This is all pretty amazing. Of course, that pink 8 ohm Hot Plate attenuator stands out like a sore thumb, but I assume there have to be some concessions to volume (the hall isn't Madison Square Garden size, to be sure). :)
Thank you for making the trek all the way from Milwaukee, Bobby, it was a pleasure to meet you! In addition to having Lawrence on stage, Ambassador of Japan to Canada Kanji Yamanouchi was in the in the front row for the full fourth show. He is a passionate guitar player (type “Yamanouchi Hendrix” into a search engine to see what I mean), but we promised him “quiet enjoyment” of the show as he had just returned from Tokyo, specifically to make it to the performance. Perhaps we can get him up next year for a dualling guitar version of Communication Breakdown! International diplomacy at its finest. By way of a further peak behind the scenes as to how we’re pulling all of this off, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre is a donor and volunteer-supported charitable organization that opened its doors in 1963 with the motto Friendship Through Culture. It was built by 75 Japanese Canadian families that were interned/incarcerated by the Canadian government during WW2 solely on account of their race (a large number were born in Canada). They were completely dispossessed by the government and their property was never returned. Instead of being bitter or resentful, 14 years after the end of the internment (restrictions continued until 1949), they made the bold decision to mortgage their own homes to establish the JCCC as a community hub to welcome people from all backgrounds to build friendships through the sharing of common interests in Japanese cultural experiences. The idea was that friendships built around common interests would be the antidote to the discrimination that was still so prevalent in society. Sixty-one years later, as volunteer President of the JCCC, I am thrilled that the JCCC has been able to help Jimmy Sakurai and the Mr. Jimmy group fully realize Jimmy’s vision of presenting his first-ever fully authentic shows outside of Japan. The relentless dedication to the practice of kaizen (continuous improvement) is not only close to Jimmy’s heart, but the whole Mr. Jimmy band in their desire to authentically channel the spirit of Led Zeppelin live - all the excitement, all of the improvisation and all of the risk. As Lawrence says in this intro - they stand in a class of one in their ability to do so. And they did pretty well this run too, only blowing three amps, two mics, one Maestro Phaser, a Cry Baby wah and one EP-3 over the four shows (thank you, Patrick Holder, for your quick repairs). Our amazing team of volunteers and the JCCC staff were more than happy to support the band and to welcome so many new friends to the JCCC in the process. We have met so many from all backgrounds and we look forward to seeing you again in the front rows if we’re able to pull off a return with a different era show the next time around. Friendship Through Culture at its finest - turned up to 11!
This is all pretty amazing. Of course, that pink 8 ohm Hot Plate attenuator stands out like a sore thumb, but I assume there have to be some concessions to volume (the hall isn't Madison Square Garden size, to be sure). :)
Wow Lawrence Gowan?!? Great job Chris!!!!
Thank you for making the trek all the way from Milwaukee, Bobby, it was a pleasure to meet you! In addition to having Lawrence on stage, Ambassador of Japan to Canada Kanji Yamanouchi was in the in the front row for the full fourth show. He is a passionate guitar player (type “Yamanouchi Hendrix” into a search engine to see what I mean), but we promised him “quiet enjoyment” of the show as he had just returned from Tokyo, specifically to make it to the performance. Perhaps we can get him up next year for a dualling guitar version of Communication Breakdown! International diplomacy at its finest. By way of a further peak behind the scenes as to how we’re pulling all of this off, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre is a donor and volunteer-supported charitable organization that opened its doors in 1963 with the motto Friendship Through Culture. It was built by 75 Japanese Canadian families that were interned/incarcerated by the Canadian government during WW2 solely on account of their race (a large number were born in Canada). They were completely dispossessed by the government and their property was never returned. Instead of being bitter or resentful, 14 years after the end of the internment (restrictions continued until 1949), they made the bold decision to mortgage their own homes to establish the JCCC as a community hub to welcome people from all backgrounds to build friendships through the sharing of common interests in Japanese cultural experiences. The idea was that friendships built around common interests would be the antidote to the discrimination that was still so prevalent in society. Sixty-one years later, as volunteer President of the JCCC, I am thrilled that the JCCC has been able to help Jimmy Sakurai and the Mr. Jimmy group fully realize Jimmy’s vision of presenting his first-ever fully authentic shows outside of Japan. The relentless dedication to the practice of kaizen (continuous improvement) is not only close to Jimmy’s heart, but the whole Mr. Jimmy band in their desire to authentically channel the spirit of Led Zeppelin live - all the excitement, all of the improvisation and all of the risk. As Lawrence says in this intro - they stand in a class of one in their ability to do so. And they did pretty well this run too, only blowing three amps, two mics, one Maestro Phaser, a Cry Baby wah and one EP-3 over the four shows (thank you, Patrick Holder, for your quick repairs). Our amazing team of volunteers and the JCCC staff were more than happy to support the band and to welcome so many new friends to the JCCC in the process. We have met so many from all backgrounds and we look forward to seeing you again in the front rows if we’re able to pull off a return with a different era show the next time around. Friendship Through Culture at its finest - turned up to 11!