Great Weekend

Friday wasn't so eventful - just stayed in a read Great Expectations. Saturday, however, was a different story. I went into Morioka for the first time in a month or so (probably longer...) to see one of my favorite Japanese metal acts, Gotsu Totsu Kotsu. Met my friend Dan at a restaurant called Universal, had some pizza, habanero sausage, and a beer, and then headed over to the venue on the far end of Oodoori. Nice small place, could fit a max of maybe 300 people (and thatd be really packed), and admission was only 1500. Thats incredibly cheap compared with, say, Behemoth, who I saw in Tokyo for 8500.
Anyway, totally killer show. I was especially surprised with the openers (particularly JWA) as every time Ive seen Gotsu before there has been nary a good band playing with them (some exceptions, of course). Even more surprising still was that all of the other bands were local (Gotsu is from Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture), and Morioka really doesn't have much in the way of metal. Sure, a bit of punk, but theres a lot of Rockabilly up here... and gigantic pompadours. Anyway, I knew JWA was going to be good when they tuned to a Church of Misery song, and I knew Gotsu was going to be good because they're awesome.

Anyway, it was a great show (my neck still hurts) full of stage diving, pushing people around, beer being thrown, and sweating on each other. At first I was a bit concerned as our plans following the show had been to go to one of Morioka's clubs and I was literally soaked in sweat/beer, but instead we were invited to the aftershow party at a local Izakaya where all the bands showed up. Got some tacos before hand though. JWA were a bunch of nice guys, real funny, but of course I was most pleased with talking to the guys from Gotsu for a few hours whilst eating various Japanese bar foods and drinking mizuwaris (shochu and water). We talked a bit of shop (Im trying my hand at contacting labels for their sake as well as promoting them in whatever ways I can) but mostly had a good time just shooting the shit. Totally awesome night, though now back in Miyako I can only remenisce about the fun that can be had OUTside of the middle of knowhere while immersed in the cultural blackhole that is the town I live in.

I'll be asking my landlords for internet access today, and I think I'll be redoubling my efforts to find another job/apply to grad school. I'm only young once, and as Dennis Hopper's death just proved, even the most badass of us have to slow down and die sometime, so get done what you can when you will.