All Saints Church in Pasadena!

I'm about to play at All Saints Church in Pasadena! Look at the cool robe! 😄👍

Christmas Party!!

🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅

Happy holidays, friends!

😆🍰🎉😆🍰🎉😆🍰🎉

It's about that time of the year. I played for a Christmas party on the other day. I think Los Angeles is the warmest place I have ever played so-called Christmas standards. Now I wonder how Angelenos are taking the Christmas songs like "White Christmas," "Sleigh Ride," "Let It Snow," etc. which associate with snow or coldness, which pretty much all the Christmas songs are. How about Aussies? They must be having over 100F (40C) weather in there right now, and Frosty the snowman wouldn't survive for 10 minutes. ⛄️ Hmm, I wonder. 🤔

Jam Session!!

Brought my sanshin and bass to a jam session! I'm gonna rock out!

Musicians Union in Hollywood!

My first gig at the musicians union in Hollywood! 😆

I'll kill it! 😁

Video clip from the gig yesterday!

The bandleader/singer yesterday put a short eighteen-second pre-show footage on Facebook!

Malibu video clip

My first gig in LA!!

The first gig in Los Angeles!! YAAAAY!!

🎉🎉🎉😆😆😆😆😆🎉🎉🎉

To be exact, it was a nice beach town called Malibu which is one hour away from LA, but I’d say it’s still LA area! 😁 I’m so glad I got this first gig earlier than I thought. What a beautiful beach and sky! Aaahh, this Californian blue sky cleansed my heart and mind. I was looking to the horizon over the ocean, and Rocky’s theme started playing in my head automatically! I’ll keep pushing forward! From this moment on, my battlefield is the world! 🌎

I almost had to decline this gig because my stuff and instruments are still on the way from Boston so I have no equipments, but the kindest fellow musicians rented me their bass and amp and gave my a ride to the gig! I feel so really lucky to have them. Thank youuuu!!! 😄😄😄

Bliss Ridge in Moretown, Vermont!

The gig in Vermont is done, so this is it for all the work as a Boston resident. We are surrounded by the beautiful nature in Vermont and totally rocked out with 8-piece rock band! Full of energy! Full voltage! I played like stampede! Oh, I enjoyed a lot.

Alrighty, Los Angeles tomorrow!

Day 3 in Vermont!

Day 3 in Vermont. I am enjoying a stubbie with pistachio nuts in the morning 🍺

Well, I'm like a daddy on Sunday but there is a deep deep meaning having beer. I cannot tell you but it's very deep. Right-O, I'm about to leave for what I came here for; work!

Day 2 in Vermont!

Day 2 in Vermont. Rise and shine ☀️ It's 41F (5C) in where I am at the moment. The nature is just outstandingly beautiful and I'm totally in the healing spot and cleansing my mind.

There is no Wi-Fi connection at where we are staying. Well, so what. Who needs the technology in such beautiful place. Let's disconnect from the urban life and enjoy the nature. I decided to go off-line.

....and the longest 15 seconds of my life had passed. How can a Japanese nerd 🤓 live without technology!? Give me Wi-Fi! I'm going through withdrawals! Aaaaaaargh!!

Leaving my Boston apartment, and going to Vermont Tour!

Top of the morning to all of my friends. I was waiting for the movers to come yesterday. They promised to come at 12 noon, but what time do you think they came? 10pm at night! Aaaaargh! In Tokyo, where I am from, the trains are scheduled to which hour, which minute and to which second, and if a train runs late for more than 30 seconds, they’ll announce that the train will be “late.” There is a saying “time is money,” because time is as precious as money, but in this modern day society, time is more important and valuable than money! Aaaaargh!

Anyhow, it happened last night which is an ancient history. I’m about to leave for a four-day Vermont tour. I am sure that the heart with the dark big tornados whirling strongly in a bleak and desolate wilderness is going to be cleansed by the clear air and beautiful nature in Vermont. Well, I hope so.

Rooftop at Providence G in Providence, Rhode Island!

The last gig in Boston area is done. The last one was in Providence, the capital of the next state from where I live, Rhode Island. It was the rooftop of a building and the place has the great view of beautiful Providence.

I cannot write all the good memories of Boston. I'll write it on my blog soon.

I'll send all of my stuff to LA tomorrow, head to Vermont for a mini tour on the day after, then I'll fly out.

Packing is so tiring! 😆 I saw this scene on a war movie, the commanding post was almost overwhelmed by enemy and as soon as the commander orders to evacuate, everybody around there started taking everything down and packing super quickly. I'm like that right now😱 Moving is a war!

Alerin Barn in St. Johnsbury, Vermont!

I played a gig deep in the woods in Vermont on the other day. I have never seen any views not beautiful in Vermont. The panoramic view from the mountain was spectacular.

Well, that was my last gig with International String Trio. We toured to everywhere with this band. We drove hours and hours all over the States, talking about stupid thing and some serious things, and yes we had lots of arguments. We played in the middle of nowhere, and also played in huge beautiful concert halls. Band tour is totally a hard-labor job but I enjoyed it a lot. Ha-ha-ha.

It’s really tough to say good-bye to the buddies I like.

先日のギグっす。カナダ国境まで50マイル、バーモント州の山の奥の奥に行って来ました。バーモント州って、本当に綺麗な所しかないぐらい綺麗な所でございますね〜。素晴らしい山の景色でございましたよ。

さてさて、私、これがインターナショナル・ストリング・トリオでの最後の仕事でございま〜す。は〜、このバンドでいろんな所にツアーしましたね〜。まあとにかくツアーではアメリカ中を運転しまくって、その間にバカ話もしましたし、結構シリアスな話もたまにはしましたっけね。ケンカもしょっちゅうでした。ほとんど人が住んでいないような所も行ったし、巨大で豪華なコンサートホールでも演奏しました。バンドのツアーって、ものすごい肉体労働ですけど、なんでだか楽しかったっすね〜。はっはっは〜。

好きな仲間に別れを言うのは、本当に辛いなぁ。