Tokyo Nights: Drum Beats and Neon Lights

the city never sleeps-and neither did my sticks. i landed in tokyo with a suitcase full of cymbals, a backpack stuffed with ramen coupons, and a head full of jet lag. the weather app said 12.14°c, feels like 10.43°c, so i layered up like a drummer prepping for a winter tour. dry air, 39% humidity, and the kind of crisp that makes your snare crack just a little sharper.

my first gig was in shibuya, at this tiny basement spot called "the pocket." someone told me that the owner once drummed for a j-pop idol no one remembers anymore. the kit was a little beat up, but the vibe? electric. between sets, i overheard rumors about a secret after-hours jazz bar in ebisu-apparently you need a password, or at least a very convincing air of cool.

if you get bored, yokohama and chiba are just a short train ride away. i checked-tokyo station to yokohama is like 30 minutes, and chiba's got that whole disney thing if you're into that. but honestly, i was here for the rhythm, not the mouse ears.

"the best ramen in town is in a basement you'll miss if you blink,"

a drunk salaryman told me outside a 7-eleven. he wasn't wrong. i found a place under a vending machine shop, and the broth was so rich it felt like a warm hug from a stranger who knows your ex's name.

locals warned me about the trains-"last one's at midnight, and after that you're paying for a cab or sleeping in a manga cafe." i did both, on different nights. the manga cafes are wild: private booths, free soda, and enough manga to survive a zombie apocalypse.

i checked and it's still 12.14°c there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. personally, i'm a fan-keeps the adrenaline up and the sweat off the snare.

if you're hunting for the next gig, check out *shinjuku loft or roppongi king yakitori*. both spots have decent sound and even better people-watching. and if you're feeling brave, ask the bartender for "the secret setlist" at the pocket-rumor has it, it's a wild ride.

this city's got a heartbeat, and if you listen close, you can almost hear it in 7/8 time. until next stop, keep the groove alive.

You might also be interested in:

• https://topiclo.com/post/memphis-blues-bbq-and-the-ghosts-of-beale-street
• https://topiclo.com/post/lost-in-the-heat-chasing-the-beat
• https://topiclo.com/post/the-humidity-is-real-a-soulsearching-singers-messy-take-on-city
• https://topiclo.com/post/moving-to-macei-the-messy-truth-before-you-pack
• https://topiclo.com/post/jakarta-where-the-city-is-sinking-and-the-food-is-fighting-back