Rocky Top in Tokyo's Ginza District

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Fiddlin Al Students and Alumni

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A place for former and current students of Fiddlin Al to post videos of their progress, share comments and ask questions.

51 Members, Created 2/18/2013 -

Administrators: MiG-19 (owner)

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From MiG-19 on 2/2/2014 3:50:57 PM

Whenever I get to Tokyo, I venture into the Ginza to a little place called Rocky Top to get a good dose of live bluegrass. I just completed two weeks there for work, but the only chance I had to get out at night occurred over the weekend. To The Ginza I went, and navigated my way to Rocky Top. Entering the club on the third floor of the building, I found the place packed, but there was one small open table, and I weaved my way through the crowd and took a seat. The owner soon came over and informed me that the place was sold out, the table I was sitting at was reserved, and that I would have to leave. I asked what the situation was for the next night, and was told that it was also sold out. Disappointed, I departed and never did get my dose of bluegrass. I've not had that experience there before.

4 Comments
	loukiii says: 2/3/2014 4:42:53 AM Interesting. Was the majority of the crowd Japanese Nationals or Gaijin? Was it a big name band or something? Should'a told him you was a banjo picker and melted his face with FMB at about 180...
	daytripper says: 2/3/2014 9:08:16 AM I can believe it - those small fringe bars seem to go down a storm in Japan. I was in a German bar in Ginza, with loads of locals dressed in Lederhosen and an oom-pah band. Very odd. They pulled me on stage when they saw me singing along to the German songs; my mother used to sing them to me when I was small..
	JasonM says: 2/3/2014 9:14:10 PM When I was stationed in Japan there was at least one occasion where I'd walked into a place and was asked to leave, being told "No Gaijin!". And that was just with my wife and another couple, not a a big group or anything. Hopefully you weren't getting the same treatment.
	MiG-19 says: 2/7/2014 2:46:54 PM None of the "No Gaijin" treatment. It was crowded, all Japanese. The band appeared very local and everyone seemed to be acquainted with them. I rationalized to myself that there wasn't even a banjo in the group, so it couldn't be REAL bluegrass!
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