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October 11, 2005
RATN in paradise
Exactly one week ago, I returned to Tokyo from Okinawa. It was purely out of pleasure that I took the trip, missing two days of work, and basically going there just to hang out with and see RATN (Riow Arai+Tujiko Noriko) live. To describe the show will most likely be an excercise in futility, as it was honestly one of the best live experiences I’ve had in my life, and on quite a higher (and cheaper, and smaller) level than anything possible in Tokyo.
What kind of scene could there be on a tiny, heavily US-occupied/influenced tropical island chain at the very south of Japan? Well, probably the warmest, most unpretentious and passionate group of friends and musicians that I’ve ever had the pleasure of hanging around for a continuous three-day period.
Now rather than delve into the profound insights into vitality and art that were confronting me as I watched LoungeRec, Submarine, Riow Arai, Akeybo, and RATN, I am simply going to provide a tiny smattering of photographs (below), and regretably low-quality movies of some of the performances, and you can sort out the sensations yourself. It’s quite a brilliant combination of acts, I’d say.
The fact that Submarine are easily the best and most fun MC-based act in Japan is perhaps the exclusive knowlege of the 30 or so people who were watching this show.
He started out with some shakers, blowing into a kazoo, and two songs later it turns out he’s a tender songwriter, and an utter guitar virtuoso. I think this is Akeybo.
Imagine your bedroom had a bar at one end. Now imagine RATN performing on the other...
Posted by shane at October 11, 2005 02:22 PM