There is nothing quite like vibing along to the blues to lift up your spirits.  My friend Samm Bennett from Polarity Records and Ken Shima reunited for a mini tour of Medicine Bone.  I had to travel clear across Tokyo to be able to catch Medicine Bone live in Ogikubo, Tokyo at the Velvet Sun.  I live on the Tozai Train Line which means east west line, and I traveled from as far east and still be in Tokyo to the West.

I caught up with Samm and Ken before their set and asked them to describe their music style.  Ken replied that they are heavily influenced North Mississippi Hill Country Blues, as opposed to the Delta Blues.  Not the blues that Muddy took and electrified in Chicago, but those blues that stayed behind in the hills of Northern Mississippi.  He went on to say that there is a lot fewer changes in the blues pattern than the down south delta styles.

Samm proudly showed me his custom travel drum kit.  I am always impressed with the compactness of his drum kit, which Samm said he is basically limited by what he can carry on the subways and trains.  He switched the direction of his bass drum to be perpendicular rather than flush to the stage.  He also customized his petal so that he uses his heal rather than his ball to keep the bass drum thumping.

Both Ken and Samm shared vocals.  Basically, whoever was singing wrote the song.  The alternated belting out the songs with titles like, Tennessee, Liquor Store, and Little Man.  Simple songs that were packed full of emotion that lifted me up out of the dust, and made me stomp my heals.

It amazed me that Ken had built a custom microphone out of an old Japanese analog telephone speaker.  It gave a perfect sound to accompany the blues rifts and beats.

The blues is simple music with complex emotions.  The blues allows the burdens that weight you down to be lightened somewhat.  I definitely felt a whole lot better after a beer and vibing out to the blues.

Medicine Bone has two more shows in Tokyo, Tonight and Saturday.  Check them if you can.  You’ll thank the doctor later!.

Friday Night September 7, at Juke Joint, NishiAzabu, Tokyo
open 19:00 – start 20:30
2000 yen entry plus 1 drink (500 yen) 

Three, count ’em THREE sets from Medicine Bone
at Tokyo’s newest spot for blues and blues-esque sounds!
Light food available as well as full bar, of course.
Sets at 8:30 – 9:15 and 10:00. Come for one or all!

Juke Joint website
Google map to Juke Joint

Saturday Night at Bright Brown, Nakano, Tokyo
open: 19:30 – start: 20:00

Medicine Bone loves the friendly, casual and lived-in atmosphere at Bright Brown. It’s Nakano’s premier blues spot, and MB is delighted 
to be coming back to perform there! We’ll be doing two (or maybe 3?) sets for our last Tokyo appearance!

Bright Brown website

Thanks again to Samm and Ken for having me out, I was enlightened by their soulful music.

Medicine Bone Performing “Tennessee” live at Velvet Sun

Keep up with Samm Bennett at Polarity Records and Facebook

That rain is falling, the blue orbs of energy are flowing.  The thin door and the mailboxes keep on rusting.  The island to nowhere just is sitting there.   Holding that umbrella high and waving to a loved one on a train platform.

The whole world just seemed to take a pause to pull out heir collective umbrella and in vain try to keep dry.

“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah 1:17

Poor Jonah spent three nights inside the great fish.  What amount of faith it must have taken to survive that ordeal.  Keep up the good spirits.  Do the good works.  Strive to survive in this crazy world.

The rainy season in the Tokyo area officially started today, and as if by clockwork the skies opened up and it has been raining all day.  Im not a big fan of the rainy season because it limits my ability to stroll around and take lots of flicks.  However, I still try to get out there and get some.  So these are my welcome images for the rainy season.

May it bring enough rain to water the crops, and fill the reservoirs, but not so much that it cause flooding.

Rain, rain, rain…

The rain finally came down today.  I guess it is a hint at the rainy season that is to come in the next week or so.  The tiny drops flowed from the clouds, and I watched as the pools gathered on rooftops across the city.

A lost monkey in the rain struggling to turn his smirk into a smile.  A bicycle key tucked behind some wire and paired with a silver gum wrapper.  A beautiful blue umbrella gently hung on a fence.  All lost in the rain, waiting for the skies to open and let the sunshine pour out.  When the sun shines hopefully they will find their way to their rightful owners.

Don’t forget your umbrellas.

The sun was out and about yesterday while we strolled around Harajuku.  The light was intense which makes for some rich tones.  A few black and whites from that stroll.  More to come from another stroll about to begin in a few hours.

Everybody come sing along with me…

Me and My Fire Extinguishers ,

they go everywhere with me…..

In the window they reflect a bit of my soul.