[Event Report] Toso Art Music Festival Vol. 2 - TOSO ART ROCK FESTIVAL

April 2, 2022. On the first Saturday of the new school year, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and a cold wind was blowing over the hot, midsummer-like music event that was held in the neighboring town of Narita, Chiba Prefecture, where Sound House's headquarters is located.

Here it is!

This is the second time that the “Toso Music Festival,” a music festival in the Toso area, was held for the first time last fall.
This time the event was held in Tako Town, which is famous for its delicious rice!

Click here for a report on the first event ⇒ 1st Toso Music Festival TOSO ART ROCK FESTIVAL Event Report

The venue was the Tako Community Plaza Cultural Hall with an impressive exterior.

The performers this time were a distinguished corps of professionals who have been leading the Japanese music scene! They are the members of 61nenkai, a group of musicians born between April 2, 1961 and April 1, 1962, which is the same school year as the organizer, Mr. Ichikawa.

This group of pros have been making the music industry more exciting from front to back, as main, support, and as teachers. This special group of musicians performed music from their roots in the 60s through the 80s, and it was no wonder that the event was so much fun!

The event started with a greeting by Mr. Ichikawa!

I am just in the same generation that grew up listening to the music of the '61 Society musicians, so this will be a moment to trace my roots. I'm looking forward to waiting to see what's coming up next...

“KITAKORE!” I almost shouted, “Saturday Night” by the Bay City Rollers, which was a big hit in 1976. The event was held on a Saturday night. Professional entertainers do not miss this kind of thing.

The audience, many of whom were of the same age as the performers, found it tortuous to not be able to sing along with any of the songs that had become ingrained in their bodies due to Covid....
“I'm sure it must have been hard for you not to be able to yell out,” he said. Today we are going to sing all those songs...”
How cruel. I sincerely hoped that I would be able to participate in the live concert as soon as possible.

The members of the band took turns on stage for each song. The audience had no time to catch their breath after the first half of the show, as they listened to a series of classic songs that even the younger generation had heard in commercials and other media.

The fifth song was a little more relaxed as it was “Yesterday Once More” by The Carpenters.
“I remember when I was 12 years old listening to this song. I hope you will listen to this song and remember those days,” said vocalist Ryoko Nishi.
I am so envious of this generation being exposed to such a great song at the age of 12.

This time, there will be a special guest. Of course, they are all from the same grade!
The first guest is Kanako Maki, a singer who lives in Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture. She sang the theme song for the anime Kimagure Orange Road!
I watched this in real time! My childhood memories came flooding back to life... the scenery of my parents' living room... even the smell of miso soup for dinner... this is what I mean! Music is amazing, isn't it?

Isumi City in Chiba Prefecture, where Maki lives, is a popular area right now with an increasing number of immigrants.
The world knows that Isumi City is a wonderful place, but people don't know yet that Toso is a wonderful place.
Mr. Ichikawa addressed the audience with laughter about the issues in the Toso area.
Come to think of it, don't you often wonder about the charms of your own hometown? By knowing the good qualities of your hometown, you can convey them to others. Perhaps the first step to making a community more prosperous actually starts from such a point of view.

The atmosphere changed dramatically here to an instrumental only piece. The performance was an austere jazz number by George Benson played by Hank Nishiyama on guitar.
One of my personal pleasures is watching eye contact during instrumental pieces. It's also good to see how the parts that are usually supported by the backup players play.

“No matter how stylish I may be, I wouldn't have started playing music if it weren't for Queen!”
Vocalist Miho Fujiwara's powerful MC started the show with “We Will Rock You” and “Tie Your Mother Down” that made the backside of my heart tremble. It was a nice selection of songs that were perfect for this time of the year and allowed the audience to join in by clapping their hands and stomping their feet!

The first part of the stage ended with “Burn” by Deep Purple.

In the audience were the mayors from towns in the Toso area. Students from the high school light music club were also in the audience.
I hope the younger generation will feel this energy as well! There are trends and tastes, but I am sure that there are things that can be communicated across generations.

The second set started with the healing song, “Temptation of the Breeze” by Olivia Newton-John.

Before playing the second instrumental piece of the day, Jeff Beck's “Lovers of Sorrow,” the organizer, Mr. Ichikawa talked about the sound of his part, the bass.
Listening to the bass in the midst of Takeshi Nishiyama's emotional guitar solo, I felt that I could understand the role of the part very well.

Mr. Ichikawa is the instructor for Sound House's, “Bass Lessons from the Basics”. You can learn a lot about the secrets of Ichikawa's bass here!

Here is the second special guest! Akira from Finger 5 appeared on stage!
He is a legendary idol who debuted 10 years earlier than the other members of the 61st year group, even though they were in the same year! They performed their hit songs “Private Lessons,” “Koi no Dial 6700,” and “Gakuen Tengoku. The audience danced the choreography perfectly!

Tetsu Sugihara appeared on stage with a single guitar, as if after a storm had passed.
His lighthearted talk involving Tako Town, followed by his narrative voice that seemed to tell a story that filled the venue quietly, as if he was going to start a song at any moment.
A dove from a hat. A professional entertainer never misses a point like this.

One of the songs that surprised me this time was a rendition of Yosui Inoue's “Kokoro mo yo” accompanied by Deep Purple's “Black Night!” It all fit together! It was vocalist mickie-phoenix's idea, and his playfulness and versatility were truly impressive!

The main part of the concert ended with rock numbers by TOTO and Journey.

In response to the encores, the vocalists sang Michael Jackson's “Heal the World” and the last song was Queen's “Teo Toriatte” with the chorus sung in Japanese.

A total of 25 songs were performed! I enjoyed an intense time with veteran musicians doing their best to express the universal power of famous songs!

The stage was in your face carefree in the good sense of the word, as all the performers were from the same year, making it a true school festival. It was not only fun to listen to the music, but even those who have been away from music might want to start again. It was an event that tickled their youth and made them think, “Maybe I should start playing again.”

The next event will be held on December 3, 2022! This time it will be held at “Naruto Cultural Center, Nogiku Plaza” in Naruto Town, Chiba Prefecture!
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