I decided it was time and get out of the “mansion” and experience an outdoor concert event in Osaka. Once I met my new friends at Cosme station, we made our way to Port Town and walked for about 15 minutes to the park from the station. We were all amazed at the magnitude of the bridge. Given that I am learning Red Hot Chili Peppers songs again, it was also surprising to see such a well kept “Under The Bridge” environment. Certainly no one had “drew some blood or gave their life away,” down here!
To be truthful, the bands were average, but I respected their effort. Each band seemed to be missing a key component: the Jazz band didn’t have a bass player, the Soul Singer didn’t have a band, and the Soul Band didn’t have… What the French call “je ne sais quo.” Yet it was still a great day. The music was the perfect background noise to the massive bridge and insanely good weather. Had I been in the U.S.A., I never wold have gone to such an event — it would have been noisy, full of weed smoke, and the food wouldn’t have been half as good as it was here. Everything was organized, peaceful and relaxing, in true Japanese fashion. Even the ride back was a treat, with a great sunset presented by our driverless train!
The first concert I remember seeing was Stevie Wonder at Osaka Jo Hall. It was my first time in Japan and a complete blur to me. All I remember is that the audience was completely silent and Stevie Wonder joked that he couldn’t see anyone in the crowd and asked everyone to make “some noise.” I was slightly disappointed because I had just finished explaining to my partner in crime that I was so glad we came to Japan to see Stevie because in the U.S., the sound of the crowd would have overpowered the musician. You could hear a pin drop in this hall and that’s exactly how I like it!I took this photo because it wasn’t until I saw the lights at night, that I remembered coming here almost 19 years ago! Things have completely changed at Osaka Jo Hall — street vendors, a Starbucks, and a completely renovated Park Station have made it a great destination for tourists to to refresh and/or retire. You can even rent a Ninja costume.
I started the day with pancakes and ended it with a Burrito in America Mura, but it wasn’t worth photographing. All in all, it was a great afternoon and definitely one that would have been more difficult to accomplish in L.A. One point for Osaka!
