Wednesday, February 19, 2014

shimokita bunny cafe


So this happened like, a while ago. Which is predictable but hey, bunnehs. I'm also not quite sure why it takes me so long to update this blog; honestly once I sit down and commit it only takes me about 30-45 minutes to edit photos and blog. Well, depending on how many photos there are, haha.

Anyway.

So last month Jessi and I went to check out the bunny cafe in Shimokitazawa! And yes, I say bunnies and not rabbits. Way cuter.


It was a Monday...I think that we went? We figured we wouldn't need a reservation, but when we got there, they were completely full and we had about an hour to kill around Shimokita. Unfortunately we'd already gotten lunch so we just puttered around.

When we got back to the cafe, we ordered our drinks and changed into Crocs before we could enter the little "bunny room".

Seriously though. YOU GUYS.







THEY WERE SO CUTE. Like really bunnnies, get out. 

It was so relaxing! You're allowed to hold them, but for some reason I didn't? Maybe I was afraid if I picked one up and I'd beeline it for the door or something, haha. They were all super cute but the black one and the B&W one were my favorites. Love, love, love lop-eared bunnies.

The little brown one--Peter Rabbit I think?---was cute too but man. He literally kept trying to hump everybody. They seemed used to it but seriously. Slow your roll, Peter.


We opted to stay for an hour so plus drink it was about 1400 yen total. I got an amaretto late, Jessi an orange drink. It's a little pricey but they only let so many people in the little room at a time so it's surprisingly private. Afterwards, purikura time!



10 points if you can find the Zoolander and Supernatural references :D

Also I'm not really trying to make this a cafe review blog or anything but I guess it would help if I start putting the addresses and such?

↓↓↓


OHP: http://www.rabicafe.com/index.html
Station: Shimokitazawa (South Exit)
Address:  2-18-5 2F Kitazawa, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3410-5299
Hours: 12:00-20:00


We went around 4:30pm on a Monday if that helps! I imagine it's obviously much more crowded on the weekends.

miss wave

Monday, February 17, 2014

triplevision x redbull presents kickoff party!!


Listening to old Rihanna songs while I write this post. OH SO METAL. Anyway, I had mentioned in a previous post that I'd wanted to do an interview with the "newly reborn" Make My Day: this is that!

2014.02.07 "Kick off Party!!"
So Triple Vision and Redbull hosted Kickoff Party!! as a pre-show to their annual heavy-rock event, Scream Out Fest. I was honestly too exhausted to go to SoF but I'm glad I got to go to this!

I'm sad we had to give these passes back!
I've been to a show at Tower Records only once before, I think for a show ages ago? I'm pretty sure it looked different then, but now it's known as CUTUP STUDIO. They even have a private smoking room if you're so inclined :D

The pass was pretty cool! I collect the passes I get so I was pretty bummed you couldn't keep it. This one you literally had to sign in and then out again when you left!

Back: Nori, Moo | Front: Sam, Julian

Anyway first up was our interview with MAKE MY DAY! I was a little too ambitious with interviews this past month and I have two others to post before I can put this one up, but it was still fun to shoot :)

Here's a preview of their new sound if you're curious! Though their live performance is quite impressive so I highly recommend checking out one of their shows if you're in the area ♪



I have also recently begun to realize that for all the videos that Lisa and I have shot for trick/rock., we've taken very little if any commemoration photos. So I thought I'd start a new trend for myself.

Unfortunately...

NOPE.
I am literally the most un-photogenic person in the entire world. Seriously, what kind of tiny baby alien head do I have? I loled though. As did they. "Jenni's head is about half the size of everyone else's." Bahahaha.


When we came back in The Twisted Harbor Town were just finishing up their rehearsal! Super excited to see them since I had their new song ↓↓ on heavy rotation he whole time I was home for Christmas :3



So good though, OMG.



After that we met The Word Alive, who were announced as the secret guest band the night before. Or maybe, day of? Can't remember now. The guys were super nice and agreed to do a mini-interview after the show but we ended up running out of time with CUTUP STUDIO's strict closing schedule. Cool guys, though!


This has almost become my standard uniform for shows. I feel if I give myself some epic sidebang and a few lip piercings I'll really start to fit in :B



The Twisted Harbor Town
They've improved so much over the past 2 and half years, or well, at least since the first time I saw them. Always considerably impressed every time I see them again!


Make My Day
Everything on the instrument side has a lower tone and the vocals are a lot rougher. They're considerably heavier than the ASTS-incarnation but I think it really works for them.

Kiba of Akiba
I particularly enjoyed their lulzy cover of "A Whole New World". Yes from Aladdain. And yes, it was fabulous.

New Breed
Like TTHT, NB are another one of those really great bands I don't manage to see nearly enough! Their sound has also gotten a great deal heavier which is nice but I definitely still love some of their old slightly pop-tinged stuff as well.

The Word Alive
Honestly, metalcore around the world is pretty similar but these guys just had so much power. Shame there wasn't a bit more room for mosh pit to expand, though!


I was introduced to Red Bull staff as well! They were both super nice and spoke flawless English. The guy even used to live in New Jersey, my actual hometown. Anyway, I told them about trick/rock. and they seemed really impressed and expressed interest in working together in the future!

I truly hope so! :)

So thank you to Triple Vision, RedBull and Tower Records for hosting such an awesome event! ♪

miss wave

Monday, February 10, 2014

monster box vol. 00


I can finally blog about Monster Box! I've spent the last few days training for my new job but apparently, the Polar Vortex from the East Coast decided to pay us a visit so I'm spending the day inside which means...yay! Writing time.

So MONSTER BOX is a big ol' event at Studio Coast with not only bands that I work with now, but also bands that I've really liked in the past.

lineup ↓
ESKIMO CALLBOY
girugamesh
ARTEMA
NoGod
ROACH
lynch
MAKE MY DAY

Kiba of Akiba

I honestly don't think I've properly written about an event since my days on eljay, but this was a really, really awesome experience for me so I want to remember it as best as I can.

love, love, love my vans!
I had originally wanted to do a video comment for trick/rock. with MAKE MY DAY (ex. Ashley Scared the Sky) but being that it was a such a big event, we opted to move that interview to the 7th - which I'll write about later :))

Ever since I saw the lineup, I was planning on going anyway for fun buuuut after finding out that we, in fact, could do a video comment with all the non-visual bands at the event, strapped on my oh-so-metal floral shoes and headed to Shinkiba :D

I can't even remember the last time I was here!
The first thing I noticed was how much smaller Studio Coast seemed! I guess when I first got here it seemed HUGE but now compared to venues like AX it actually didn't seem nearly as intimidating. Far venue is far, though. Not gonna lie.


I came in at the end of Kiba of Akiba's set but thankfully got to see all of MAKE MY DAY! It was my first time seeing them since they ended their activities as Ashley Scared the Sky and reformed as MMD. Really impressed! They've gotten a lot heavier and a lot of the visual-kei fans kept murmuring how awesome they were after their set.

Next up was ARTEMA and my first time seeing them since last November. They just released a new album...oh! and a new PV so check them out if you have time :) I always love seeing ARTEMA and I think they were probably one of the easier bands for visual-kei fans at the event to transition with. In my opinion, their set was over way too fast XD

I took a break during NoGod but headed back inside with Inger and Kat for ROACH. Their sets always, always feel too short for me and despite how much I regret the mosh pit pain the day after, it's always a great stress reliever. Though to be honest, constantly having to pull up my "skinny jeans" during HIGH FIVE! was kind of a pain in the ass. Goddam you, American Eagle.

Headed outside for some socialization after that. But mostly for locomoco because I was hungry and you know, food is important.


Ran into Taama and Sam (of ROACH and MAKE MY DAY respectively) then it was interview time! After that we grabbed Meg and Ko-hey of ARTEMA before the five of us headed around the back corner of COAST.

Meg x Sam x taama x ko-hey
The lulz here, though really. This comment was absolutely perfect and exactly the kind of video I want to keep shooting for our webzine. I don't know if it's because they're all vocalists (mostly, haha) or because they're all really good friends, but the chemistry and everything worked out so well.

After that we walked back to COAST to catch the rest of girugamesh's set.

accidental shot but I kinda like it

girugamesh!
Watching them from backstage was hands down one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. Some of you may know already know, but I used to really love them. I don't go to their shows anymore and my tastes have changed and all, but that doesn't change the fact that at one point, they had a pretty big impact on my life. Being able to watch them with the friends that I've met over the past 3 years working and being in this scene was really amazing.

Anyway. Mush aside.

When I was walking backstage the first time, we ran into one of the guys from Eskimo Callboy and just as we were walking away he was like, "Wait, who are you? You don't look Asian!" I laughed and told him that no, I was American and worked for a web magazine promoting Japanese bands to foreign audiences. I asked him if it would be possible to get a short comment from them later and he happily agreed. Yay!

Quite clean considering how many people were in and out of here.
After they came in, I met vocalists Kevin and Sushi and we got to talking about the States and Germany. Turns out not only did they play in Atlanta but at the Masquerade, no less! After that Ko-hey and Meg popped in again and joined Eskimo Callboy for another hilarious video.

I'm pretty sure I'll be editing videos until April XDD

They really love each other.
ARTEMA and ESKIMO CALLBOY. Proving that boys are almost exactly the same all over the world. And here's that epic photo, in case you were wondering. Not mine by the way! Borrowed it from here :)

I feel like this sums up a lot.
To be honest, I tend to not end up writing about this kind of thing because I run out of time or I don't know how to write it up but...this was such an amazing experience for me. Truly.

Seeing old visual bands like girugamesh and lynch. that I admired so much in the past along with the bands that I not only enjoy promoting, but also really love seeing live, was kind of amazing. It was also really cool to see how much the fans, of either genre, really enjoyed the whole show, regardless of who they came for. If the aim of Monster Box was to destroy that "wall" that's always been up between visual-kei and loud rock, then I think they did an ace job. 

miss wave
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