The day we play Fukuoka I got up to take a run this morning. As is my tradition here in Hiroshima I go to Peace Park. Being just around the corner from our hotel makes it easy, and I also always go to the Hypocenter historical marker. Years back when I first came to Hiroshima, 2006 I think, we all went to Peace Park. When we were going back to where we had parked the van we walked down some little side streets just off from where the iconic building is in Peace Park and I saw this dark pinkish granite marker just on the sidewalk. It’s an unassuming marker being only a shade under 3 ft. wide and maybe a little over a yard in height, when I went to read what was on the marker it marks the very spot where the bomb blew up; the Hypocenter. The bomb blew up 600 meters above this spot, (roughly 1,500 feet) and it just drives home the point more deeply about what passed here. To think we all discovered this by accident while looking for the parking garage our van was in. I don’t think most people know it’s here. I go there every time now. The sun was out bright and it was a big change from the rainy conditions that was yesterday here in Hiroshima. This time I finally got to see all of Peace Park and it’s many memorials and markers. There’s one for all the children that died at that moment because with a large portion of the male population gone off in the armed forces fighting in the war, children volunteered to do the work for the daily civic jobs of city cleaning and some minor maintenance. There’s also the bell that is tolled every anniversary, August 6that 8:15 am. It’s a really spread out affair and today it’s teeming with school kids on field trips. They just kind of stare at me as I jog by mainly cuz’ I’m not wearing any kind of jacket. T-shirt and long work out pants and my shirt is wet with sweat. Always the sweaty one.

The drive to Fukuoka isn’t bad and we arrive at our hotel. We’re still in the same area we usually stay at in Fukuoka. The club being but only a 5 minute walk and at night this place is going to turn active. The club is a real small affair and it’s a sell-out. Doesn’t take a lot to get a sell-out but it’s done and I’ll take it. A sell-out is a sell-out. Tonight’s opening band is another big fan of mine and he’s been coming to see me ever since the very first time I played Hiroshima. Fujisaki san is another accomplished guitar player that has quite a bit of Stevie influence but he plays it really well. I also sit inside the club to watch him but I stay back against the wall because Fujisaki san gets quite emotional, like me, and I don’t want to really freak him out. I’m having fun listening to the band and so is the crowd. Fujisaki san loans me the plastic baffles he’s made to lessen the volume projection from the amps. It really helps. Plus they have his band name on them, Texas Trouble, and I’m playful at how I set them up. Most of the times I’ll set them upside-down so the words are upside down, to mess with the guitar geeks of course. They’ll be wondering if putting them like that affects the tone someway. I know that’s crossed their mind.
We get on up and start to tear into our show and its feeling good tonight. Before you know it the time has flown by and we’re getting back up to do our encore. This small but energetic and enthusiastic crowd has been great to play for. We load up, coordinate as to where we’re all going for the after gig festivities and when I’ve reached my time limit in the late night I bid everybody good-bye and I head back to the hotel. Stepping out into the crazy mix of revelers out on the streets tonight in this section of town I stand there and soak up the energy and vibe on the streets.
I love it here. Our last show is tomorrow – Saga.

Coming into Hiroshima always makes me ponder about when the city that was once in radiated ashes. I don’t mean to keep saying what has long been the obvious to talk about Hiroshima; the first use of an atomic weapon in the history of this world. Yes we’ve all seen the pictures and probably watched some documentaries at one time or another. [rev_slider hiroshima]

The vibe and feelings can’t even compare to that, in my opinion, as to when you stand here in Peace Park and gaze at what has now become an iconic symbol for the advocating towards the prevention of ever using such a weapon of that magnitude again. It’s stirring and haunting at the same time. To think that the landscape all around me 75 years before was total and utter destruction. People evaporated within the blink of an eye. Men, women and children all gone in a literal flash. Those who perished in that blink were spared the pain and hardships that came with either their recovery or their agonizing slow death due to radiation poisoning and burns. This city has risen from those ashes and it’s a beautiful city now.

The food here is fabulous and the people are warm and generous. We’re playing Jive Juke House again and the interesting thing about this gig is that it’s on the 19^th floor of a high rise right off Peace Avenue. All I have to do to view a portion of the Hiroshima skyline is to turn around while playing. Behind the staging area are big plate glass windows. At night it’s so gorgeous. I actually will pause between songs while I’m getting a drink and stand there and stare out at the city, can’t believing that I get to come here, play my music and look at this view from the stage. The only other stage that beats this is when I played in Italy on an afternoon gig in a little piazza and behind us was Lake Cuomo. Stunning. But here I have the advantage of knowing a little bit of the language and customs. I couldn’t feel more comfortable.

[rev_slider juke]

Tonight our opening band is my good friend Kaz. Kaz I’ve known for over 10 years and I met him when I did a gig in Charlotte, N.C. at the Double Door. Kaz at the time was a medical student at Duke University and he’d heard about me on the net or somewhere but he decided to come down and check me out. The rest is history or so they say. Dr. Kaz still has a passion for surgery and for music. He’s quite the accomplished player and I sat there in the front row to watch his entire show. Some people thought I was being mean but I know he’ll remember that for the rest of his life that he got to play for me and I did enjoy it. Dr. Kaz also has a Chicago Blues Box that he lets me take on tour while in Japan and I told him how big of a help that is to me because I don’t have to adjust my style when it comes to my tone. It’s the same tone I play with back at home so my ears don’t need to have an acclimation period and the learning curve is nonconsequential. I’m starting to learn the 819 pedals better and I’m starting to discover the different colors they have. We’ve begun to hit our stride as well cuz’ we’ve been banging out show after show while here in Japan and the clubs have had pretty consistent PA systems in them. Tonight was a lot of fun and we all had a good time.

This tour is shaping up to be one of my best and favorite tours over here. We’re coming near the end and I’m starting to feel a bit sad that I have to say good-bye soon.

Fukuoka and Saga are all that remain.