May 11 - San Francisco

But wait - there's more. Courtesy of the dateline I get to live May 11 twice!

SF: I know this city really well having lived in California for 9 years and first visited in 1981. Coming in from Japan the difference in culture is quite obvious. But it becomes really obvious in the evening when I walk by a Cafe where there is a live three-person band from Columbia that is just ripping it up, I haven't seen anything like that in Japan in the whole two months. Sure the Japanese have excellent musicians but they're very exacting yet restrained which fits with their culture. If you're looking for live music in Tokyo you will pretty much only find jazz. Now I'm sitting on a terrace outside in San Francisco. Those do not exist in Tokyo, even less with a live band right there halfway in the street. Yes there is a pile of trash on the corner and you won't see that in Japan. I'm on my second Irish coffee and it feels great to be back in the USA, it's just so much more alive. San Francisco is not even 1/10 the size of Tokyo but it has 100 times the life!

Just as it couldn't get any better then it does! Thanks John Hartford for letting me use your lyrics. I walked into this bar ...

A drum set stood in the corner, the bass player is getting ready and I talk to him a bit. Conversations! Finally! I'm already happy but there is more music to be had and the Bart doesn't go to the airport until 1:06am, I've got time. Well it just turns out that this was the best evening in a bar in all my life! The guitar player was powerful, clean, super showman and the rhythm section was pounding. The crowd communicated back to this charismatic star. The energy flowed back and forth, as he was having fun coaxing on the ladies and they responded. I danced with the kids and we all had a riot of a time.Read more