Obon Time, 7/12 from 12:30-5pm

The New York Buddhist Church will be holding its 60th annual Obon festival at Bryant Park (south west side). There will be performances by HAPPYFUNSMILE, Soh Daiko, Tachibana, and Hoh Daiko. Please come and join the fun!

12:30pm Hoh Daiko
1pm HAPPYFUNSMILE, introduction, Dancers Assemble, National Anthem, Welcome Address, Meditation
1:30pm Obon Dance, Part 1
2:20pm Messages, Tachibana Dance Group
2:50pm Obon Dance, Part 2
3:40pm Soh Daiko
4:15pm Obon Dance, Part 3
4:50pm Closing Message

There are two more dance practices before the Obon (July 7 and 9, 6:30-8pm at the New York Buddhist Church).

Soh Daiko in New Jersey, 6/28, 7pm

Soh Daiko will be performing in the Global Beat series at the Congregation Beth Ahm of West Essex in Verona, New Jersey: 56 Grove Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.

Kagero at the American Folk Art Museum, 7/3, 6:30pm

I’ll be playing my chindon with the KAGERO dudes at the American Folk Art Museum, July 3 at 6:30pm. This is part of the Free Music Fridays series and should be a blast!

American Folk Art Museum at 45 W53rd St.

Tachibana Dance Recital

The New York Tachibana Dance Group held its annual dance recital yesterday, 21 June 2009. It was a flurry of activity with all the dancers dressing upstairs and the volunteers constructing the stage. With the help of Bob Moribe, Brian McGurgan, Marc Grobman, and others, the stage, lights, and sound worked flawlessly.

All in all, the kids stole the show. The littlest girl, Cocoa Yamamoto, started the recital with a solo dance (Musunde Hiraite). Daniel Mori joined her for Shojoji and he had his own solo (Momotaro). There are four young girls dancing with Tachibana these days—Mari Kubota, Nanami Kubota, Alissa Mori, and Moie Uesugi. They started just two years ago but they’re advancing so quickly! Their dances (Sakura Kamuro, Hataori, and Soran Bushi) were fantastic! Sometimes I forget how young Keiko Higashikawa is, since she’s taller than most of us, but she was really amazing (Fujimusume).

While we weren’t as cute as the kids, the adults held their own: Chris Brunner (Shichifukujin), Barbara Bell, Kazuko Brooks, and Akemi Ishida (Momiji no Hashi), Wynn Yamami (Ageshio), Katie Takahashi and Katherine Small (Jurakumai), Barbara Bell (Hibai no Fu), Samie Tachibana (Makasho), and of course, our teachers Sahotae and Sahotoyo Tachibana (Ogi no Shiki).

Tachibana 2009

Kagero Shows

I’ll be playing chindon with the KAGERO folks at a few shows in June.

June 19, Tierney’s Tavern, 9pm in Montclair, NJ. 136 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ 07042. Part of the Boro 6 Indie Music Fest.

June 21, Cyn Lounge, 7:30pm in Williamsburg. 216 Bedford Ave (at N. 5th St), Brooklyn.

June 26, Two Boots, 10pm in Brooklyn. 514 2nd St. at 7th Ave in Park Slope.

Kagero at the Artist Loft Series, 6/1, 9pm

I’ll be playing chindon with KAGERO at the Artist Loft Series. 723 Seventh Ave between 48th & 49th Streets, Penthouse Floor New York, NY. $10 Cover, with free drinks from 8-8:45pm, so come early and stay for the whole show, which runs from 9-11pm.