Event in Narita Full of Music, Food, Vintage Clothes, Records, and Plants

On May 5th, 2024 during the Golden Week, I attended an event called Narita Hub Groovin held at the former Chiba Bank site on Narita Omotesando street!

What is Narita Hub Groovin?
Narita Hub Groovin is a cultural event aimed at people in their 20s to 40s, focusing on art and music culture. It has been organized by Narita no Okage (now Okage Planning), which has been planning music and community revitalization events in the city even before the pandemic. The event targets the younger demographic of 20-40 year-olds, who are expected to build the future of Narita’s downtown (Narita Omotesando), where there are few venues such as music clubs, music stores, record shops, apparel, and miscellaneous goods stores for young people. Recognizing the lack of events for this age group in Narita, the event was planned to provide new regional revitalization content to attract people other than the tourist attraction Naritasan Shinshoji Temple and to promote the music and art culture of the city and its surroundings. With the end of the pandemic, the city is bustling with temple visitors, inbound tourists, and events as usual. This event aimed to offer physical experiences and opportunities to engage with tangible objects to the digital-native Gen Z who are interested in music and arts, while also passing on the enjoyment and culture to younger generations from the organizing group in their 30s and 40s. Another goal is to pass on ways to enjoy and appreciate the culture to the younger generation in their 20s.

When I first heard about this event a few months ago, I remember eagerly saying, “I’d love to help out!” Just as I did in my 20s and 30s, I wanted to participate in this event with the hope of providing various stimuli for young people to find their own outputs from their inputs. (Of course, I also wanted to enjoy myself a lot!)

On the day of the event, I arrived at the venue a little after 7:00 a.m.!
It was incredibly hot... The temperature reportedly reached up to 29 degrees.

The view from the entrance on the street

The view from the DJ booth

Since we were only setting up the PA system for DJ, we went with a simple setup.

These are PA speakers we prepared!

・JBL EON ONE Mk2 x 2 units

The power was supplied by a generator, so to prepare for any unexpected situations, we chose battery-powered column speakers as the main speakers. One of the highlights of the JBL EON ONE Mk2 is its wide coverage of 140 degrees horizontally and 30 degrees vertically, which provided excellent sound spread and projection, making it perfect for this venue. In practice, the volume was more than sufficient, and even without turning it up to the maximum point where the LIMIT indicator would light up, the sound reached the back of the venue and even the pathway (I saw people near the entrance were dancing to the music!). On the day, many people came up to us and said, “The sound is great!”, which made us very happy♪

・JBL EON712 x 2 units

This time, we used these speakers as DJ monitor speakers. I often see small powered monitors placed on either side of the DJ desk, but we wanted to provide the DJ with a sound that would elevate the mood with high volume and deep bass, so we set up 12-inch speakers, which can also be used as the main speakers, on stands on both sides.

One very convenient feature we found in this PA setup was the JBL PRO CONNECT app, which allows wireless control of volume and sound quality.

We paired a total of four units (EON ONE Mk2 and EON712) with an iPhone and walked around the venue to make adjustments. Even when the distance from the speakers was 20-30 meters, we could make seamless adjustments without any interruptions. The venue was not only filled with tourists but also had many shops and local residents. So, when we noticed a series of bass-heavy tracks playing or felt that the volume had increased, we could stand as far away as the pathway and adjust the volume or fine-tune it with a low-cut filter. This was incredibly helpful. It eliminated the need for the laborious process of having one person communicate with gestures from a distance or going back and forth between the PA desk and the listening spot. Actually using this app, I felt a great appreciation for the convenience it brought.

Let me also introduce this cool DJ booth!

・CLASSIC PRO / DJBKIT Assembly DJ Booth

This simple DJ booth literally supported the DJs’ groovy mixes. It’s made of four panels (two side panels and two front panels) that unfold like a foldable screen, with a tabletop that fits on top.
It can be assembled in just a few minutes by one person, no tools needed. Adding corner shelves allows you to place a laptop or small monitor speakers, making it perfect for outdoor events like this. The side panels are covered with black fabric attached by Velcro, which allows some airflow and reduces the worry of strong winds during outdoor events. Additionally, it’s incredibly lightweight. We also included a middle shelf to hold DJs’ record cases and turntable covers, enhancing its functionality and storage capacity.

・CLASSIC PRO / DJBKIT-P Shelf for DJ Booth

・CLASSIC PRO / DJBKIT-C Corner for DJ Booth (2-Piece Set)

We connected the RCA output on the DJ mixer to the stereo input on the MIX12FX. Since the main output of the MIX12FX is a balanced TRS phone, we used a 1.5m TRS phone to XLR male cable, which was extended with an XLR male to XLR female cable to make a balanced connection to the EON ONE Mk2.

And then, the first issue arose!!
For some reason, there was a noticeable buzz noise coming from the left EON ONE Mk2 and EON712. But, I didn’t panic. First, I swapped the cables from the mixer to the speakers to see if the noise persisted. It did, so the problem wasn’t with the mixer or the devices connected to it. Next, I replaced the XLR male to XLR female extension cable. The noise disappeared! That was a relief. Even though I had tested each cable with a mic connected beforehand, unexpected issues can still occur during the actual event. (Later, I checked the cable connections at home, found no problems, and ended up with a mystery!)

Additionally, being cautious, I brought along a piece of equipment for extra assurance.
The CLASSIC PRO PDM/R is a voltage stabilizer that maintains a stable 100V (±5V). This significantly increases peace of mind during the event!

Additionally, I secured the power outlets with duct tape to prevent them from being accidentally unplugged. If someone tripped over or yanked on a cable, causing it to disconnect, it would be a nightmare situation. It’s especially important to take these precautions in areas where many people are passing by or could potentially pass by. Always be extra careful and attentive in such scenarios.

With everything securely set up, we successfully completed the sound check!

With a huge sense of relief and an insatiable hunger, I chose this menu:

From T’s BBQ near the Tomisato Interchange -

the Pulled Cuban sandwich!

The bread, baked crispy on the outside, is loaded with juicy meat! The spicy sauce and creamy potato salad were the perfect combination. Under the bright, sunny sky, pairing it with a cold beer was pure bliss. Thank you for the delicious meal! I’ll definitely visit your store again!

During the daytime, the sun was really intense and hot, so I was worried, but thanks to the cheerful music, a lot of people showed up♪

I hope you don’t mind me sharing a personal memory from about 10 years ago. On Saturday nights, I had a routine where I would enjoy beers and DJ music at a bar called Narita Barge Inn on Narita Omotesando. DJ u-ta was often DJing there, and seeing u-ta’s performance at this event brought back vivid memories from that time. It was really nice to chat with him afterwards about those old days and I was genuinely happy as a fan.

At Narita’s music events, DJ Foomin is almost always playing, which is fantastic!

In the midst of enjoying the perfect music under Sunday’s clear skies, we encountered a second incident today!!

Suddenly, we lost the BGM...
Upon investigating, we found out that the generator had stopped...
Even though there was still plenty of gasoline, why did it stop?? After pondering for a bit, realizing I had no clue, I asked another staff member for help, and we focused on restoring the sound.

• Power for the mixer → Portable power source (owned by an outdoor enthusiast staff member) → Restored
• EON ONE Mk2 → Held down the power button to restart to successfully restore

This was the first time I experienced this, but the EON ONE Mk2 itself remained powered on even after the generator went down. However, the LCD display was white out, making control impossible and sound was not outputting. After powering down and then powering on again, the sound returned. When something happens with digital controlled equipment, try “reset and restart the device”.

We had discussed what to do if the power went out during the event setup, so being able to minimize the time without BGM gave us a small relief.

Despite these troubles, thanks to DJ Foomin’s quick wit and upbeat MCing, we managed to restart in a relaxed atmosphere!
As the slightly cooler evening settled in, we were surprised by the appearance of Narita-born R&B singer aimi!

Her live singing voice was enchanting, and no matter how many times I hear it, it moves my heart.
The groovy song “KMHH” created a strong sense of unity with aimi and everyone there, and she even sang “Chosen One”, which wasn’t originally planned, making it an incredibly luxurious moment♪

Starting from my first participation in Narita no Okage Vol.5 in 2017, through events like Good to be Home, REHUB, and now Narita Hub Groovin, I’ve been involved in many community revitalization events in Narita. Meeting everyone and becoming friends, whenever I see them at the venue, we always greet each other enthusiastically with a strong handshake, lean in and say, “Let’s have a great day today, too,” catching up on recent news.

For me, the greatest INPUT (what I receive) is ‘people’ and ‘connections’.
My OUTPUT (what I give) is using ‘sound’ to ‘connect people’.

When it comes to enhancing events, one of the key elements for me is ‘sound’. I find immense joy in seeing everyone there smiling and connecting through what I can contribute.

Looking ahead, I hope to actively participate whenever I get the chance, enjoying both INPUT and OUTPUT to the fullest.

Here are the points to reflect on this time:

1. Unprepared for strong winds → We need weights for the tent legs; crosswinds are a big problem for analog records.
2. Insufficient sun protection → Speakers needed shade too. Fortunately, there were no overheating issues, but they were quite hot to touch. Simply covering them with cloth can help.
3. Spent too much time being shy and staying in the shade → Next time, I’ll be more sociable and groove more!
4. Forgot to apply sunscreen → Currently experiencing maximum burning irritation. Why do I make the same mistake every year? (I don’t know why I’m exposing my upper teeth in the picture below...)