellent fish & chips there. Mac Okuyama came around the time we finshed eating and it the night was underway. Another buddy I go back a few years with, Matt Williams, was in the audience and was gracious enough to snap some photos and shoot some video. Never a band know for subtely there was the ususal Max Blues volume war. Mac, who hasn't yet learned to roll back his volume knob when somebody else is soloing, was already the loudest in the room and there was the usual end-the-song-whenever-you-want nobody following anybody but it was still fun. Especially cool was Mark making JJV history once again. Whenever there's a landmark gig in the JJV world Mark is always there. There was also a sax player who asked to sit in. I told him I'd call him up and he jumped up as soon as we started. Gave him a solo on the next song and he meandered endlessly until we went back to the head. I ignored him from then on and after five tunes he eventually caught on. Where do these guys come from?
Above all hit was great to play with my brother Nikki Hills again. We were a hell of a guitar duo back in the day. One reason is because we always played completely different parts, we never stepped on each other's toes. Most of the cats I play around town with today don't understand that; even the rhythm section, they try to duplicate everything you do. Nikki and I always plays different, complementing roles naturally, leaving plenty of space for the other guy. That, along with our family-like connection, is what made us such a formidable guitar team. And to know that in spite of all the years that have passed, all the ups and downs we've each gone through, that we can hang out just as cool and play together just as hot, as if theintervening decades had never happened... I can't put that into words. All I can say is that it's one of the coolest things I've had in my life. Fuckin' great to hang out and play with my brother again.
*Update* - J.J. Vicars will NOT be performing!
Acoustic Sunday with Roger Sherrin & the Boso Boys and a new mic.
Ocean Deep is located behind the Lawson on the West exit side of JR Chiba Station. From the Chiba Keisei Station walk straight past the Sun City Hotel until you come to the Lawson.
Starts at 6:00 pm with the Fabulous Boso Boys performing at 8:30pm
Unequivocally the coolest place in Chiba! The West End Saloon is a real Texas style Road House bar & restaurant transplanted in Mobara, Chiba. Looking like some honky-tonk off of IH-35 near Austin, the all-wood building was designed and hand built by the owner, who spent months of research in the U.S. on western style bars and buildings. He has filled the interior with cool antiques and memorabilia, including plenty of Stevie Ray Vaughn concert posters. With rows of Jack Daniels bottles behind the bar and a nice stage with guitars hanging on the wall, the place was specifically designed for some serious live rockin' music performances. The owner himself plays guitar with his own house band.
The August "West-Stock" Festival is one of those rare events, with over six different bands performing. Our reputation preceding us, the management kindly slipped us in at the prime 8:30pm slot for a full-band electric performance. As a bonus, the West End undoubtedly serves up one of the best cheeseburgers to be found in Japan. The rest of the menu is completely in Japanese, so find a picture and point something out! However, finding the place is truly a challenge as the West End is tucked out on the edge of town, hidden in some trees off a small back road. Plenty of parking once you find it, and the nearest station is Mobara, a moderate taxi ride away.
Way better than the gig the night before. A real stage with real gear. Playing bass behind Roger Sherrin & the Boso Boys I was running hrough an Ampeg SVT with 8x10 cabinet, the amp of the bass gods. Took the mic for TAKE ME ON DOWN TO MEMPHIS and played Matsumoto's Gretsch which had a divine tone. The music gods were smiling upon us. Roger broke a string and Mori had the next tune so the timing was good. We fuckin' rocked the house, plain and simple. The next band was some teenybopper Punk Rockers but their drummer was surprisingly good. Give him some Humble Pie to listen to and he'll be straight. A Rockabilly trio came on later and sounded real good. They were dressed the part and put on a good show even though it was all Stray Cats material. The guitarists cousin kept buying drinks for Roger and I and I learned not to mix tequila and Jack Daniels.
2nd Floor above the BOND SURF shop next to the GUSTO restaurant on Route 128, Ichinomiya, by Taito Fishing Port. Starts at 6:00pm with the Fabulous Boso Boys performing after 8:00pm
Namioto is a pocket sized bar and cafe located above the Bond Surf shop on Route 128 near Ichinomiya and Misaki, overlooking Taito Beach. It truly has a stunning view of the waves rolling up, and is filled with cool surfboard decor. Chika-san, the bar master, heard the Boso Boys playing at Taito beach on August 14th, and specifically requested us to come and play at her place. The "Hot Summer Party" seems to be a goodbye to Summer event with two or three other small groups performing. Hearing we were available, Chika is placing us in the prime timeslot. Since the place is closet sized, the Boso Boys will be going acoustic for this intimate event, however that won't dampen the energy one little bit! Hopefully the belly dancers from the last party will show up again!
Extremely crowded to say the least. Nice to have a full house but the layout was wrong. The band was set up right in front of the bar and poor Roger caught the brunt of it, including the fat guy that gouged him with his gut. Three acoustics with Matsumoto on nylon string which added a nice texture to the bass lines he was playing. The sudden addition of percussion however was not so delightful. Nice folks out there but the "jam band" mentality is way overdone. The cat was all over the place and not listening, which most of them do. Fucked up my first song of the evening which pissed me off big time. And by the end of the night Roger's gear was dangerously close to being drowned in beer and cocktails. With venues like Topanga and West End we decided to forego any future hole-in-the-wall joints.
Dallas, TX native Roger Sherrin opens the show with a rockin' set of beer drinkin', foot stompin' honky tonk followed by the Reverend J.J. Vicars with a set of full throttle boogie. Beach, beer and bikinis galore!
Heading out to Taito beach a typhoon was passing Honshu causing the Keiyo line to slow down considerabley. The luxury express liner was packed so we jumped on the regular express which then turned into a local. 3 hours became 4+ but the end of the ride was worth it. From Soga station we were on what had to be the oldest train still in use today. Very funky. And then we arrived at a statio so old it didn't even have a staircase, just stone slabs set in the side of a small hill. Zen surf master Robert Newman put us up at his http://www.wavehuntersjapan.com and it was a world away from Tokyo. Laid back people without an agenda who actually like to hang out. A nice change of pace from the people who try to imrpess you with how trendy they are and/or are always in a hurry to leave.
There was no band at Topanga that night but a few cold ones and a pool table set the right tone. The next day was pretty low keyed hanging with the locals and the surfers and generally unwinding. Then came the gig on Saturday. The original drummer had been MIA and after writing a drummer-less set list and sub was found on Friday night. And he was good. Without any time for preparation, much less rehearsal, he kept it right in the pocket and followed the leader. I backed Roger Sherrin on bass during his set with Shinjiro Mori and Matsumoto handling gutair duties. A mix of surf, Rockabily and a couple ballads had the crowd ecstatic. I was later told it was such a good set I was going to have to follow it with something really good.
Matsumoto played bass for me and right off the bat he was solid. Playing with guys who know the idiom makes life so much easier plus it sounds good even without any real rehearsal. These guys who had never rehearsed with me, including one who had never heard my stuff at all, sounded ten times better than the majority of musicians in Tokyo who have done several rehearsals and a handful of gigs. The crowd was going apeshit and WILD MAN was dedicated to Mike Buttrick and Markus Leach. Due to some flakiness on the venue's part we had to cut it a little short but not before I got Roger and Mori up to "take it home". The next day it was really hard to leave.
A friendly get together out on the Chiba peninsula for some pizza, oat soda, and smokin' music. Singer/guitarist Roger Sherrin hosts a laidback show featuring guitarist Shinjiro Mori during the second set and Rev. JJV during the third along with a few other fine pickers. If the music flows as good as the beer it may open up into a late-night jam session. If you're a Tokyo resident who needs a break from the grind book a room at http://www.wavehuntersjapan.com/ and head down where you can take 'er easy and just go with the flow.
A very Dudely gig with some very Dudely cats. Roger Sherrin put on the show and supplied most of the gear. A folksy guitar/vocal & percussion duo kicked off the proceedings then Shinjiro Mori and his guitarist kicked it up a notch. I backed him on bass with the afore-mentioned percussionist playing a Roland electronic drum kit the wners had lying around. There was some rough edges to be smoothed out with the new PA but nothing serious. Stayed on bass to back Roger with his Bigsby equipped Gretsch flat-top and his guitarist who played a Gretsch Duo Jet. His guitarist switched to bass while I strapped on Roger's Gretsch 6120 and the cops showed up as we tore into WILD MAN. Limited to one song I was about to do a long medley when it was determined we could continue indefinitely. Twangin' that 6120 through Rog's Kendrick amp was Tone Hog Heaven! And the controlled feedback was cool too. Roger came back up and the cops showed up again so we finally packed it in around... sometime late.
Excellent pizzas from some excellent dudes and got to see a few old friends from the Topanga gigs a couple years back. Looking forward to heading out there again.
Stripping it down to the bare basics. Showing off the songwriter side. Takin' it easy on an acoustic, cruising through the entire catalog of released and unreleased CDs. Hanging out 20 floors above downtown Tokyo with a White Russian and a couple friends. Spend the early part of Saturday evening chilling in some upscale class before hitting the streets for decadence and debauchery.
Singer/guitarist Roger Sherrin came out to sit in for a few numbers and brought Shinjiro Mori from Steve Gardner's group with him. Shinjiro came up first and added some nice guitar work to the acoustic renditions of the JJV catalog. Roger came up, playing a Gretsch acoustic with a Bigsby, and the place turned into a Texas honky tonk. Mori spent most of the second set on the bandstand and will likely be called upon to do some pickin' in the near future. Roger came up again and then it really took off. Much more fun than being up there all by your lonesome. Look for some JJV/RS collaborations in the near future as well.
The old dude who's been the bar manager for a million years was conspicuously absent. Heard he got tranferred somewhere. What a bummer, he was a real cool dude and all of us musicians think very highly of him. The guy's got class. The new bar manager was some young "go go" guy who kept running out to everybody's table asking what was going on whose bill. Didn't dig that. There was some kind of internal politics going on but I'm just a performer, not a member, so I wasn't directly caught up in it and in the end a good time was had by all.
The roof will be blown off of Crawfish the old fashioned way, with chicken grease. It's gonna be lowdown and when guests are onstage it's a showdown! Mark Schwarz wields the Rocket Revenger bass and Masaki Shibata pounds out jungle rhythms. Be there or be square!
The rhythm section was in fine form and we had a guest harmonica player. Played a couple new Hillbilly Resistance songs, SOLITUDE, and SCRATCH MY BACK among others. The new arrangements for CUTIE PIE and AIN'T WAITIN' ANYMORE made their stage debut (night even finish the LWFH album this year). Great crowd and Jake & Carol were kind enough to let me play the Telecaster which sounded great through that Fender amp, especially with tremolo!
Played Jake's Telecaster most of the night and had a blast. Started with HONKY TONK and HIDEAWAY, went into CHICKEN SHACK and PIPELINE then the usual STINKY TWINKY and DOWHOME. Did two of the new Hillbilly Resistance songs, WHAT I'M LIVING ON and SHE MAY BE YOUR WOMAN along with a short version of SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. Mike Buttrick came out and brought a bunch of friends, several of whom sat in. Mike also sat in for a quick jam in E. They got loaded and got us loaded and Masaki was really laying into the pocket then. A little bit too much self-indulgence on the mic towards the end along with some techinical problems but nobody got hurt. In the end a good time was had by all. Always fun to play Crawfish.
Canceled along with the rest of the tour. Was going to do it solo but when the transmission went out on the van in Vegas that idea went with it.
Canceled along with the rest of the tour. Fortunately the owners were understanding of the situation and a substitute band was found. The date will be made up at the soonest poosible opportunity to hit the West Coast.
From http://www.fccj.or.jp/node/5377
Mike Price, Steve Gardner, Andrea Hopkins, Vic Savoy, JJ Vicars, the Moonshots and many other musicians are donating their talents to provide non-stop entertainment while the FCCJ kitchen lays out an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring Haitian cuisine. Hotels, wine distributors and other businesses are donating prizes for a raffle. Jean-Claude Bordes, Acting-Ambassador of the Republic of Haiti, will make a few comments on the current situation in his country.
Proceeds go directly to Partners in Health, a non-profit organization that has been working in Haiti for 20 years and is dedicated to providing ongoing medical care for the survivors. www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti
Had a blast playing a pair of old spirituals with Steve Gardner, Bill Benfield and Hisa Nakase. Steve usually plays a resonator guitar but Bill had the first ever resonator mandolin and Hisa was thumping away on a resonator bass. With so many musicians there was only a short time for each but that meant getting to check out and hang out with all the other groups. Kudos to Mike Price for doing an excellent job of keeping a potentially chaotic situation well organized.
A slow night that turned out to be a great jam session. They warned me that Monday nights were dead but I took the gig anyhow. Chiharu Kawai showed up and we hung out with Carol as Jake fiddled with gear. Mark Schwarz walked in with the freshly adjusted Modbird and eventually I grabbed Jake for a guitar duet. Soon Mark and Chiharu were up as well and as the four of us entertained Carol in walked Masaki Shibata. Now we had a drummer and the rest of the evening was nonstop jamming. I played bass for a few numbers and sucked on the ones I called out and sang. We ended the night with TOO MANY HOLES from LONG WAY FROM HOME which has only been played live...??? I don't remember the last time we played it! Best jam session in many moons.
Started out good, went downhill fast and turned out pretty good considering the circumstances. Mac showed up from an earlier gig just in time for a quick soundcheck before the first set. Although there was no rehearsal and neither of them had played with me in at least 6 months having real Blues players made all the difference. When I stepped back from the mic to go into a solo I didn't have to explain to them to open it up, they did it naturally. The first set was great and we had so much fun playing we stretched it out a bit. Even threw in a couple songs that weren't on the list juct 'cause we could!
While on break Youchi suddenly became deathly ill, puked up everything he ate and passed out on the bench. It was later discovered that the Indian curry he had eaten didn't agree with his Matsuya-exclusive stomach. There was no way he could have caught all the parts and rocked out so I decided to ditch the set list and do some laid back Blues numbers. We tried to get him up but to no avail. Second set was off and third was a 'maybe'.
He never made it to the third set. Eventually he was able to walk out back to his van where he slept until long after 6:00 A.M. when Mac and I went home. Bryan, the bar manager, was very understanding of the situation and made sure we knew everything was cool. "An act of God" he stamped it. So we all had a blast playing an excellent set and when one of our guys was 'struck down' Bryan and the DJs who had to cover for us were sympathetic to our cause and went out of their way to show it. That's a pretty damn good gig considering the circumstances.
The first Birthday Jam was held at the now-defunct Fiddler in Takadanobaba. The next two were at Ben's Cafe, also in Takadanobaba. The fourth will be at Crawfish in Akasaka once again featuring a vast array of guest musicians. It's also a Farewell Roast much like the celebrity roasts of days past.
It started strange but ended well. Mark Schwarz showed up first and we hung out at the bar for a while. Jin Nagami showed up next, saw Mark and got weird. Started to take his bass off then sat down with it on giving off a bad vibe that could be felt all around the room. Head buried in his cell phone, as usual, then he took off without a word to anybody. Chiharu Kawai showed up soon afterward and that was the total number of jammers. Masaki Shibata and Sugi were both supposed to be there but never showed up. Turned out better without drums, we spent the evening laying into some real downhome Blues just like on the front porch back home.
The crowd was good sized and lively. We went for an hour and a half running through some Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker and Slim Harpo after opening with HONKY TONK, BOOGIE WITH GRANNY and CHICKEN SHACK. JOHN HARDY also found it's way in there before taking a break to play LONGHAIRED LEFTOVERS over the PA. Back on stage for another 40 minutes or so. The Ben's cafe crowd never spilled over so we ended at 11:30.
Jin Nagami on bass and Masaki Shibata on drums
Since it was a last-minute pickup date there was no time to promote. With a sparse audience we started out with some laid back Blues; HONKY TONK, HIDEAWAY, WAIT ON TIME. Kept it loose and the rhythm section clicked into gear. Masaki is a Jazz drummer and Jin a Jam bassist (though I did find out he digs Louis Jordan) so I wasn't surprising to discover off-the-cuff old school Blues is their strong point on my gig. The first set was magical. Masaki recorded it and it will be posted later as a free download.
The second set was fun but a little ragged in comparison. "1987" was really bad, it just never took off. Jin learned the chord changes but he tried to play the song his way and it didn't work. But that's part of the learning process; I found out what this rhythm section's strengths and weaknesses are.
Celebrate Thanksgiving while across the ocean with some downhome American music brought to you by J.J. Vicars and his custom-built ModBird guitar. Through the backroads of the Texas Hill Country across the Plains and into the great Midwest it's an evening of Hard Drivin' Blues, Boogie & Rock 'n' Roll with that big bad roadhouse beat. You'll forget where you are until you step outside!
Masaki Shibata was originally going to play this gig but had to send a sub. Hiromi played some good Blues drums! Steady backbeat and stayed in the pocket while following me. Found out later on she's into Magic Sam and Junior Wells. No wonder! Her stage clothes were cool too, especially the leopard-print hat.
Jin Nagami on bass and this time he was standing up. A little but of amp trouble turned out to be a dead battery in one of my stomp boxes. Second gig with the ModBird, this time running through a sweet Fender tube amp. She don't need no stinkin' pedals!
The Broken Guitars J.J.V. model Modbird makes her debut. Bassist/luthier Mark Schwarz will be wielding the infamous Rocket Revenger. Two Broken Guitars on one stage, a first! Don't miss this historic event!
New drums, new PA speakers, and manager Bryan Harmon helped us with the lights so the stage wouldn't look like CARRIE (see older Barge Inn photos). Took the red out and it started looking good!
First set was a good warm up. Everybody was upstairs, the DJ crowd hadn't filed in yet. Good time to break in the ModBird. She has a nice, rich tone. After 2 years of talking and planning it was a gas just to run her through a loud amp on a stage!
Second set the DJ had a good crowd and I wanted to capture their attention while their adrenaline was still high. Unfortunately that didn't happen; the first several numbers were stiff and never took off. Playing the songs isn't enough, gotta play the MUSIC! I was pissed and wanted everyone to know this was not up to my standard. They noticed. Halfway through the set, during ICEBREAKIN', drummer Masaki Shibata got pissed at me and that's when he started really playing. He quit looking at his notes, which were too tiny and complex to read onstage anyhow, and played to me and the audience. The crowds cheers and hollers were audible over all the noise we were cranking out but when the song ended the uproar was un-fucking-believable!!! They were louder than us! And my amp was cranked! The rest of the set sounded like a J.J. Vicars show should sound and by the time we closed it with SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE it was all over. But not yet.
Third set was rocking along nicely after everything had clicked into gear middle of the second. STINKY TWINKY and DOWNHOME had the crowd boppin' on the dance floor. We covered Johnny Winter's LOVE SONG TO ME and started out a train wreck. I took an extended solo while the rhythm section found their place and then resumed the actual song. SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, co-written with L.A. Jones and Jeremy Gloff, was next and the dirty Blues had them doing the greasy grind. I didn't know I was setting myself up for trouble. A smokin' hot Thai chick in front was carrying on and ran up to the stage to pour her beer down my throat. Well, all's fair in Rock 'n' Roll and audience participation always gets the rest of the crowd going. But during 1987 (Gloff tune I covered on the new album) she jumped onstage and was hanging all over me dancing, shaking, grinding and pouring more beer down my throat while I soloed. I'm quite proud of the fact that I only hit one or two clams and managed to cue the band. After the set was over she dragged me offstage before I could tear down. Politely excusing myself was a chore.
Oliver Richter filmed the entire gig and took some great photos. Photos will be posted soon and the best cuts from the video will go on YouTube. After the gig was over we waited for the first train but missed it due to all the drinks placed in front of us. Stumbled out at 7:00 A.M. and had a 3-hour train ride across the Kanto plain. Yeah, it was a good gig.
The last gig with the Strat and the first show at new venue Crawfish in Akasaka. On the same street as ex-pat pub Mermaid.
On bass is Jin Nagami, from last year's July 4th show at Atsugi with Tara Tinsley. Jin also lent his lap steel meanderings to TOO MANY HOLES from the upcoming album LONG WAY FROM HOME.
On drums is Masaki Shibata, a veteran of many JJV gis at the Barge Inn and Warrior Celt.
First gig at the new venue and it was jumpin'. The gear actually worked (a first) and there was a very cool early 70's Fender amp with B-movie tremolo. My bud from way-back-when Mike Buttrick came down for the first set and stayed the whole night. He brought a pack of friends including our old bud Marcus and they also stayed longer than originally planned.
The rhythm section was solid, in the pocket and actually followed me. We opened with HONKY TONK and HIDEAWAY and they were right there with me from the git-go. It was tight and loose all at the same time. Chiharu Kawai sat in on harp and also shot some pics and video. All in all a great gig.
Atsugi Naval Base celebrates the Japanese holiday Obon with an open-base festival. Mark Schwarz on bass and Youchi Kurashige on drums.
The show was confirmed at noon the day before and the drummer canceled. After a few phone calls and false starts Youichi Kurashige was ready to show up at the base at 9:30 for a 10:00 soundcheck. At 9:40 he showed up at my house 2 hours away.
Somehow he got inside the gate before 11 and we had a 10 minute soundcheck, one of the shortest ever. Off to the food court for some much needed junk food and back to the stage where went on a little after 1:00.
We opened strong. TAKE ME ON DOWN TO MEMPHIS at a slightly slower tempo had a Stones-y feel and ROCK MY WORLD rawked. During MAYBE I'LL KNOW YOU the vocals dropped and I couldn't tell if it was me or the monitors but we soldiered on. TALK TO YOU DAUGHTER kept the momentum going. The sun and clouds shifted and during HELP ME I was sweating so much I couldn't hold onto my pick. Played the solo with my fingers while it dried in the sun. STINKY TWINKY and DOWNHOME boogied and shuffled the blues away. During 1987 (written by Jeremy Gloff) we got the sign to wrap it up. Finished with a big ending and that was the gig. The band was in fine form playing better than I expected and we got the best crowd response ever at Reid Field.
Later the closing band, Against Grace, broke a string during a song. They didn't have a spare so they quit playing. Us and members of the Jeremy Graham Band had a good old time cracking on the wet nosed kids who gave up so easily. They were told to stay in the area while everyone was rounded up to go and eat and sure as shit they all wandered off leaving ALL their gear unattended. Oh, boy did we have fun cracking on them after that! One guy wandered back with dango in one hand and a confused look on his face. Suzi practically made him cry which was even funnier. I'm now convinced these kids exist solely for the purpose of being cracked on by vets like us. There seems to be no other practical use for them.
An evening of downhome acoustic Blues. Pickin' away on the old flattop just like we do back home. Have a cold beer and a bowl of chili from FCCJ's kitchen to put you in the right mood.
Much better than the last gig at FCCJ. No chattering leprachauns this time. 3 laid back sets of in-the-groove acoustic Blues & Boogie. Did tunes from SCI-FI DINER, LONGHAIREDS LEFTOVERS, LONG WAY FROM HOME and FULL THROTTLE. Firewors over Tokyo Bay during most of the show. Had a blast.
J.J. Vicars & the Desiatos will be one of the bands playing this year's Fourth of July festival at Atsugi Naval Base. The band features Suzi V on bass in all her B-movie glory and Ken O'Keefe on drums laying down the backbeat.
In addition to the all-day music (around 7 bands) there will be food vendors for those needing some American grub. Souvenirs from the festival will also be available.
A working holiday. Checked into the base motel on Friday night then had BBQ for dinner. Ran into Sparky (Boogie Sue) inside Club Trilogy where Floyd Vanlandigham was playing. Hung out for a beer and caught a few tunes from Floyd. Good to see people up dancing in front of the band and people in back shooting pool. This ole boy gets homesick.
Soundcheck at 10:00 AM. Awaiting me onstage was a vintage Fender Twin. Tone heaven! Tara Tinsley & Dan Quigg were noticebly absent this year but Brett and Sonoko of BUCCDA (who brought them over last year) were present. This was a surprise! Sonoko contacted me about the gig saying Brett was gone, but here he was. They were politely distant, cordial when spoken to but not going out of their way to be friendly. Maybe because I chewed him out for never coming up with the v ideo he shot at last year's July 4th fest. The only footage of Tara and I performing her SWEET MUSIC together. They were filming again this year but I didn't bother to ask for a copy.
The preceding band finished early so we were asked to go on early and play a longer set, to which I happily obliged. Paul knows I like to play! If there's a time slot to be filled just holler at J.J.V. Always ready, willing and able! We tore it up. Nothing like having a Fender Twin wide open. Had to move it over and angle it away from me so I could hear my monitors. Beautiful tone. We stormed through one song after another, dedicating WANG DANG DOODLE to Koko Taylor.
After a barn-burning finale we hung around for a spell before heading back to the food court for some Popeye's. The fireworks display was out of sight but what really got my attention was how different the base seemed. I've seen some real zombies during previous performances, as if there was bad news only they knew, but today there was a vibrancy that was refreshing. I don't know if it was me or if something changed but regardless I had one of the best times ever. Some BBQ for the road and then the reverse culture shock of getting on the train with peasants and heading back home.
Suzi V on bass in all her B-movie glory and Ken O'Keefe on drums laying down the backbeat as JJV cranks out some of the nastiest guitar they ever heard. Come late and enjoy the after-hours/all-night party.
It was a disaster from the start. Couldn't get any vocals out of the PA and the staff said they didn't know anything about it. A club doesn't know anything about it's own equipment??? The DJs helped as best they could and got _some_ vocal out of it. Not enough so I could hear myself, though.
First set was atrocious. Some friends came to check out the band for the first time and it was embarrassing. No vocals and the rhythm section was sloppy as hell. I wanted to leave then. Broke my D string on JUMPIN' JACK FLASH and ended quick.
The second set picked up a little but it was still ragged. The drums were not in the pocket and there was no groove. But at least it wasn't as ragged.
Third set and the floor was suddenly packed. Lots of people dancing including some little dude doing some breakdance moves like I haven't seen since I was in Jr. High! Alas, there was still no groove. The recordings were painful to listen to and I never did make it all the way through. I miss Texas.
JJV will be 2nd guitarist with Max Blues at What The Dickens in Ebisu. Come hear Mac & JJ smokin' some Blues and slingin' their six-strings! You might wanna bring earplugs and something for a hangover 'cause it's gonna rock the house.
Bill Copp was supposed to come out and shoot some pictures but the dummy never made it. Too bad, 'cause the kid was lookin' sharp and the stage was smokin'. It was just one of those nights where everything went right. Mac actually showed up 20 minutes _early_! Mark that one on the calendar. The place was packed and there were cuties galore shakin' on the dance floor. When it was my turn at the mic the first number was WANG DANG DOODLE dedicated to Koko Taylor. The hi-lite of the evening was Mark singing I WILL SURVIVE. Somehow it's hard to connect him with Gloria Gaynor.
There were a few nutcases who kept trying to talk to the band while we were playing. Self-absorbed dumbasses. One idiot walked onto the stage in the middle of a number, as if it were his living room, asking if we could play something or other. He got pissed when I chased him off the stage. What a jackass.
As I was rushing out the door for the last train a fight broke out. Looked like a good one, took three guys to barely break it up. Unfortunately I didn't get to see all of it.
Great gig all around. Packed house, fun crowd, band was firing on all cylinders. Looking forward to doing it again.
Acoustic duo with Mac 'the Knife' Okuyama
After the disaster at the Press Club a few weeks ago, which lingers like the smell of ass, this was a welcome gig. Playing some Blues and a little Americana with a real musician made me feel normal again. It was like coming home. Good venue, good crowd and all-around good time. Looking forward to playing there again and to playing with Mac (and Mark) again.
backing up Mark 'pookie bear' Schwarz and his Brit-Pop
Great gig, did two Hank Williams songs and a Ramones tune as well as 99 RED BALLOONS. We weren't sure at first what this odd duo would sound like but it was surprisingly easy and natural. Had a lot of fun. Looking forward to doing more like this in the future.
With Steve Kovacs
That gig sucked. First Steve called Mark Schwarz to play bass. I found out when Mark called me to say he was on the gig after leaving a Facebook comment that he couldn't make it. He knows I like to stay updated on what's going on. From the first song it was Amateur Hour all the way; besides all the babbling DURING the endings when we'd ask what key a song was in Steve's answer was "I'm capoed at the 1st/2nd/3rd fret." A little light-hearted ribbing was lost on him, he defended his ignorance of music righteously whenever the horrendous error was pointed out. It continued after the gig. He enjoyed ripping on the Blues and R&B guys (of which he knows nothing) but when I backed him into a corner with "and how many Miles Davis albums do you own, Mr. Musicologist?" he damn near blew up.
Moral of the story, if you're a pro don't lower yourself to amateurs. And Tokyo is the worst. Tell these guys to play a I-VI-II-V turnaround and they not only get lost they get defensive. Thankfully I'm now sitting at home listening to Chess Blues Guitar (latest Ebay purchase) and thinking about my up-coming move back to to Austin. I'll be glad to leave this joke/hell-hole behind.
Special event, Jerry & J.J. Vicars. Rarely seen together except on jams and old Hipswingers gigs). This is a one-off performance, don't miss it!
I played bass with my dad's swing band from '98 - '00 in Cincinnati, appeared in two promo videos from Cincinnati and Vegas respectively, then played with his group in Tokyo from '03 - '07. Once he played on my gig, a private party.
Rarely do we play together, two guitars. No particular reason, it just doesn't happen much. This is the only gig to date we've done as a co-bill. In a way it took me back full circle to when I was 15 and he's take me out to sit in with him at the Reddi Room in Houston, TX. Except this time Bobby Selby wasn't there to play the wrong changes! We played a lot of the same songs- COMIN' HOME, CHICKEN SHACK, HONKY TONK, HIDEAWAY. It was a blast to revisit "the old days" and to play some newer material. Hopefully there will be some recording in the near future.
Just as with the JJV gig that Jerry was on, Mark Schwarz was on hand to play bass and record it for posterity. Mark's become part of the family now.
Backing up Steve Kovacs
Started off slow. My dad sat in again and played just about a full set. By the end of the night the crowd was digging it. Played an encore and Steve played IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND (Gordon Lightfoot) while I packed up trying to catch the last train.
J.J. Vicars & Mac 'the Knife' Okuyama acoustic
Mark Schwarz turned out to play a couple sets and Jerry Vicars (yes, Poppa Vicars) sat in for most of the 2nd set doing COMIN' HOME and 24 HOURS OF THE DAY among others. Management fucked up our food order in a typical blockheaded fashion (note- the band should order separate from any entourage so as not to confuse the beauracrats) so I'm typing this at home in between bites of leftover chicken curry.
Backing up Steve Kovacs again
Last week we got asked back. Jimmy Mac was on drums this time. Good crowd, nice folks. Some strange music though. Gordon Lightfoot???
Backing up Steve Kovacs (vocal/guitar)
Steve finally made it around 10:00 and off we went. Nice crowd but not very hip. Comedy was lost on them. After a rousing performance of PLAY WITH YOUR POODLE for a very ecstatic lady some bozo yells at the band "you should replace 'poodle' with 'vagina'." I feel sorry for his girlfriend, if he has one- this guy has no imagination! The idiot wouldn't back down either after being put in his place. Where do these people come from and why do they breed??!!! People who use terms like 'passive aggressive' (yes, he actually said that) should not be allowed to reproduce. After fuckng with him a little more he went in the back where he stayed until he left. What a putz.
Scott, the owner, dug the band and invited us back for the following Saturday. He was most gracious to us and tried to get us drunk. Didn't get fresh with us though.
Suzi V on bass and Ken O7Keefe on drums
An excellent gig with the rhythm section really locking in together and laying into a tight groove. MP3s of the show will be posted on the website. During the 3rd set we played Jeremy Gloff's 1987 and the Tailgators' MUMBO JUMBO but unfortunately the Edirol ran out of batteries halfway through the set.
Bring your axe, bass. harmonica, kazoo or whatever you got. Drummers, bring a snare and brushes.
Acoustic duo with Mac "The Knife" Okuyama
Private event for the Jewish Community of Japan, a non-profit organization.
Acoustic duo with Mac "The Knife" Okuyama
A lively crowd including a few old friends who turned out on this Christmas evening. The whiskey was good and the music was even better. A few album favorites from SCI-FI DINER and LONG WAY FROM HOME, some downhome shuffles, and lots of Americana including Mac's rendition of JAMES LANE. Sugi from Max Blues sat in (or sat on) during the last set filling out the sound nicely. Some video was shot and hopefully will make its way onto YouTube. The first set was recorded and part of the second before the batteries went out. Something for a future release.
Acoustic performance at Takadanobaba's coolest hangout. They have a top notch selection of beers, wines, coffee and desserts. On the 9th they also have a top notch selection of music courtesy of the stylish pickings of the person whose website you're currently viewing.
Suzi V on bass and Ken O'Keefe from Boogie Sue on drums.
This gig rocked so hard I forgot to write the after-show diary until much later. Ken kicked ass on the drums, chicks were blowing kisses at Suzi and Sparky from Boogie Sue sat in during the 3rd set. All 3 sets + soundcheck were recorded. Anybody who wants CD-Rs of the gig contact J.J.V. directly.
4th recording session for LONG WAY FROM HOME.
New recording rule, never do overdubs first! Tried to redo the acoustic on SOLITUDE, couldn't get a good take, got in a progressively foul mood. Did manage to double the melody and lay down backing tracks to JOHN HARDY with Mark playing his Ashbury "Lil' Doggie". Added a slide part to it and was about to call it a day when we started fresh and got on a roll. Added bass and drums to PICKIN' & GRINNIN', the instrumental I recorded with Don Leady in Austin back in April. This new one grooves! Cut basic tracks to TOO MANY HOLES, added slide and an acoustic, then background vocals (complete with background noise) and finger snaps. Despite the bad start it turned out to be a very productive session.
Another cozy autumn evening of solo acoustic Blues and Americana performed on the 20th floor overlooking Ginza.
*Note- this date was originally scheduled for the 25th.
Brad Holmes of the Hitmen came out and I insisted he sit in for a couple. I ran overtime both sets so during the 2nd I just played all the way through until the end. During the 1st set Bill Bruton's OSCAR WILDE was given the Texas treatment. Despite having overexerted my throat doing vocal exercises I managed to get through the evening without sounding like a Grade School clarinet player.
Suzi V on bass and Masaki Shibata on drums
The first gig at Warrior Celt. The first set sucked, fuckin' amateur hour with all kinds of little technical problems throwing everybody off. After a long break the 2nd and 3rd sets rocked hard and received a very enthusiastic response. Looking forward to playing there again.
The second LONG WAY FROM HOME recording session. Engineered and co-produced by drummer Bill Concello.
Spent most of the session working on SOLITUDE. I had no idea what we were gonna do with the song but once we started adding acoustic guitars and goofing with the keyboard it all fell into place and came together effortlessly. Bill played three keyboard parts and a Rain Stick. We got on a roll and didn't stop until we finished the entire track including most of the mixing.
We also re-cut the ICEBREAKIN' solo, added the acoustic to BALLAD OF THE BUMBLING PYGMIES, and cut basic tracks for TOO MANY HOLES. An excellent session that left us buzzed.
The first recording session for LONG WAY FROM HOME after two pre-production sessions. Mark Schwarz on bass and Bill Concello on drums. Engineered by Bill Concello.
We spent 2 hours working on MAYBE I'LL KNOW YOU. At first it was cool 'cause we kept coming up with new ideas for the arrangement but some of it was technical difficulties and I finally got burned out. I was ready to call it a day and end the session when drummer/engineer/co-producer Bill Concello suggested we take a break and try it again. We did and it clicked right away. Mac "The Knife" Okuyama showed up to play 2nd guitar and while bassist Mark "McGuyver" Schwarz picked him up at the station Bill and I nailed 2 vocal tracks, first take each. The final mix will have a bit of each. On the spur of the moment I decided to add a typical Rockabilly acoustic guitar in the background and then the track really started to come alive.
Next, while we laid down SOLITUDE, Mac went out for cigarettes forgetting that it's a penthouse apartment on the top floor with a private security elevator. Unbeknownst to us he left his cell phone behind and was locked out for half an hour. We thought he was just being moody as usual since he barely talked to anyone when he came in and kept working until we needed him to lay down his part, called him AGAIN, and figured out what happened. He came back in pissed off grumbling "Don't ever do that to me again" whereby I reminded him that I wasn't the one who told him to go out. It's always somebody else's fault, LOL!
After we got him back in the room we worked on his acoustic part for SOLITUDE. He asked me what I wanted him to play; I told him the same thing we recorded on the demo at his house to which he replied he didn't remember and hadn't listened to. He and Bill laid down a real nice part, then he stepped outside where he spent most of his time while we cut basic tracks for BALLAD OF THE BUMBLING PYGMIES. Next up was ICEBREAKIN'. I wanted to record the four of us live but technical limitations prevented it so we recorded as a trio then laid down Mac's rhythm guitar.
Four songs in the can on the first session. Things look promising at this stage. Originally it was going to be a raw stripped-down album like SCI-FI DINER but the songs lend themselves to layering and the results are kicking everything up a notch so the album will be different from the first three. The three of us form a strong core working unit and the guests add another dimension. I'm eager with anticipation to get to the mixing stage.
15 musicians regularly performing at the Press Club come together for the annual Jam.
What a blast! After the 1st LWFH session I headed down to the Press Club with Mac in tow. Mike Price was there www.mikepricejazz.com and sat in with us. I've played with Mike before on my dad's gigs where I played bass, but I don't think he knew I'm a guitarist. After a grooving little rendition of TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER we boogied through STINKY TWINKY. At the end of the night they got damn near everybody up on stage together for the big finale. Mac on bass, myself on acoustic, three other guitar players, Mike Price, pianist Victor Savoy ("no E!"), Chris Grundy, and a whole mess of people some of whom were new to me.
Among then was a fiddle player who had that beautiful Appalachian sound- like the soundtrack to a suspense movie where a bunch of smart-ass college kids get hacked to pieces by a psychotic inbreed out in the woods. I thought she would be perfect for JOHN HARDY on LWFH and went to introduce myself. She turned out to be REALLY short which was a good sign -all the women I'm good friends with are around 5'2"- and it turns out she's from Austin. Well that does it, she's playing on JOHN HARDY if I have to hold her for ransom in the studio! Corrin with the pigtails and funny orange hat. This chick's BAD, she should be playing with John Mellencamp.
And a good time was had by all. There's audio recordings, photos, and possibly some video. Whatever lands in my Inbox will posted on the site, and probably MySpace as well, as soon as it gets here.
4th recording session for LONG WAY FROM HOME.
New recording rule, never do overdubs first! Tried to redo the acoustic on SOLITUDE, couldn't get a good take, got in a progressively foul mood. Did manage to double the melody and lay down backing tracks to JOHN HARDY with Mark playing his Ashbury "lil' doggie". Added a slide part to it and was about to call it a day when we started fresh and got on a roll. Added bass and drums to PICKIN' & GRINNIN', the instrumental I recorded with Don Leady in AUstin back in April. This new one grooves! Cut basic tracks to TOO MANY HOLES, added slide and an acoustic, then background vocals (complete with background noise) and finger snaps. Despite the bad start it turned out to be a very productive session.
Suzi V on bass & Masaki Shibata on drums
With a steady lineup in place this was the best show yet. The first set rocked hard and the crowd that usually avoids the band was hanging downstairs with us while the ones there for the band payed the cover charge to come down and get closer. The dance floor was packed for the first two sets and by the time we got back up for the third we had wore them out! Special thanks to Oliver for bringing his friends and leading the way for the rest of the audience. We're looking forward to coming back soon.
Rained out and cancelled. What a bummer! But we still had a good time of it. New drummer Masaki Shibata got his first taste of gigging on base, we ate some good ol' American junk food, had some diner coffee, and hung out with Sparky who's playing accordion on a couple tracks for the upcoming album. Last time I played Atsugi we rehearsed with a hair dryer (w/ Tara Tinsley) -this time Masaki and I rehearsed in the food court. Always an eventful rehearsal at Atsugi, LOL!
The 2nd pre-production session for LONG WAY FROM HOME.
Tracks were cut for TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER, ICEBREAKIN', JOHN HARDY, and SLEEPWALK.
Pre-production begins on LONG WAY FROM HOME at Bill Concello's Sunshine Studio with Bill on drums and Mark Schwarz on bass.
We cut tracks for MAYBE I'LL KNOW YOU, CUTIE PIE and SOLITUDE. All have brand new arrangements thanks to Bill and Mark.
Max Blues, Tara Tinsley, The Hitmen, J.J. Vicars and more. Max Blues is backing J.J.V. after their set.
Fourth of July '08 was one of my best gigs to date. Festival gigs are always fun when you know the other bands on bill 'cause you get to hang out all day. Usually we're working different venues/cities so we don't get to see each other as often as we like, despite constant talk of collaboration. This time we not only got to hang out together but I made sure we all got to play together onstage.
Max Blues opened the show at noon and set the tone for the rest of the day. Fill-in bassist Jin Nagami anchored the bottom end like nobody's bizniz and played some nice lines that kept the engine moving. 45 minutes of Blues and R&B in the SRV/Hendrix school and it was clear we were staking out our own turf on the bill.
After a sudden schedule change, rounding everybody up real fast, and going over some last minute notes your truly hit the stage backed by Max Blues. Opening with an atmospheric peice along the lines of the Allmans' LES BRERS IN A MINOR and building to a slow climax we then tore through the 1-2-3 sucker punch of LONG WAY FROM HOME, WANG DANG DOODLE, and CAN'T GET ALONG WITH YOU. A short 'hello' to the crowd and then into one of the tightest renditions ever of STINKY TWINKY with Mac and I playing the head together, sounding like a full-on horn section. TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER got off to a false start but we recovered quickly. SOUTHBOUND also got off to a false start but we recovered before we were through the intro. By the end of the first verse the band hit it's stride and was firing on all cylinders. A couple solos from Mac and I and we were off into some dual-guitar unison lines, jacking up the intensity level trading fours, and then peaking out with a return to our unison lines. By the time SOUTHBOUND finished we had earned our bragging rights and were strutting with a new-found swagger.
For the remainderof the set we were joined by Tara Tinsley for two songs. I first met Tara two years ago at another festival at Atsugi and when we found out we were on the bill together again I _insisted_ she join us. Earlier this year she sent me a demo of a new song SWEET MUSIC which I liked so much I took the liberty of adding instruments to on my home studio. We performed this one first, so far the only live rendition of us performing it together. However, just as we were starting my slide I was wearing busted and I had to play the song with shards of glass dangerously close to my finger. Moral of the story- when they break throw 'em away, don't glue 'em back together. For the second number, and the set closer, Tara's guitarist/producer Dan Quigg added some nice texture with her acoustic while she and I dueted on Ike & Tina Turner's BABY GET IT ON. Because of the last minute schedule change we had to run over the tune in their room 30 minutes before the set started, Dan and I on acoustics and Tara fixing her hair. First time I ever rehearsed with a hair dryer! Mac and I did another duet in the guitar department, Tara and I revisited to the chorus a couple times, and then it was the big finale.
After the set her and Dan gave me a suprise gift- a jumbo size bottle of Cholula, the best hot sauce known to humankind. An hour later Tara and Dan took the stage and I finally got to hear the SAIL AWAY album performed live. www.cdbaby.com/cd/taratinsley2
In the evening we all went to Smokey's, the only place in all of Japan where you can get Texas BBQ. Sandwiched between Suzi and Dan with Tara sitting across from me I couldn't help but think we were in Austin- the older rockers playing the 'biker music' and the young'uns playing the 'college crowd music', all of us sitting down to a plate of BBQ together.
Honorable mention goes to Suzi for snapping the candid offstage shots, Bill for the onstage shots, and to Brett and Sonoko of Bucc Wild promotions www.bucdaa.com for the video.
Mack "The Knife" Okuyama of Max Blues on bass and Rumi Muhr on drums.
The first set was played to a sparse crowd throughout the club and turned out to be a good warm-up. During the DJ's first set more people poured in and the place was packed by the time we came back. He was playing straight-up Dance music instead of the "fuck your mama/kill your daddy/shoot a cop" Rap shit so the vibe was good, but we still expected the dancers to clear out as so often happens when the band comes on. The crowd is usually watching from the rails. We opened with TAKE ME ON DOWN TO MEMPHIS and they were dancing away to it! They kept dancing to ROCK MY WORLD so we went into ROCK ME BABY. The whole set they were boogieing away and we played to the dancers. The Blues Nazis in their attempt to make a museum piece out of the music by insisting that everyone copy what the old guys did to the letter have forgotten that this is originally dancin' music. Drink, dance and get rowdy- that's what Blues/Rock'n'Roll bands are for! During DOWN ON MY LUCK we stretched it out by inserting HIDEAWAY -all of it- in the middle. All of the songs got stretched out until the audience was wore out.
The 3rd set was played to the rafters as usual. Since we ran overtime in the first two this one was cut short but there was an encore, a very off-the-cuff version of Chuck Berry's REELIN' & ROCKIN'. We hung out until the wee hours of the morning and then took the Skyliner train back. Mac passed out in one car, me in the other, and Suzi & Rumi woke me up when we got to our stop. I threw my boots on, grabbed my guitar and hauled ass off the train before they shut the doors. Since I didn't know where Mac was I grabbed his bass as well. A few (cell) phone calls later and he was at another station where the attendants woke him up and kicked him off the train. He caught up with us, collected his bass, and the rest -as they say- is history. And Barge Inn manager Bryan Harmon, being Irish, had never heard of George Carlin until he died.
Jazz & Blues vocalist Pamela MacCarthy appears with her trio. J.J.V. is a featured guest in the last set.
After much wandering around I finally found the place. I also found a few more areas to Shinjuku that I didn't know about. Les Coles broke the news to Pam and I that George Carlin had died. What a bummer! None the less Pamela and her trio were in fine form and I joined them for CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, a B.B. King tune, and later ROUTE 66. A mad dash for the train and it was back to the swamp.
Solo acoustic -songs from the book of Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson along with *public domain* Americana and a few more recent numbers by the likes of the Allmans and Dylan. Plus lots of originals including some new arrangements of familair classics.
I'm finally starting to get the hang of these acoustic shows. Unlike the trio where I count off each tune in tribute to Dee Dee Ramone the acoustic shows are best played like a living room jam.
Towards the end of the first set I was joined on the bandstand by 'the dancing samurai'. An older Japanese guy dressed in a kimono, probably stopping at the club on his way back from somewhere, jumped up in front of the speakers and boogied away. I double-timed it then brought it back and he kept going. Later on his way out the door he told me he was a big Lightnin' Hopkins fan and sat up when he heard MOJO HAND near the beginning of the set.
A sparse but receptive crowd who braved the rain and went out of their way to pay compliment. From the audience Tom got a CD for himself and his wife Chika telling me they would be listening to it in the shower on their water-proof CD player. I keep saying it's party music!
Suzi V on bass and Chris Muhr on drums
I got back from India on Saturday morning, back at the house in the afternoon, and was busy the rest of the day. Then up at 6:00 A.M. to be at Atsugi for an 8:00 A.M. soundcheck. We got VERY lost, getting off at the wrong station twice before finally making it there at 9:30. Everything else was already behind schedule so our soundcheck was bumped down to 10 minutes before being eliminated altogether.
Once we hit the stage we had all kinds of little problems piling up into one big disaster. The bass amp was set for some kind of Funk/Fusion tone with booming low end and a high end that spat out every little movement across the strings. Chris couldn't hear anybody and I couldn't hear him. I thought I had my amp set right but when the other instruments came in that went out the window. It had channel switching but both had overdrive- the point of channel switching is clean and dirty. During WANG DANG DOODLE the sound was too distorted for those chords and when I kicked in the overdrive channel for the solo the volume dropped. The technical glitches combined with my exhaustion produced one of my weakest performances ever. The set started out nervous and ended ragged. I walked off stage bitching at the sound guy as to what to bring up and down.
The second set went smooth. After the soundguy had adjusted everything we could all hear better and everything fell into place with a nice pocket. The wind kept blowing my hair in my face completley obscuring it -and my view- and my amp was set too loud from when I was cranking knobs during the first set -and sitting at waist level- so I couldn't hear my vocals too good, but that was all. Everything went smooth and TWISITN' & TURNIN' really got going. Later in the day the BarD Wranglers played some Country music the way it's supposed to be played and I met more people from Texas than I knew there was over here, including the captain of the base who's from Bellaire, my neighboring area in Houston! It started rough but it ended well. We even had dinner at Smokies, thank you Paul.
With Suzi V on bass and Rumi Muhr on drums
Suzi's debut on bass and she kicked ass. Chris Muhr was originally slotted to play drums but had to send a sub. He sent his wife Rumi. I didn't know anything about her so I had to take him on his word. Turns out she was already familair with this kind of music so everything went smooth. having two chicks on stage went over good with the audience and we had a larger crowd downstairs than I had ever seen before. The disco-biscuits crowd hung around and one was even breakdancing to us! I've seen it all now. We did a few easy numbers like TUSH and WHO DO YOU LOVE and threw in CAN'T YOU SEE for shits and giggles which went over real good. The ladies locked in tight with each other and had a nice groove going. I think I'll keep 'em.
After the gig we hung out with our fan club 'til the first train and then they went home while I headed over to the hotel where I took a nap and a shower then boarded plane for New Delhi, India. That's why I had to play the Hohner, as funny as it looks on me- Suzi had to carry it home for me after the gig.
The Spring 2008 Midwest Tour makes it's way down to the Ohio River village of Pomeroy and one of America's "hidden gems" of a venue. Howard Glazer and Patrick Sweany are regularls so you know it's cool.
~~** Cancelled **~~
The Spring 2008 Midwest Tour has been cancelled due to lack of response from local venues. See the NEWS page for details.