Today I found my stash of past concert tickets. I have managed to keep every single concert ticket except for one since 2001.

1. Eric Clapton

11/22/2001
Osaka-jo Hall

My first official big concert. I'm glad it was Clapton (Someone who I'll respect forever) as opposed to Hanson or someting.


2. Red Hot Chili Peppers

11/6/2002
Osaka-jo Hall

The only thing I can remember is how much better they sounded on their records as opposed to live.


3. Tokyo Skaparadise Orchestra

4/3/2003
Chicken George

This concert will live in my memories as the most "MORIAGATTA" performance ever. Thanks Keisuke!


4. Star Club Go! Around #2 (Various Artists)

6/15/2003
Big Cat

It was a bunch of crappy Japanese bands. There were some suprises, but we were there for the group Wagero.


5. Japanese Geronimo & Love Guerilla Experience

7/26/2003
On Air Osaka

As always, a kick ass concert, Im surprised they havn't made it big yet.


6. Jack Johnson Opening Act: Donavon Frankenreiter

9/30/2003
Club Quattro

I saw Jack Johnson in a smallest live house ever. It was great. He was literally 2 meters infront of me. The opening with Donavon was a little too long though...


7. James Brown

10/9/2003
Kobe Festival Hall

He has every right to be called the King of Soul. At 70 years old he still rocked the house, I mean, funked the house.


8.The Brian Setzer Orchestra

10/28/2003
Nanba Hatch

This concert goes in my books for second most Moriagatta concert in my life. Nothing like big band, good stuff.


9. Santana

11/6/2003
Kobe Festival Hall

Aaaa, Santana, Carlos, the man. It was great until he starting preaching.


10. Jason Mraz

2/27/2004
Club Quattro

Again, I saw Jason Mraz at the smallest live house ever. It was a great show. He is a true performing artist. Sounds better live.


11. Incubus

3/5/2004
Zepp Osaka

Incubusis the flip side. They are true recording artists. Sounds better on the record.


12. Aerosmith

7/13/2004
Osaka Dome

Kings of rock. Definetly. But they were too far away (Our seats were really bad). I was watching the screen the whole time...


13. The Rock Odyssey 2004

7/25/2004
Osaka Dome

Aerosmith and The Who with other big names. How good can it get? Click Here to read my entry on the Rock Odyssey.


14. Jack Johnson with special guest Donavon Frankenreiter

8/4/2004
Nanba Hatch

This was a extremely (I hate to use the word) "Chill" concert. I wrote an entry after I saw it. Click Here to read.


15. Maroon 5

10/1/2004
Big Cat

Click Here for my concert Review.

Damn, I havn't gone to a concert in forever...(Or so it feels like) Anyone know of anything good coming soon?

*Disclaimer. I am not responsible for any nausea this entry causes due to its Corniness

The other day, I told someone that I had lost my Christmas spirit. I didn't think about it too much when I said it at the time. But once again, it got me thinking.

Although my family is not religious, we never fail to celebrate Christmas every year. We put up the tree decorating it with three tons of tinsel, ornaments and lights that always manage to get tangled after lying dormant in its box for the past year. We have a Christmas dinner, usually Turkey. And yes, we can't forget the presents. Presents of all shapes, sizes and weights, ranging from socks to Star Wars action figures.

When I was younger, I would always set aside a glass of milk and cookies for my big, red, jolly childhood hero. In addition, every year, my father would read me "The Night Before Christmas", before I retired to bed, too excited to sleep. I still remember that feeling of waking the next day. In my morning stupor I would sleepily rub my eyes not realizing that it was Christmas morning. A couple of yawns later, something would click in my head, and it would all come rushing back to me. I would run down the stairs and slide open the door to see a beautifully decorated tree sprouting out of a mound of colorfully wrapped boxes.

What is Christmas spirit? Is it your childhood faith in Santa? Is it about being good to your fellow man? Or is it feeling the magic that this season can bring to people's hearts?

Whatever it may be, these past few years I had been feeling a certain emptiness with the arrival of the Christmas season each year. My childhood excitement for the season had been replaced with my disgust of how commercial this holiday has become. Santa was long dead (At least to my knowledge), and my father had stopped reading me "The Night Before Christmas" some years ago.

But just a couple of days ago, a good friend told me how "Magical" Christmas can be. True, very corny. But for some odd reason, my auto-response, "Yeaaa", was genuine, and from the bottom of my heart.

This year, that emptiness, that hole inside me, seems to have been filled with another type of Christmas spirit. It's very difficult to put into words, but I feel as though the past few years has been a transition period. When I was young, Christmas spirit came from the presents, the milk and cookies, the dinners, and Santa. And now I realize, (At least in my book) that Christmas is about the ones you love. It's about saying thank you to all your friends and family for being there. It about appreciating the love you get from people all around you. It about giving, and not just material things.

Christmas spirit comes from the people you love. It is the feeling of connection. a bond. a relationship. This is what makes Christmas so special.

Right now as I type these words out, I can honestly say that I have regained my Christmas spirit. Now I'm starting to sound like a long hallmark card...yikes...I'll try to wrap it up before anyone barfs on their keyboard. (Probably too late).

I'll probably change my mind about the holidays in the coming years, again and again, but this year Im going to set up the tree (like we always do), drink some eggnog, and spend some time with friends, family, and my significant other and feel the Christmas magic from the bottom of my heart.

I'm saved! I don't have to be a scrooge this year.

I hope everyone has a "Merry, Merry Christmas. And a happy new year. Let's hope it's a good one. Without any fear..."

I'm going to cheat again and post pictures. I'm sure people won't mind.

The other night we celebrated the end of the semester in Osaka. It was a crazy night to say the least. I really felt like everyone had a blast, (Well, mostly everyone) and people blew off some much accumulated steam.


Some junior party animals


The more I look at those fingers, the weirder they look...


Takuma busy translating for Ant


Hidden desires...


Good times

A nice conclusion to the semester.
"Party one Wayne!" "Party on Garth!"