27 posts tagged “music”
I just woke up and remembered the wonderful dream I was in the middle of, I was hanging out with Atsushi Sakurai (Buck-Tick vocalist)! It might have to do with listening to Buck-Tick while I was reading yesterday evening. He is so great, I love him. So let me take this opportunity to overload you with his image.
It took me long enough to post about this... I heard from Heather that Miyavi was coming to Seattle, so I made plans to buy tickets. I am not a huge Miyavi fan, but I know he is really popular among J-rock fans. I think he is cute and I like his tattoos/image, but only a few of his songs. He is a skilled guitarist, and really entertaining as a one-man show, from what I can tell from his videos.
Anyway, after a bunch of drama trying to order tickets over the phone, I went downtown and bought three tickets for Heather, Shu (that girly Japanese guy), and myself. The show is on the 25th of October at the Paramount Theatre, a proper theater with fancy halls and chandeliers... not exactly a rock concert kind of place, I'd say! I am really looking forward to it, only a couple weeks from now, it is his first US tour.
In other news, the guy I mentioned in the previous post is also in my SIS class and discussion section. I will be seeing a lot of him this quarter.
I should be getting my new computer today! Hopefully, if my brother manages to intercept the UPS man. I had the computer shipped to my brother because I was not sure where I would be living. Now it is really inconvenient because my brother has to drive all the way to Seattle. Oh well, it gives me a excuse to see him!
I went to Uwajimaya yesterday and stocked up on zaru soba and chuka soba noodles. I want to make yakisoba for my brother tonight (if he shows up). I practiced yesterday and it turned out pretty good, I think he will like it. I feel like soba and udon are the only things I know how to cook. No complaints though, I could eat soba everyday!
Yesterday I spent most of the day at the hotel, I could not walk very much and I really want my stitches to heal well. I went out briefly for a walk around the neighborhood and a massage... I came back and ate lunch.
People at the hotel started talking to me and I spent the day being talked at. I am getting really good at that. I think it is a really good practice of patience, to sit and listen to something useless.
At the end of the night, when one girl finally stopped her motor mouth and went to bed, I sat and listened to the guitar and drums playing at the bar here at the hotel. Other people were drinking alcohol but I sat with a can of soda. They did acoustic covers of rock songs and it was pretty good, I requested Nirvana and they played a couple songs for me. I was really happy...
After a while, a group of loud Irish guys began collecting near me and trying to talk to me. I really wanted to just relax but they kept on talking. They told me about trekking in the mountains and how manly their injuries were. They were drinking a lot and wanted me to drink. I accepted one cocktail from the Irish guy sitting next to me and drank it all up. They told me about how they had smoked opium in the mountains a few days ago and that if I hung out with them tonight (went out drinking) then I could smoke some too.
Well, that caught my interest. I figured I could handle waiting at bars for a couple hours if it meant getting high. My legs were in pain and I should not walk, but I joined them and went out to a bar named Heaven Beach. Inside, there were lots of Thai university students and some tourists as well, all drinking out of buckets and bottles. I did not order a drink and sat alone.
A band was playing!! They were very good, they also did covers of rock songs, but these four guys were awesome! I just sat and listened... watched their hands, sang along... I requested Nirvana again, I was ecstatic when they played Rape Me... then when they played Smells Like Teen Spirit, the crowd got way too excited and started jumping. I was afraid someone was going to jump on my legs or hurt me somehow as I sat idly.
A small Thai man, with long black hair, slim frame, and yellow John Lennon sunglasses appeared amongst the university students with whom I had been chatting. He held a small ukulele in his lap, he looked peculiar in the crowd. He asked me if I wanted to drink something, with a smile on his face. I told him no, and pointed at my bandages. He said that he wasn't drinking either. He asked if I was taking medicine for the cut, and I said yes, pain pills and antibiotics, but it still hurt a bit. He told me that I should not be suffering on holiday and invited me outside.
He rolled a joint and told me that the weed was quite good and that it was my lucky day. He had no idea how lucky I felt! He introduced himself as Domino and said he could tell I was not interested in drinking that night, but that some weed would do me good. I got pleasantly high and we chatted. He was really kind to me and he spoke English quite well. He told me he was a musician, he plays drums. He looked at my legs and told me that I should go to the hospital to change the bandages, I had not done so that day. I tried to resist but he insisted and said he would drive me, after we finished smoking. We laughed.
We got into his car, and old kinda beat up hatchback which housed his drum set in the backseat. We drove to a hospital where the nurses there denied me medical attention. I could not believe it! My legs were swollen and I could not walk, but they told me to leave! I was shocked. All I needed was some cleaning and new cotton.
Domino said not to worry and that there was another hospital only 50 meters away, so we got back in the car and went there. They did not give me any trouble and changed the bandages quickly. It was a little painful, but overall an interesting experience, being stoned at a Thai hospital, we two dodgy-looking people smelling of smoke showing up at 2 in the morning. At the end, I was sitting immobile, waiting in a wheelchair as Domino talked to the nurses in another room. I figured he was trying to pay for the bandages, but I did not really want him to.
He came back out and I asked him what was up, I wanted to pay. He told me it was complicated and that he would explain in the car. They rolled me out there and he started the engine. He said they wanted to change him 400 baht so he refused to pay, and gave them his ID card. He laughed. I said, What? You need your ID card. He said sarcastically, Oh yeah, I have nothing now! I don't have my ID card!! I'm a man with nothing. We laughed... He said that they charged a doctor fee for having a sleepy doctor enter the room, not say one word to me, and sign a paper. He said that they made me cry so he asked for a 100 baht discount.. I was laughing so hard. In the end, he left his ID card as some sort of collateral.
We drove to the Ping river and rolled another joint. It was a great high. We talked for a while about all sort of things, he allowed me to think for the first time of the day. I was glad about that. All day I had been hearing the travel dramas and stories of Western tourists, and finally I got to escape that discourse. He drove me home and I slept a pleasant sleep.
Saturday was probably one of the most enjoyable days in my life. I don't want to use the word best, because I am sure I have had lots of other good nights and the word is quite vague, but it has been a while since I have taken a whole day out for myself and was able to pursue my own interests entirely.
I got home from the happening bar in Shibuya saturday morning around 06:00 (I walked home) and went to bed, tired and drunk. I got woken up by a phonecall from the travel agent in Shinjuku at 12:09 telling me that I could pick up my tickets to Hanoi. I needed to do that!
I got dressed for the Gazette live, nothing special like I did for the Buck-Tick concert, just sorta plain like I always dress. I didn't have time to visual-kei out, despite having lots of clothes here. I had to figure out which lines to take to get to the Saitama Super Arena... I had no idea where I was going. It was very hot and I walked all the way to Roppongi station under the burning sun (it is not really that far, it only feels far in dry hot weather). I took the Oedo line to Shinjuku, then I went quickly to Kabukicho to get my airplane tickets. Then it was back to the JR station.
At the station, I could see Gazette fans dressed up. It was clear! Cosplaying members of the band, etc. It was cool, and especially obvious on the train, we were all headed to the same place, 20,000 of us! The trains were full of visual kei fashion and dyed, ironed hair. It was awesome!
The arena was impressive, its size and design, and so many of the concert-goers outside were very cool looking, rivaling the artists themselves! I bought some merchandise (T-shirt and stickers) and got to my seat (it was not bad). I was getting so excited! The show started about 10 minutes after 17:00.
All in all, the concert was awesome. It was the tour final, so the crowd was loud and excited. The band seemed to be having a good time, and in turn everyone else did too. Japanese people are weird at concerts and all do the same movements at the same time with their arms. How do they know how to do that? I just prefer to watch and listen. The Gazette are pretty cool on stage.
I don't want to compare them to Buck-Tick because they aren't really comparable in my mind, but I must say that the fact that I am obsessed with Sakurai Atsushi (Buck-Tick vocalist) made me a lot more excited to see their live in July. The Gazette's main appeal to me is their music, not so much a fan-girl for any of the members. But yeah, they really, really rock! They are truly the best visual kei band today. Wow, I was really impressed. I have seen some videos of their live performances, and I was not really expecting much. But they were amazing! There were fireworks and awesome visuals, so much sound, I loved the entire thing.
I had emailed the guy I mentioned in my last post, who is familiar with happening bars before the concert and he told me he was glad I had emailed him. He was trying to decide whether to go to Ageha (there was an SM exhibition that night) or to this other happening bar that he told me about. I told him to let me know if he wanted to meet and we could go together. After the Gazette ended, I took the train back to Shinjuku and met him at studio ALTA at about 22:25.
He decided to go to the happening bar. He described it as a nicer club compared to the Shibuya place we met at the night before. Naturally, it was in Kabuki-cho, completely underground. The sign on the door was simple, silver metal, with one word only, SILK. He spoke into a speaker and then we were allowed to enter. This club was very classy! They did not hassle me at all, and simply asked my name and his (he is a member). The first floor appeared as normal as can be, dark with low seats like hostess clubs. Customers spoke quietly and were relaxed. Everything appeared totally normal. He told me he would show me the downstairs later. We had a drink.
After a while I noticed costumes and SM gear in one corner of the room. Then soon after I heard a girl moaning from somewhere out of sight. He told me that most people stay on this level to drink, but of course, anything was allowed. He and I talked. Despite having come fully intending to sleep with him, I was interested in getting to know him a little bit beforehand. His English was quite good so I joked with him, Are you educated or something?
He kinda laughed. You could say that. I work with many American companies, so I always have to use English. I didn't ask anything else. He asked me about why I could speak some Japanese and I told him I studied in university and that yes I am still a student. I told him I studied at Waseda for a bit and he said he graduated from there, graduate school, his undergraduate degree was from Todai. Okay, I guess he is quite well-educated.
After the drink and a bit of chatting, he took me downstairs to show me the play rooms. They were comfortable looking but empty. It was still early. I was kinda sticky from running around in the sun all day, so I took a shower and by his suggestion put on a costume. I picked the high school girl sailor uniform. We continued to drink as more customers filled the club.
To be honest, I was quite impressed by him. He has done a lot of independent travel starting at a young age. He has done all sorts of drugs and is inspired by LSD, he told me about taking acid and sitting on the Yamanote line for hours, about smoking marijuana at the beach and and how the sound of waves makes him feel. He traveled and stayed in Africa as a college student, he has spent a lot of time in Eastern Europe, he has been everywhere! He studied physics at university and is a little obsessed with it. He has been going to sex clubs for ten years.
We watched quite a few people have sex but did not enter the rooms. Sooner or later though, after I drank a bit more, we did. Lots of people were watching us. I could see some of the voyeurs masturbating but it didn't bother me. It was hot, I had a good time. We went out and showered, then watched a few more couples. One girl whose arms were tied up was a total masochist, she kept telling her partner in Japanese to forgive her. We watched the end of their session before going in again. Now I wore handcuffs and a blind fold.
The second time was really exciting actually, not being able to see who was touching me, though I am pretty sure it was only him. I felt another hand at one point touching my legs and tickling my feet, but with handcuffs on, I could not do much, I just let things happen, it felt nice! I enjoyed hearing the sound of the handcuffs when my hands tried to move.
Happening bar was pretty cool, but it was totally not happening for me. It was a little troublesome getting in, kinda strict about foreigners, you had to be able to speak Japanese and fill out a form (a few other gaijin were denied because their Japanese was not up to par, the staff stressed the importance of communication). I had to return to Nishi Azabu from Shibuya to get my passport, entrance cost about 20,000 yen all together, but we got in relatively easily.
At the end of the night, I was left sort of unsatisfied. I tried! With two different Japanese guys, but both of them were unable to perform very well (I experienced the quickest session in my life). They might have been too nervous about the whole thing (both were newbies like me) or alcohol had something to do with it. Probably a mixture of both. Baldy didn't get lucky either and spent most of the night on the sidelines.
Overall though, it was a cool experience. Liberating, kinda like the first time you try public bathing or onsen (not everyone was naked though, only in the designated sex rooms). The clientele were all very friendly and there was no creepiness at all. The place was quite big (the building used to be a love hotel) and quite busy. There were the type of people you would expect to be there (older unattractive men) but lots of normal people too! Several young-ish couples and singles hung out and got busy, and the older guys were mostly voyeurs.
I didn't see anything I would want to erase from my memory, and to be honest, I thought it was all pretty hot. I got to try some things I've been curious about (namely, another girl, was not disappointed with her) and I met a guy there who is quite familiar with the whole scene. He gave me his number, I might call and go somewhere else with him.
I got home around 6AM and went to bed. I need to go all the way to Saitama for the GAZETTE TODAY!!! Yay!! The concert starts at 17:00 so I better get going.
In addition to having a healing itchy tattoo on my back, I have two huge mosquito bites on both my lower legs. Someone shoot me! At least I can scratch the bites.
Last night was ridiculous. WH and I trailed behind stupid Fuckwater for ages. We at one point sat in the lobby of the Imperial Hotel in Hibiya as drunken Fuckwater decided to leave. Though I got a little bit of cash for a taxi (did not spend it), it was a complete waste of time, and I felt bad because WH had an appointment in the morning... and I dragged her along... for nothing!
Yusuke bought airplane tickets to Viet Nam (among other places, he is also visiting Thailand and Singapore while I stay in Viet Nam). I dunno how I feel about that. He will only meet me for a few days, but it feels strange having a man follow me around. Maybe he likes me more than I thought? I think it is a little strange that he calls me everyday, but maybe it is what normal people do?
My professors from UW have started emailing me with book information already. I still have over a month before classes begin, but still, fall quarter is approaching!
Edit~
Forgot to mention that my dear friend Kaoru emailed me. He wants to meet for dinner next week. I have been waiting for him to get back to me. Also, I recieved my tickets to see the Gazette! The concert is next Saturday, I can’t wait to see them live! The tickets aren’t bad at all (the seat seems better than the one I had for Buck-Tick) and I might be able to see their faces! The concert is at the Saitama Super Arena, very huge place. Should be awesome!
Sometimes I need to escape.
I wear my headphones and play the loudest, most mind-numbing music at the highest volume until I am unaware of anything but waves entering my brain, hearing many words I do not understand but feel all the same.
Sometimes I need to escape.
Powder, smoke, and pills all work great.
Sometimes I need to escape.
My skin looks so white when I turn off the lights and bleed in all the right places.
My body becomes useless, a silhouette,
as my mind triumphs over my nerves,
receives what it deserves.
Sometimes I need to escape.
I suffocate
standing at your side,
restrained,
the voices mute,
I stare into the air.
I stare
and I
see through you,
only slightly aware
of my body.
Stationary,
there is nobody.
Images useless,
I hear my thoughts,
they visualise before me.
The room shrinks,
I'm in a trance,
I feel a pain in my chest
when I remember where I am.
22:09 August 10, 2009 Shonan
Last night I was surrounded by selfish, childish men from the beginning of work til well into the morning.
First customer I had to sit with was this 25 year old subordinate who kept telling me that he loved me and wanted to meet up after work, saying he would be waiting. He repeated those three things again and again the entire length of our time together.
Takahashi was annoying me all day long, whining about whether or not the girl I introduced him to was into him or not. I told him not to talk to me about it because it made me feel bad. He knows I like him and it drives me crazy when he talks about other girls. He showed up at the club super drunk after midnight from a party in Shinjuku to show off his new 60,000 yen shoes. At the end of the night, I shoved him into the elevator full of salarymen and said oyasuminasai.
Some of WH's customers showed up and I was told to sit with one of them. This guy is always horny and thinks he is super hot. I honestly felt uncomfortable when he was drunkenly telling me what kind of sexual acts he'd like to perform on me. He's gross. I dunno why I decided to make WH meet up with him at 4 in the morning. He bought us drinks and while he was in the bathroom, we ditched him.
Thank goodness it is the weekend. I am going to ignore any guys who want to hang out, I do not need their company nor their meals, I am going to try to stay home unless someone worthwhile wants to spend time with me. I am listening to At the Drive-In (my first favorite band in high school) and relaxing until further notice.
Of course I bought some things... including a DVD (has been almost impossible for me to obtain) of my favorite concert of theirs in 1998. Also bought a cool shirt and bag. I am very happy with my purchases. After the show, I walked home and then listened to more of their music, with a renewed magical sense that came from seeing them live.
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