LightHouse July 2005

We here at LightHouse are proud to bring you the only English guide to Nagoya's growing independent music, art, & cinema scene for the month of July.

Download the full color version here: July 2005 (4.2mb)

Print it, read it, roll it, smoke it, or wipe your ass with it... whatever you fancy.

Poor Art／貧しい芸術

The exhibition 'Arte Povera' at the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art is a unique occasion for you to encounter more than 60 works by influential Italian artists of the anti-art concrete movement of the late sixties.

As Italy was falling into economic and political instability, Arte Povera erupted from within a network of urban cultural activity, describing a process of open-ended experimentation, working outside formal limitations.

Arte Povera is therefore very close to other sixties movements such as the New-York based Fluxus or Gutai in Japan.

No need for words nor theories to reach the apex of aesthetic appreciation, this time...This is earthy, concrete art appealing to your senses until June 12.

Just go and see!!!

The French are Coming!／ 多数のフレンチ・ミュージシャンが名古屋を席巻!

It’s pretty rare to see many French bands playing in the same month in Nagoya, but June wa ippai.

Very different in style and feeling, these bands from the far west of the old-continent will give you a good idea of what is going on there. Don’t miss the double-unexpected concert of Dominique A, last survivor of a form of explosive poetic ROCK a la French, and Yann Tiersen, a drifting sailor in exile on the international scene since he signed the soundtrack of the internationally successful Jeunet movie Amelie.

You'll find a striking contrast between Dominique A’s energetic rock, pulled by his incomparable voice, as well as Tiersen’s oceanic violin ballades, and the music of Dragibus, an improbable toy music duo playing music for little and grown-up children, and acid lullabies. The band has also been collaborating with Japanese electro-pop musician Mami-chan.

Speaking of pop music, the teenager who dwells inside you might also want to check out the indie easy-pop of Tahiti 80, the most famous French band in Japan.

Last but not least, The Pascals, a 100% Japanese formation named after the French underground icon Pascal Comelade, whose songs they cover, are to play at the Expo Dome on June 29th.

Tahiti 80: June 7 @ Club Quattro

Dragibus: June 24 @ Tokuzo

The Pascals: June 29 @ Expo Dome

Dominique A & Yann Tiersen: June 30 @ Expo Dome
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The Japan Blues Carnival／ジャパン・ブルーズ・カーニバル

Every year, from the darkest bars in Georgia, the bourbon soaked halls of Mississippi, from the smokiest most nastiest clubs in Chicago, some of the finest blues acts in America box up their guitars and cross the Pacific to bring their music to Japan. Now in it's 20th year, The Japan Blues Carnival has returned to Nagoya with some of the blues' proudest sons in a 2 day event hosted by Tokuzo and The Bottom Line.

Freshly inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, blues pioneer and legend Buddy Guy headlines. Guy is considered the greatest living exponent of Chicago electric blues, a unique sound developed after World War II that redefined the instrumentation of blues (plugged in guitars, added drums), made famous by legends such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.

Guy is joined by Grammy award-winning acoustic blues master John Hammond, whose intense solo performances reflect his love for the sound of traditional blues. Also to play are the grit-spitting blues-rock hell-raisers The North Mississippi All-Stars, a southern rock/blues trio composed of the brothers Dickinson, and bassist Chris Chew. Don't miss them, as they will rock your tits off, we promise.

It's all happening on June 1st at Tokuzo, and June 2nd at The Bottom Line. Bring your smokes and your troubles to enjoy some of the best in American roots music.