Big smile and nice groove that ran through Nippon. Close-up on the BLKTOP PROJECT tour finale.
BLKTOP PROJECT, a dream team of skate scene superstars led by Tommy Guerrero, has a new album "CONCRETE JUNGLE" after 8 years (!) The album dropped in May last year. Last May, the team went on a 7-city, 7-day Japan tour for the first time in 4 years, and it was a frenzy. Team HOUYHNHNM's accompanied them on their final day in Shibuya, Tokyo. A super band that brings a big smile and a nice groove that shakes the venue wherever they go. Here is the reason why they are so loved.
From left: Ray Barbee (Gt.), Josh Lippi (Gt. & Ba.), Tommy Guerrero (Gt. & Ba.), Chuck Treese (Dr.), Matt Rodriguez (Per.)
BLKTOP PROJECT
Formed in 2002 as a result of a road trip project for SLAP Skateboard Magazine, the band provided music for the surf movie milestone "sprout" in 2005 and released their debut EP "BLKTOP PROJECT". In 2016, they released their second album "CONCRETE JUNGLE".
This is a close-up movie of BLKTOP PROJECT's Japan Tour Final, which can only be seen in HOUYHNHNM's. Please click here first!
The heat and afterglow of the Japan tour.
Today is the last day of the tour. How was the Japan tour?
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Ray :. It was great!
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Tommy:The audience reaction was the best.
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Josh:Every venue was more exciting than I could have imagined.
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Rey:I think everyone really enjoyed the music of the Blacktop Project and had a great time at each location. We had a great time, too.
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Mat:Japan is always a lot of fun and lets us know that the audience is really enjoying our music. We are extremely grateful for everyone's support.
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Chuck:We are just now getting a feel for what our music is all about, and now it's the last day of the festival in the blink of an eye. It's a pity to leave behind.
On the first day of GREENROOM FESTIVAL, BLKTOP PROJECT appeared on the HUMMINGBIRD STAGE. They performed as the last performer.
Is there anything in particular that you remember from this tour?
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Tommy:Everywhere is impressive.
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Rey:I'm surprised the mosh happened.
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Chuck:Oh, Kobe!
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Rey:Then there was Maebashi. There was a girl in the front row, about the age of an elementary school student. It was a new experience for me to have a little girl in the front row at my own show, but the people around her were so excited that they were careful not to bump into her. It was amazing how they managed to be both enthusiastic and polite at the same time.
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Chuck:The chef in Kobe was impressive, too. The chef who was cooking our food also did the security in front of the stage.
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Tommy:Yes! There he is! The amazing chef.
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Chuck:You did the chef, you did the bouncer (*1), and you did the security guard. They stopped everyone in the front row. I think they did it on short notice because the show was more energetic than we had imagined.
1 Bouncers: bouncers at gigs and nightclubs
That's great (laughs). This tour schedule must have been pretty hard for you, wasn't it?
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Josh:I guess I don't feel tired. It's so short that I'm going to miss it.
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Rey:At this stage, I was finally getting into the swing of things, and I was ready to do it! I feel like I'm finally starting to get into the swing of things. I feel like I'm just getting started.
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Tommy:Every time I come to Japan, I usually get jet lag right after arriving, but now I'm finally feeling human again.
So you were still a little flustered at Green Room Fest when you had just arrived in Japan?
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Tommy:Yes, I think I was about 20 centimeters off the ground (laughs).
I met Tommy backstage at GREENROOM FESTIVAL when he was flustered (laughs).
So you don't remember meeting us at Green Room Fest?
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Tommy:Oh (laughs) I remember, of course!
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Rey:You came to say hello to me. You guys are smart!
It's been a long time since you came to Japan as a black top, right?
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Chuck:It's been about seven years, hasn't it?
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Tommy:The last Japan tour was in 2011, so it has been about 5 years.
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Rey:It's been five years!
Do you have sessions with these members on a daily basis?
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Tommy:We don't get together all that often, but the members usually play together in various combinations. For example, last month we had Chuck and Matt support Tommy Guerrero on his solo tour, and we often play live with Ray.
With this team, I can go places I couldn't go on my own."
You each work solo, but how does it feel to get together once in a while and perform as Blacktop? What does Blacktop mean to you?
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Josh:I have been a part of this album and I am very honored to be a part of it. Everything we do together is always creative and a new experience. It's also fun to switch parts during live shows, depending on the song.
Chuck Treece (Dr.), who was the leader of the legendary skate rock band "Macrad" in the '80s and has performed as a studio/touring musician with many top artists including "The Roots," "G. Love," and "Billy Joel. Chuck Treece (Dr.). He borrowed a board from a film crew member and asked, "Can I borrow it for a minute? and cruised around the city.
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Chuck:This is the third album I've released on Blacktop. The first one was an EP of a few songs with very little money, and the first album I made after that was properly mixed and produced. The second album was recorded live. This way, we are able to do different things and do things that other groups don't do very often.
Ray Barbee (Gt.) played guitar with an ecstatic expression on his face throughout the show while looking at the members and the audience. When I went to a concert of a musician I admired, I was very happy when our eyes met. That's why I try to make eye contact with everyone on stage.
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Rey:I enjoy being on a team with everyone. For example, when Chuck and Josh join me on my tour, they support my ideas and play along with them. If I do it with Tommy, I play along with Tommy's ideas. Usually we support each other, but with Blacktop, we can each contribute what we can to the image we all decided we want to push. With this band, I can go places I would never go if I were doing solo work on my own.
Tommy Guerrero carefully checks his equipment before rehearsal. He is a central figure in the Blacktop project, and the production of this album began at his urging. Color is important," he says. Tommy's feet are lined with white and blue effectors.
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Tommy:Solo work is often a solitary process. It is a heavy burden to bear. Sometimes I am happy to be in a band like this, working together as a team toward the same goal. I like the fact that I don't have to be right in the middle of the front line all the time, and I can sneak in the back with my bass and play (laughs).
Matt Rodriguez plays multiple instruments: percussion, pianica, and keyboards. He is a professional skater and founder of iPath shoes. Known for riding some of the loosest tracks in the skate scene, Matt also goes at his own pace off-stage.
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Mat:For me, I am blessed more than anything to be able to go to Japan and other places while making music and skating with them. It's always fun, and we get to realize our dream of doing music and making it happen.
Friends who can return to their roots together, even decades later.
What kind of relationship do you guys have? Seniors? Juniors? Friends?
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Chuck:Well....
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Tommy:It's like Fela Kuti (*2). We're all married. Oh, no, Sorley, now that's nothing (laughs).
2: Fela Kuti: A musician who established the genre he named Afrobeat by incorporating jazz, reggae, and soul into traditional African music, and has had a major influence on the music scene since then, along with Bob Marley.
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Chuck:Me and Tommy have been friends for many years. In life, our connection is based on skating and music. As we get older, we have more things to do, but every once in a while we get back to the same roots by doing music together like this.
The members rushed to GREENROOM FESTIVAL after traveling from Sendai, where they performed the day before. Despite the fatigue of long-distance travel, the mood in the backstage was friendly from start to finish.
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Rey:I think this Blacktop is what a band should be. First and foremost, we are friends by nature. Many bands don't even see each other off stage, but we are lucky enough to only play music with people we like very much. I think that's the way it should be, and we are always grateful for this environment.
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Chuck:Yes, I've seen a lot of bands that don't get along like that. I'm sick of it.
Josh Rippy (Gt.&Ba.) joined BLKTOP PROJECT from this album. He has just released a new solo album "Now Open Sundays".
I guess Josh is the youngest in the group. What about the rest of you? Seniors?
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Tommy:We're the old folks now (laughs).
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Rey:Josh is still a child so he's go-to sleep at 8:30pm (laughs).
So you are like a freshman in the band?
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Josh:Yes, I'm a Freshman, so this is how ...... works.
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Chuck:We need young people to be there in case something goes wrong (laughs).
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Tommy:Yes, yes. We are all old people now, so we need one young man to make sure we are always breathing properly (laughs).
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Chuck:I think me and Josh are almost 20 years apart.
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Tommy:Chuck is 33 and Josh is 13, right?
Oh, I see! Of course not!
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Josh:We all love each other and play the music we like as friends. Some bands tour together but have ego problems or don't want to leave the hotel, but we are similar in what we want to do in our free time. We get up early in the morning and cruise together, wander around the city, enjoy the food and nature. For me, it's like having a great vacation. I think some people feel like they have to do it all over again, but I look forward to every show, and even if I play for two hours and am asked to play for another hour, I can do it. That's how much fun I have every time.
On the morning of the tour final, all the members went to "Usagi" ramen restaurant, a 15-second walk from the hotel. Everyone loved the ramen here.
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Tommy:But I'm already an uncle to the other members (laughs).
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Josh:Yeah, well, that's true (laughs).
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Rey:I think all the relationships and energy of the members like this shows in the music.
Finally, can you tell us what's next for the Blacktop Project?
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Chuck:How about the next tour is like Kraftwerk, and we all bring our laptops?
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Rey:Ha ha! Nice! Laptop Project (LOL)!
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Tommy:So, it's decided now, but this time it will come with a "laptop project" instead of a "blacktop project"!
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Mat:We can all do it from home via Skype!
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Rey:We lined up the laptops on the stage and took a picture of each person's face!
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Tommy:I'll do it from bed in my pajamas!
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Rey:Let's do it while playing catch with my son! From a neighborhood park.
OK! Next time, we'll do the "Laptop Project" (laughs)!
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Tommy:In fact, we all have solo projects, and we all have our own lives and schedules, whether it be music or skating. I can't say for sure.
I would like to see you tour Japan for a longer period of time next time.
