Bix & Marki　Summer 2016 Tour Report

This Summer tour started on July 28 in Hakodate (Hokkaido) and ended on August 14 in Takasaki (Gunma ken). It was a lovely tour, precious and fulfilling for our music and the contacts we made with people. It was the first time we went down the north-eastern coast of Japan (Akita, Turuoka in Yamagata ken, Niigata and Kanazawa). Then we continued to Kyoto, Kobe, up again to Gifu, Nagoya, Anjo, Matsumoto and Takasaki. We brought our new sixth CD called ‘ Six planètes’.

Friday 29 July 2016 　Gotouken
Hakodate-shi Suehiro-cho 4-5 　Tel 0138-23-1106
http://www.gotoken.hakodate.jp/

We are now coming every year to play for the French-Japanese Association and include a visit to the Foreigners' cemetery and the tomb of the French soldiers. This time we also visited a Senior Residence created by the French priest Philippe Gourraud, very special indeed because of its concept of soothing the elderly with art and happiness. The dinner-concert went well and we were amazed to hear that one of our fans had been a sailor for 30 years, that he had been everywhere around the world, and that he is 81. Thank you to you all !

Saturday 30 July 2016 　menbo TAKEYA
Aomori-ken Hirosaki-shi Minori-cho 10-1 　Tel: 0172-36-8938
http://m-takeya.com/

This time in Hirosaki, we combined the concert with a French conversation course with students from the University of Hirosaki, and others. These students are going to organize a French event in September to promote French culture, and we ended the concert with a poetry – music – movement improvisation with them, so that they could see how to create a piece. We also showed them how to do public reading in French, with gestures. Hirosaki was great this time too !

The next morning, we went to see an old cinema from the 50s in Odate, called “Onariza”.

Onariza is a wonderful place with old projectors and posters, seats and popcorn machines. Supporting old cultural treasures is very important ! Thinking about what Bix&Marki can do for it.

The lunch-box “Tori-meshi bento” of Odate is very good !

Sunday 31 July 2016 　Restaurant Recette
Akita-shi Oomachi 1-2-10　Tel 018-874-9645
http://www.yonecafe.com/recette/

It was the first time for us to play in Akita, and we had been introduced to the famous restaurant Recette by a Japanese friend who lives in France. We played in a local chicken event, barbecue on the terrasse, a lot of people, and it was very nice and friendly. The local chicken is a local produce which is really famous as “Hinai-Jidori”. People in Akita are very quiet and we felt that they are very warmhearted. We will definitely come back ! Thank you !

Monday 1 August 2016 　Bar TRASH
Yamagata-ken Tsuruoka-shi Suehiro-cho 11-47   Tel 0235-25-8892
http://bb-baby.jugem.jp/

A musician friend from long time ago, Makoto lives in Tsuruoka and organized the concert with other bands and local musicians playing. We were amazed by their good technique and personal touch to their music. It seemed that music goes well with the beautiful nature around. Yamagata is amazing : the sea, the fields and the mountains are very calm and peaceful. Makoto played the violin with us on a couple of tunes. A musical, hot and lovely evening. Thank you !

Makoto and Marki on a footpath in Haguro mountain.

Other bands at Trash   left: Rocket Hopper   right: Inoplanetânin

Tuesday 2 August 2016 　Pier Terrace (in Pier Bandai)
Niigata-shi Cyuou-ku Bandai-jima 2   Tel 025-249-2560
http://www.bandai-nigiwai.jp/

Bix was in contact with the Norway-Japan Association of Niigata. Our host was very kind and showed us around in town, before bringing us to the little house at the harbor, where shop owners from newly installed shops came to see us for the concert. They are trying to make this part of town more lively. We really want to support them. Our role as musicians, during the tour, is also to be links between cultures and to be starting energies. Thank you so much !

Wednesday 3 August 2016 　Hirami Pan
Kanazawa-shi Naga-machi 1-6-11   Tel 076-221-7831
http://www.hiramipan.com/

We had no idea about how beautiful and historic a city it was. New infrastructures welcome tourists, signs in English, information centers, museums...  The owner of Hirami Pan was very kind and told us truly about his story. It is not easy to run a café or a restaurant. A designer friend from Tokyo, originally from Kanazawa, her name is Seory, had a show of her drawings in Hirami Pan at the same time as we played there. Actually, she decided to ask the owner to do this exhibition, when she heard we were going to play there. That was also fantastic… Exchange of energies ! The evening was very nice.

Thursday 4 August 2016 　FSN bar (chez Philippe ）
Kyoto-shi Nakagyo-ku East of Kawaramachi-Rokkaku Rokkaku terrace bld 3F   Tel 090 5064 0642
https://www.facebook.com/chezphilippefsn/

A lot of French speakers come to Philippe's place. A great spot in the center of Kyoto with now a terrace with a small garden on it. The stage is waiting for musicians to play ! We felt welcome, as always. Our friend Mayumi, who always comes to our concerts, was wearing an orange yukata. Fantastic. Open hearts, open minds. Thank you all !!

Friday 5 August 2016 　Music House Duck
Hyougo-ken Nishinomiya-shi Hagoromo-cho 7-27 Erube-kan 1F
Tel 0798-36-1959
Organized by « Découverte » (French lessons & French culture salon)
http://www.decouverte.jp/

The weather was hot, around 35 degrees Celsius. It was an intimate and relaxing concert. Before the concert, we spoke with the owner about his work as a CD seller (it is actually a CD shop) and about how difficult it has become in the music business. We thought a lot about business and art/music, and the connection (and lack of connection) between them. Thank you Découverte, too, for organizing it! See you again !

Saturday 6 August 2016 　Fukunishi center (Fureai-Matsuri)
Kyoto-shi Nishikyo-ku ooe kitafukunishi-cho 3
https://www.facebook.com/fukunishifureai

A childhood friend of Marki's organizes this festival every year to make various generations meet each other, reviving traditional Obon dance in this part of town. It was the 2nd time we played there, and like last year it was wonderful. Everybody danced, spoke together, sat outside and the stage was also outside.


Another friend of Marki's sang a few tunes playing his guitar, also with Marki. He had to pay himself a holiday from work to be able to come and play. That is the bad side of Japanese working life. At the end, a lot of people helped to tidy up and to put down the stage and back again the fences. That is the good side of Japanese solidarity ! It was a warmhearted evening.

Sunday 7 August 2016 　Café SIESTA
Gifu-shi Yanaizu-cho Kitatsuka 4-33  Tel 058-388-5972
　　http://www.cafecafesiesta.info/

The owner had repainted the whole shop in red color, the whole place being hand-made by him. A lot of people were upstairs where we played and people could hear us downstairs. The sound was great. We will come again and again ! Thank you !!

Monday 8 August 2016 　atelier feliz
Gifu-ken Motosu-shi Bussyouji 423-2   Tel 058-322-3558
https://www.facebook.com/Atorieferisu

Apparently the hottest spot in Japan on this day, the temperature was reaching 40 degrees Celsius in Gifu. We took the bus and then walked among the rice fields with all our equipment. Hard sport but it was ok ! One little girl danced to our songs, it was a big pleasure !!

Tuesday 9 August 2016 　Cafe Dufi
Nagoya-shi Naka-ku Shin-sakae 3-17-11   Tel 052 263 6511
http://cafedufi.com

Outside still very hot. The big fans in the ceiling of Dufi went round and round. Our friends and people came in the evening, thank you so much to you all ! In between the pieces, we talked about the Emperor of Japan who had been on TV, and about the Olympics. The concert brought discussions about Japanese history and sports. Music brings ideas and debate too !!

Wednesday 10 August   2016 　Cafe B+
Aichi-ken Anjou-shi Shinmei-cho 16-13   Tel 0566-78-1147
http://cafeb.client.jp

When we arrived in Anjo, our friend violinist Miwako brought us to her home and served us a delicious lunch. Then we went with her to rehearse the songs (one more than we played 2 years ago with her) of our 4th CD. We played the 4 songs in the first set in Café B with Miwako.


In the second set we played our new 6 songs, two of them with a local harmonica player “Yoko-chan”. Adding other musicians and sounds to our music was great ! It gave another dimension. Thank you for a musician’s evening at B's!

We had to sit on the floor in the corridor of the train between Nagoya and Matsumoto, for two hours, because it was the big holiday-Obon-week-end! Everyone seemed to be going up to the cooler mountains.

Thursday 11 August   2016 　Au Crieur de vin
Nagano-ken Matsumoto-shi Fukasi 1-2-11   Tel 02 63 37 19 66
http://crieur-japon.com/

A couple of friends surprised us by coming all the way to the Crieur de Vin concert… Thank you so much, both of you. Thank you also to all you new people who listened to us. The atmosphere was great. The evening temperature was perfect, with the windows open and wonderful people. Thank you again !

Friday 12 August 2016 　3 Trois rojiura
Nagano-ken Matsumoto-shi Cyuou 2-10-10   Tel 0263-41-0385
https://www.facebook.com/trois3rojiura/

Trois is a new bistro in the old part of Matsumoto town. Very, very new. We were bringing live music there for the first time. The home-made bread and desserts were exquisite. We had a great time ! We met wonderful people too, even … French speaking! See you next time too !

Saturday 13 August 2016 　Maison de Jillco
Gunma-ken Takasaki-shi Toorimachi 2-3 Ando bld 1F
Tel 027-329-6444   https://www.facebook.com/maison.de.jillco

Jillco had prepared an event for us. He had made the menu relating it to us, Belgian cuisine ! We played between the dinner courses. A nice evening where we heard a lot about the city of Takasaki.


The next day we went to visit the Fromagerie Dorago in Takasaki run by a couple who had come to the concert: very good cheese indeed! Thank you !

Sunday 14 August 2016 　Albero
Gunma-ken Takasaki-shi Shimosatomi-cho 1701-1
Tel: 027-340-1235   http://www.albero-yamakifarm.com/

On our last day, even if we were tired it was with high spirits that we took the bus for 30 min out of town and walked in the pear fields to the Natural Ice Cream Bar Albero. We had played there 2 years ago, on a Sunday afternoon too. Families with children drive to Albero to have an ice-cream there. We played for them. The ice-cream was delicious. This was our last concert of the tour !

This tour was probably the one where we got most contact with people. It was a hard schedule, 17 concerts during 17 days. The weather was hot and the luggage heavy. But our music got nourished by it, by the people we played for, the people we met, the places we saw, the landscapes and the things we saw.
Thank you so much for following us !

15. Summer Tour 2016