Fuji Rock Fest Pics (pt. II)

I've allowed the memories to reverberate through my head. I've let the musical performances marinate in my brain and I have gained some perspective on them. And I've waited much too long to create this post. Here goes...

Tunes

The music was fantastic. Hopefully most of you have seen the Shins video I posted on youtube. If not check it out (there's a link a few posts down.) I got to see an equally sweet and intimate show with Grace Potter and her band, the Nocturnals.

I have been digging on Grace's music as of late and I was really excited to see her live. Unfortunately, the jackasses that lined up the schedule had her playing her one set of music at the same exact time as Feist. We all wanted to see Feist, so it looked like I wouldn't get a chance to see one of my favorite bands at the festival. Then we found out about these acoustic sets that were taking place at these little booths all over the grounds. The Grace Potter one started a little after midnight (right after a killer Beastie Boys set.) There was hardly anyone there when we get there 10 minutes before they started. I sat down right in the front row next to the bass player's girlfriend.

They were pretty drunk, but not too drunk to play. They were rocking acoustic instruments. At one point the drummer was playing a drum solo on those metal columns you can see behind him. Obviously, there were many reasons to go to this festival, but the most important in my mind was the music. I miss live music over here so much it hurts. A show like this Grace Potter show allowed me to be living and breathing live music. I could hear the voices coming out of thier mouths over voices coming out of the speakers. She has an incredibly soulfoul voice and they blew me away. I could hear the wrong notes and the on-stage banter as they rocked my soul. These small shows were one of the really cool and unique parts of my weekend. It is not very often you can be up close and personal with your favorite bands.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah played an equally good but totally different kind of set. They were on a stage called the Red Marquee in the last time slot of the weekend on that stage. It was the only indoor venue at the festival. We tried to get there early, but it was already packed when we arrived almost fifteen minutes before they started. We pushed our way to the front and I thought we were pretty close. Then the lights went down and there was a huge surge forward. The mob behind us pushed us forward another 10 feet.

Thankfully, CYHSY relied heavily on their first album, playing almost every song I wanted to hear. The crowd was way responsive to them. I was amazed with how many Japanese people there were around me that spoke little to no English, that knew every word to every song. It was cool. It also happened a lot at the Shins show. All the people around me were singing along with every song. I guess it shows the Japanese have good taste in music.

CYHSY had the crowd going for over an hour, but then it was time to end the show. They played one more, said the obligatory "Arigato" and headed towards the tour bus. The crowd was screaming for more. Then they turned on the houselights, the international symbol for "show's over." The crowd only got louder. Next, some Japanese stagehands came out and started unplugging the keyboards. The crowd got louder still. Finally they gave in and came back out. They looked just as surprised as I was at the love the Asian crowd was showing them.

There was some muttering on stage and then I heard, "this is not our song." A few chords later, it was quite apparent that they were playing "Helpless" by Neil Young. It was a magical moment for me. I had goosebumps and closed my eyes. I was in the Japanese hillside, I was seeing some incredible music and life is a pretty good thing.

Other music highlights:

Deerhoof was the big surprise of the weekend for me. I have listened to a little of their music, but their live show was amazing. They were all three incredible musicians. Their songs were incredibly layered for a band with only three members. Their music is as fun as it is mindblowing. I was smiling most of the time they were on stage.

Feist did a killer set as well. She played a huge portion of her new album and a smattering of some old numbers. Her band was good and she was electric. She has a strong and confident stage presence while maintaining her demureness. There was a small but very appreciative crowd in attendance at her show and you could tell she was enjoying herself. I could have watched her for another hour, but she only had a fifty-minute time slot.

Peter Bjorn and John, Lily Allen, The Beastie Boys, !!!, Marva Whitney, Elena James and the Hot Club of Cowtown (from KC,) and a few cool Japanese bands rounded out the weekend. I went for the music and left a happy customer.

People and Scenery

The people were incredibly Japanese - polite, helpful and good-spirited. Everyone I encountered seemed chill. A few favorites:

This guy was one of my favorites of the weekend. He had a basketful of raw coffee beans to his left. He was roasting them in this machine and then letting them cool next on his right. There were a few hippie Japanese chicks behind a counter that kept coming out to grab beans to grind and brew into the some of the most delicious organic coffee I have ever tasted. We spent some time chilling in the tent that housed the coffee house. I had three cups of coffee on Sunday morning because it was so good.

At the back of a stage called the Field of Heaven, the festival employed the professional lighting help from a few lads just like this guy. They stood at the back with huge reflectors on their chest and they danced/swayed/tried not to fall over to the music. They all had different colored lights aimed at their torsos. The lights danced all over big clothes overhead. It provided a spectacular light show and made for some good eye candy.

One of the coolest things I encountered was the disco-ball forest. During the day, it looked cool, but it night it became delightful.

Bright spotlights pointed at the balls created hundreds of light rays streaming throughout the woods. It was a sight to behold. I found it hard to capture the essence of a forest lit up like a discotheque on camera, but I tried my damndest.

I had high hopes for my trip to Japan. And to be honest, the trip couldn't have gone much better. There were a few minor problems and inconveniences, but I found it to be a perfect introduction to Japan and its people. The concert was perfect and my time in Tokyo made me want to move there.

I signed a new contract yesterday that has me staying in Korea until the end of February - then it looks like I'm back to the States. Even though it's another six months, I feel in some ways like I've hit the home stretch. Until then, just know that I'm sending...

Much love from Seoul