On Saturday, I went to my first fireworks show in Japan. It was one of the last ones in the Tokyo area. It was by Tokyo bay. There were thousands of people there...it was disgustingly hot walking to see them since there were people everywhere. The actual fireworks were amazing though. They went on for over an hour. So many colors and different kinds. The pictures don't really do justice to how pretty they were. We didn't stay for the very very end because we wanted to beat the ridiculous rush to the trains. They had to shut down roads and everything. I love fireworks...now I understand why Japanese people are into them so much.
Tonight, I just got back from the DMC Japan DJ Championships 2007. It's a DJ competition to go to the worldwide DMC competition and represent Japan. It was at LIQUIDROOM, a club in Ebisu. I couldn't take very many pictures since I wasn't really in a great place in the crowd to take pictures, though I was able to see everything. There was the 'Battle For Japan Supremacy', which was done battle style. DJ BUNTA won that one (he had the most old school sound), but I personally liked いく (iku). He had this trumpet beat that I really liked. After that there was a singles category where everyone performed and the winner was selected. A few of the DJs were my age. One of them, DJ TATAKI did a good hip hop/rock beat. 宮島 (Miyajima) won this category and is going to represent Japan for the worldwide DMC. I'm glad he won, he's so quick on the turntable.
After that, KIREEK was up and everyone got to dance, though Japanese people don't seem to dance much. Then there was a bit more dancing while they set up equipment for Tucker, who's this crazy Japanese guy who plays all these instruments. He got all into it and did a goth-sounding rendition of Swan Lake. He did some crazy stuff: handstand on his organ-like instrument, crowdsurf (the crowd was definitely not thick enough to carry him, but a couple of our guys made sure to catch him), and set the top of the thing he did a handstand on on fire. At that point, even though he could play music, I just thought he was crazy.
So I'm all ready to just leave, but everyone else wanted to stay...and I'm really glad I did because Q-Bert performed. He made everyone else look bad. So precise and so quick. (He's won the US DMC and the worldwide DMC.) That in itself was amazing. One of the guys I was with was so stoked on it he wouldn't stop talking. It was hilarious and a lot of fun. The show is supposed to come out on DVD sometime, and I'm thinking it might just be worth it to buy...I'm pretty sure we'll show up on it somewhere if they show the crowd. =D Such a good hip hop show, and from what I've been told, I won't find another one much better.
