A first-hand journal of The Reducers' Japan Tour 2004.

The Reducers at the El 'N Gee Club, New London, CT

Tokyo - July 2, - nearly noon

Posted by Peter

Hey all - It's great to read all the responses to our postings, and to know that folks at home are following along with our crazy adventures here. Please continue to keep in touch - it means a lot to us!

Once again, the day starts with last night's Yanks-Sox game on the tele, broadcast live. They're deep into extra innings at this point, dead-locked at 3-3. Kinda nuts to be able to watch baseball over here, but very cool - a bit of normalcy in our otherwise bizarro-world!

Today sounds like it could be a good one. Record shopping is definitely on the agenda, and Steve may do some guitar trading. Then...a baseball game in nearby Yokahama! The Bay Stars play the Dragons...not exactly Yankees and Sox, but I bet it's going to be a blast! Our wonderful host Jimbo will guide and accompany us to the game, which is apparantly about 40 minutes by train. Jimbo has overseen all the logistics of our stay here - a none to easy task - and has done a fantastic job! If he cannot be there to personally show us when and where to go, someone will take his place. For instance, our record shopping jaunt will be guided by Coggi - the bassist from Rockbottom. He should arrive soon, although the after gig celebration went a little later than usual last night, so maybe everyone's off to a slow start.

The weather is beautiful, although pretty humid, our hotel is very comfortable, the people we've met are wonderful, and the food is delicious, if confusing. As we say in my country....what's not to like? (Oh yes,..beer vending machines - so civilized! Although I may have partaken in a few too many Asahis last night!)

The gig last night was another great time. Inevitably it did not match the joyous frenzy of the Fiddler gig, but it ended up nearly as wild. Once again, I snapped some photos of the crowd from the stage which I hope will give evryone an idea of what our vantage point was. Rockin' Enocky was cool, although our mysterious bassist may beg to differ! The Refugees were young, enthusiastic and cool. Great haircuts! Cute drummer! We played well and have another good gig under our belt. The Statto club was cool, and we rocked it!

Okay...this baseball game is getting pretty exciting - Jeter just ended up deep in the stands after making a great catch for the third out. Think I'll watch it a little more closely.

Over & out!


Posted by Peter on July 01, 2004 at 11:03 PM EDT

Comments

Wish we were there! Enjoying the great pictures and blow-by-blow. I'll reserve baseball comments until later.

Posted by: Michael at July 01, 2004 at 11:40 PM EDT

I know you guys are a pretty low key bunch, but how does it feel to be Japanese Rock Stars!? Heady stuff indeed.

Sailfest is already shaping up to be the highlight of my upcoming vacation. Best wishes to all of you for a safe and restful trip back to the states. What stories you have to tell........Kam-pai!


Posted by: Don at July 02, 2004 at 07:01 AM EDT

Hey! Hope the game Yokohama game was fun - sounds great! Unfortunately (or fortunately if you are Michael or Hilary) the Dodgers took the game last night - but Giants still on top of both LA and SD by 2.5. Hmm - do they have SportsCenter in Tokyo? If not, you must be experiencing withdrawal symptoms... Nice that you can get the night games for breakfast viewing, too - most excellent! We have been lucky to have Wimbledon on for daytime viewing at the tavern - it's coming to a close now, so not so many matches each day, but they still manage to stretch it out for most of the day with repeats, highlights, etc.
Love to you all - m.

Posted by: martha at July 02, 2004 at 08:06 AM EDT

Sounds like you guys have found a comfortable groove; start the day with a cup'a'joe and a baseball game ... Pub Rockin til the wee hours.
Yankee/Red Sox series was really exciting ... glad you got to watch some of it. My condolence to The Reducers rhythm section ... getting cursed from half a world away has gott'a be a bummer.

The pics are great!

Later ...
Bill

Posted by: Bill at July 02, 2004 at 09:20 AM EDT

Congrats on what appears to be a very successful tour.
I heard you guys were going to Japan and I went to your site and came across this great blog which has been alot of fun to check out daily. hope for a safe trip
back and try to keep the faith for our sad Sox.


regards to all,

jeff

Posted by: jeff iwanicki(ex cartoon) at July 02, 2004 at 11:34 AM EDT

The July 1 gig at STATTO was incredible; as is always the case, a BLAST!
Well… here… allow me a bit to flip my lip about what took place on the night.

I and Yuki, my English student, went see The Reducers at the live house
a few minutes to 17:00. The instant Hugh and I recognized each other
we exchanged a big hug renewing our friendship. Then we went out for
dinner with the other band members, Peter, Richard, Steve, and Tom,
with Jimbo-san helping us find a spicy restaurant (note: “-san” is to be
used as a suffix to show respect in Japanese. But don’t misread the situation; I don’t use the suffix when referring to my American friends, it doesn’t follow that I don’t pay respect to them. In fact, I always do!)

After reaching a slicked-up restaurant, Hugh was kindly beginning to introduce the other band members to me and Yuki, when I interrupted him, saying something like “Let me tryda identify each of them.” “Hm-hum…You’re Richard,you’re Peter, you Steve, and you…..To…To…TOM!” Thank God, I made it, coz I had done a bit of homework---practicing matching the names and the faces being put up on the blog thing online by The Reducers. We enjoyed talking and eating over umai (toothsome) meals. Actually the conversation was very umai as well!

Filling our bellies with umai dinner, we went out of the restaurant to a look at the town, on the way back to the live house. The Reducers were just like innocent kids, full of indefatigable curiosity. Oh, I love it! They seemed to be really enjoying themselves seeing things un-American.

After returning to the house, the rock’n roll-crazy clan and I and Yuki were fascinated with the shows of Rockin' Enocky The One Man Band and The Refugees. At about 20:30 The Reducers kicked off THEIR performance, not unborrowed!

The audience who had been intoxicated by the atmosphere by the first two gorgeous musical bunches got even more excited, started the ball running with hotching to the pieces blazed away by The Reducers. Those young ladies and gentlemen seemed as if they had been seized with manitou.

As the gig was going into the home stretch, it hit the top gear. That’s the world of The Rock’n Roll. The rocks rolled by The Reducers
seems likely to keep rolling up forever!!

Finally, let me express special thanks to Jimbo-san, who I find really sincere, considerate, humble, decent, and frugal with words yet tranquilly-passionate,
as Reducers imply when they talk with me about him.

Posted by: Hisashi at July 02, 2004 at 10:53 PM EDT

Correction: Appologies!!! Due to my poor English, there seems to be a strange expression in my posting. Let me correct it.

In the passage "After returning to the house, the rock’n roll-crazy clan and I and Yuki were fascinated with the shows of Rockin' Enocky The One Man Band and The Refugees. At about 20:30 The Reducers kicked off THEIR performance, not unborrowed!!", "not unborrowed" should be "unborrowed." Sorry!

Posted by: Hisashi at July 02, 2004 at 11:09 PM EDT