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With summer drawing to a close, Time Out Tokyo took over Ark Hills Gallery on the evening of August 28 with Time Out Summer’s Out, an extra special party that featured live music, food and drinks for a laidback send-off to the season.
Held right beside Ark Hills Cafe and just off Spain-zaka Street in Roppongi, the event invited guests to escape the heat with free drinks and an all-round good time. Entry was free with advance reservation.
The evening’s programme began at 7pm with an open mic session featuring three musicians active in Tokyo and abroad: songwriter Mio Rose, violinist-vocalist Olivia Imamura and funk-style talk box performer Nao Right Now.
Hailing from Michigan and frequently hopping between Japan and the US, multilingual singer-songwriter Mio Rose kicked things off with a powerful acoustic guitar performance. Usually performing across the US, she played her own songs in both English and Japanese, blending folk and pop and setting an upbeat mood for the evening.
The second performer was Nao Right Now, a familiar artist from our pre-pandemic open-mic sessions, with his groovy talk-box show blending R&B, hip-hop, soul and electronic sounds. Playing the synth while shaping vocals through his talk box tube, Nao performed recent R&B hits such as Muni Long’s ‘Made for Me’. His 17 years of experience as a talk box player were evident throughout the performance.
Olivia Imamura finished off the open-mic session, progressively using violin and live-looping techniques to build layers into her music. Calling herself a looper, she combined her impeccable violin skills – which she began developing at the age of two – with live vocals and effects to perform two original songs and two covers.
Following the open mic, DJ Yuki Irioka from Super VHS and Tokyo Mood Kaigi took to the decks for a set of ‘sweet enka’ inspired by Tokyo. Irioka is known for his work as an enka and moody folk song selector, exploring new ways of listening to nostalgic melodies. His set brought a distinctly emotional feel to the evening, providing an unexpected, Bon dance-like soundtrack to a late summer night in Roppongi.
Keeping everyone fuelled throughout the evening were Osaka Dogs. This Kansai-style take on the humble hot dog came piled with stir-fried cabbage seasoned with curry powder, offering plenty of flavour in an easy-to-hold package. Paired with a free drink and the sounds coming from the stage and DJ booth, the glizzies made for an appropriately laid-back accompaniment to the evening.
As Tokyo’s heat comes to an unexpectedly early end this year, we are gearing up to host more events throughout autumn. Stay tuned for our next one, scheduled for September 18 at the aforementioned Ark Hills Gallery.
More from Time Out Tokyo
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World-renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama passes away at the age of 97
5 of the best gigs to catch in Tokyo this September
Roppongi Art Night returns this October with over 60 artworks
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