Heavens Door

3.8.08

Leah arrived in Japan on Thursday and has been staying over in our apartment ever since. On Saturday night after work she invited me to go to her friend's show near Shibuya. We got off at the Shibuya station and made our way to the Denentoshi line. We packed ourselves like sardines into the Denentoshi train and headed two stops away from Shibuya to the Sangenjaya station. We stepped onto the platform relieved to be out of the crowded train, took a deep breath, and headed out into a big bright world filled with rushing people, zooming cars, and blinking Japanese signs.

Leah led the way down the narrow street where the club, Heavens Door, was located. We had some time to kill before the show started at 7pm so we did a little window shopping and stopped into a noodle shop to get a quick bite to eat. On our way back to the club, Leah persuaded me to buy a blue and gray sweater that was only 50 yen ($.50) from an open market. We couldn't help but laugh at some of the other clothes for sale: a sweater that reminded me of the one Mr. Roger's wore, a light purple skirt that would be perfect if you decided you wanted to be an Easter egg, some nylon zebra print shorts, and a few other rather outdated fashions.

After a bit of searching, we found the entrance to the club. We both stepped inside and were welcomed by the rhythmic beat of a bass drum. The club was small and I felt at home. The guitarist, drummer, bassist, and singer of the first band were all girls. The singer's dancing and singing imitated the punk-ish music coming from the instruments surrounding her. The second band was made up of a female singer and male guitarist. Their music had a much more electronic/psychedelic feel to it which was heightened by the Mandelbrot images playing on the screen behind them. Leah's two friends Kate and Lindsey were the last band I stayed to see before leaving to catch the train home. Their music had an acoustic feel to it due to the lack of drum or bass accompaniment. Kate sang lead while playing a mix of guitar, synth and xylophone throughout the set. Lindsey sang back-up while playing keyboard, xylophone, and "the box". She "played the box" by shaking a cardboard package--I could see the US Customs sticker--filled with some objects. The songs were playful and creative. Overall, I really enjoyed the show.