My friend Stephen and I are “concert buddies” – we usually have similar tastes in music and head out to a number of club shows together. We’ve seen some great shows over the years, and our fair share of ones that we wish we hadn’t paid anywhere near the money for. A couple of years ago he tried to enlist me into going on a road trip to some festival in the Los Angeles area with like, 20 bands. It would have been a great show, but I couldn’t get away at the time for a concert road trip of that sort.
Stephen calls up a couple of months ago and says we should go to Japan for a great looking punk rock show. I think he’s joking.
One of the bands that I have yet to see in my long career of going to shows is The Damned. They were going to be at this festival in California a few years ago, and were one of the main reasons why I was really sorry I couldn’t go. They are playing this show in Japan. I told Stephen that This looks like an awesome show, but there was no way I would be able to go to Japan for a concert.
Then he calls my wife.
Imagine my surprise when he actually convinces her it is a good idea that I should go. Imagine my further surprise when I try to talk her out of it. No, really, I did. Not that hard, mind you…
Our tickets were purchased by using airline miles and some money, we have a place to stay in Tokyo (Stephen’s in-laws) and a friend of a friend bought the tickets to the concert. And just like that Stephen and I are going to Japan for a concert.
I haven’t been on a vacation in… well, it’s been a very long time. I don’t know if this will be a forced vacation or not. Never having been to Japan there is a lot I would like to do, but I’m going to be there for less than a week, more like a long weekend. I don’t know how much time I’ll have to get any work done. As a matter of fact, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to get on the internet for any significant amount of time in order to get any work done.
So if you are visiting the website and wonder where the updates are – there’s your answer. I’m rocking out in Japan.