LINUS!

Exactly 31 days after we returned from our tour in Japan and I’ve figured out how to describe the experience — Liberating. Jack made an interesting observation while we were in Japan which seemed nihilistic at the time. It’s interesting that the countries that have experienced the most tragedy are the ones who are most willing to party the hardest — the ones who are most willing to live in the moment. I’m paraphrasing. Japan was liberating. Yeah, that’s exactly it.

Amazing practice this weekend. Took out the lawn chair and watched the sun set. Some super sketchy dudes came by and talked to us – surreptitiously glancing into the studio. Glad we have a security system and the building has CCTV. Planning to hit up the studio this weekend to write a few new tunes. Japan was life changing. New thoughts, new goals, new plans. Playing a benefit show at Bishop museum this Saturday at 7pm. Looking forward to playing at an outdoor concert. I want to start taking photos again.

I wrote this song when I got back from Japan. Here’s a copy of the lyrics. We’re going to start practicing it at the next band practice. Planning to record this song for inclusion on the next CD. Planning to start recording our 3rd CD in June.

NAKAMEGURO

(fast changes)

Money fills me in
but not before
I spend it
faster than I did

Our trip’s just beginning
you’re slow going
he’s flowing
but I’m already here at the end

bridge solo is harmony that lets the melody echo in the ear

(slow changes)

There was a time
when I came back from
the land of the rising sun

Sick to the touch
i got haunted once
i never bothered to beat the streets
in Akibahara

full solo — ends on sustained high note, gets quiet

i was sizing up my spot
as we pulled in on the train
i started setting up my shop
to do some people watching, yeah
and then the rains began to pour
they saw me knocking on your door
and defeat was to meet me
as bittersweetly as the scenery
so I stopped myself

steal your mothers credit card
I’ll meet you on a tug boat
in the middle of the ocean,
hey, that’s not too far
that’s halfway between you and me
when the turbulence sets in
and when we meet we can choose
where to live cause it
doesn’t matter too much to me

Your voice the sound so sweet
I’m stuck in silence
I’m reaching to hear
the same way my ear
was tickled by the sound of it

I was sizing up my spot
as we pulled in on the train
i started setting up my shop
to do some people watching yeah
and when i finally made it to the doc
i said doc you gotta save my soul
And the doc said, there’s nothing I can do about that
you gotta go back to Nakameguro

go go gg go go gg go go
shiboing-ya

a f#m e asus e
a f#m e asus e

a f#m e asus
a f#m e asus

a f#m e asus e
a f#m e asus e

a f#m e asus

Still jet lagged and not able to sleep. Today I thought I’d give into the urge and get up at 3:30am. I have work in a few hours. Still having crazy dreams every night. Got up, ate a banana, and turned on my PS3.

Our show at Club Que in Shimokitazawa was filmed and the club owner gave us a copy of the DVD. I popped in the DVD and watched the entire show. It was a great show that I will remember the performance forever. Not really sure why I’m writing this. Hoku awards on Sunday. Hawaiian dress attire is a requirement. Several platitudes are ringing truer than ever these days. Sorting out new song lyrics and ideas.

Finally got home and I’m dead tired. Our plane landed in Honolulu at 9:12am and Nik and Moani gave me a ride home. I had one thing on my mind and one thing only, “Must eat chicken katsu before I sleep.” I dropped my bags at the door and took a quick shower. I grabbed my keys off the table and got into the car. Dead battery. I ended up having to wait for my brother to come over and jump my car. 1 hour later I was at home watching American television. 20 minutes later I was out cold.

LINUS’ japan tour was amazing. From the moment we touched down in Tokyo to the moment we played our last show at the Green Room Festival in Yokohama it was culture shock, information overload, instant fascination, and a heap of new memories. Everyone in Japan was polite, direct, giving, and gorgeously well tailored. I’ve come back to Hawaii with a new sense of pride in my song craft. The musicians in Japan have honed their delivery beyond any other place I’ve toured. The technology involved in a single show from the lighting to the acoustics to the instruments is mind blowing.

The people I met on this tour work hard and party even harder. I’m having a difficulty time staying awake while I write this. I’m partied out. My friends invited me to go drinking downtown tonight to celebrate my return but I had to decline. I left all of my energy back in Japan. As soon as we consolidate all of the tour photos I’m planning to post them in a gallery on this website. For now we’re taking the rest of the week off to recuperate. Tons of new melodies and song lyrics were penned during our short tour. We’ll start working through the pieces at the studio this Saturday.  Looking forward to attending the Hoku awards on Sunday. Jun’s talking about touring Japan again in October. Let me get some sleep first… please.

Picked up Hawaiian Host chocolates for the friends and family we will be staying with in Osaka and Tokyo. It literally takes up half the space in my small carry-on. With me on this trip: Code Complete, The Cathedral and the Bazaar, and The Windup Bird Chronicle. Looking forward to reading on the plane. Taking two iPhones with me. One backup to write emails from and post tweets when we have internet. Computer calendar alarm just went off. Start of the LINUS tour to Japan. Leaving for the airport in 6 hours. Not sure if I’ll get much sleep tonight. Too excited. Bought a cheap pair of sunglasses and tons of socks. Wrote out the setlist on a matchbook.

Playing three shows in Japan that we know about. Planning to add many impromptu shows along the way. House parties would be ideal. Thinking about what I want from this trip. Have been wanting to visit Japan for over 10 years now. The hype has built to overwhelming proportions. Glad I’m checking it out before I’m 30. Been talking to as many of my Japanese friends as possible. Hearing very different views from different people. I’ll let the experience dictate my view. Wish I could take a small travel guitar with me (super hard to write new songs on an electric guitar with no amp). Tested out twitter updates today from my iPhone. Will be able to post pictures. Not sure how many more tours we will have as LINUS, going to make the best of this one.

Planning to video tape as many shows, interactions, and milestones in Japan. Inspired by David Cross’ “Let America Laugh” tour on Netflix. Not sure what we’ll get on tape. Preparing for this tour, I was looking through all the photos we took during the last 3 tours and thought it’d be wise to video tape this instead of just take photos. Video captures so much more. So excited about this trip. Super tired from planning. Excited to be on vacation. Optimistic about the next few weeks. Here we go!

We’ll be live-tweeting on tour. Today I added the twitter widget to the website. It’s the large black box in the sidebar. Be sure to subscribe to our feed to follow us on our tour. Leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I have no idea what to expect but we’re all so excited about this tour! See you at the Na Hokuhanohano awards when we get back.

May 14 – NOON // Osaka, Japan //
http://www.noon-web.com

May 19 – CLUB QUE // Shimokitazawa, Japan //
http://www.ukproject.com/que/

May 23 – GREEN ROOM FESTIVAL // Tokyo, Japan //
http://www.greenroom.jp

The Hoku finalists were announced today and we’re in the running for Best Rock Album of the Year! So excited to hear this news! We’re happy, humble, and ecstatic that our 10 years of hard work have gotten us to this point. Already got May 30th marked on my calendar to attend the awards ceremony. So happy to have gotten here!

I Tramonti guitarist E to the RIC pointed me to another interview of the new album “White Marks on a White Wall.” Check it out here:

“White Marks on a White Wall” record review by Sancho Del Mar