Tuesday, April 9
For the first time, I slept well at Nick’s place. My insomnia wasn’t just due to jet lag; it might also have stemmed from a vague anxiety about the tour. I hope from now on, I’ll be able to sleep soundly.
The morning sun poured over Nick’s garden, casting a soft glow across the paved roads and the trees of the residential neighborhood. It was a beautiful, fresh new morning.
At yesterday’s show in Seattle, March (merchandise) sold out quicker than we had expected. If things continued this way, we’d run out of T-shirts and records halfway through the tour, leaving nothing for the second half. So, we decided to retrieve the remaining stock of records from a warehouse at a record store in Anacortes, Washington, and place an additional T-shirt order. Mikey knew someone who ran a printing shop in LA, so we made arrangements for an extra 100 shirts.
Today, we’re driving two hours north of Seattle to Bellingham for another show. When I asked Mikey about the day’s schedule, he mentioned we’d stop by a record store in Seattle first and then grab lunch nearby. Even though I didn’t request it, I was happy that record digging was included in the plans.
The record store was only a few minutes away by car.
Hex Education Records was a small local shop that carried both new and used records, along with its own label. The prices started as low as $3, making it the kind of store I enjoy—small, affordable, and easy to navigate.
Like with other hobbies, there are different types of record collectors, but for me, record digging is simply about finding new sounds. I’m more inclined toward affordable records. The type of collector who pays top dollar for rare, original albums just doesn’t appeal to me. Expensive records are already “discovered” and have a set value, which makes them less interesting. The true joy lies in finding great records that are still undervalued, no matter how cheap they are.
When we walked in, the owner—a friendly older man (whose name I unfortunately forgot)—greeted us with a warm “I saw you yesterday!” which was a pleasant surprise. When I took a $4 Korla Pandit record to the register, he gave me a $3 discount and even gifted me a record from his own label. Everyone else received a record as well. I still don’t understand why he was so kind, but I’m definitely coming back next time.
Leaving the record store feeling content, we noticed it was just around noon. Mikey led us to a nearby burger shop, saying, “There’s a place within walking distance.”
We had our first American burger at Dick’s Drive-In, and it was delicious. For $7, you got a burger and fries—a pretty good deal by American standards. It might be the norm in Japan, but it’s quite a bargain here. I’ve also noticed how cheerful the employees are in American shops. It’s hard not to want to tip them.
Honestly, we’re not in a position to tip, but it’s tempting.
Today’s venue was The Shakedown in Bellingham, a small venue with a capacity of about 150 people. Yesterday’s show at Neumos had been the largest so far with a capacity of 600, so the venue here felt much smaller. This was probably the smallest venue on the tour, and the merchandise sales wouldn’t be as strong as the day before. But having experienced both the biggest and smallest venues, we could estimate a reasonable average for sales, so it worked out well.
The show sold out, and the venue was packed. Having had the experience of Seattle, we knew the crowd would be energetic, and the performance went smoothly without any problems.
Merchandise sales came to $1,350 (about ¥190,000). It was good to exceed the sales target in a smaller venue, and if everything goes as planned, we’ll likely turn a profit during the tour.
A fan came up to the merchandise table and said, “I came here to show you the drawing I made of you guys.” From the stage, I had noticed him seriously sketching, but I had no idea he would present such a beautiful piece of art. It made me really happy. Thank you so much.
After the show, we packed up the venue and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow, we’ll cross the border and drop Kita off at Vancouver Airport. It’s time to say goodbye to Kita, who joined us for only 2 or 3 days. Then, we’ll board a ferry to Victoria, our third venue. I didn’t sleep much that night. I’m not great at sleeping outside my own bed, so I had been prepared for this. But after several nights of little rest, it was starting to wear on me.
Wednesday, April 10
With a lot to do, including crossing the border and taking Kita to the airport, we decided to leave the hotel early. We arrived at Vancouver Airport around 10 a.m., where we said our goodbyes to Kita. I’m incredibly grateful to him.
Victoria, our next stop, is a city located on the southern part of Vancouver Island, Canada. We took a ferry from Vancouver with our car, which took about an hour and a half. When we boarded, it was raining and windy, and while the scenery was breathtaking, we couldn’t spend much time on the deck. Instead, I passed the time reading. I had hoped to take some photos and feel the wind, but I’ll save that for the return trip.
When the ferry arrived in Vancouver Island, the venue for tonight, Wicket Hall, was just a few minutes away. It didn’t really feel like a live house; it resembled a large restaurant with a capacity of about 500 people. The staff was excited, saying, “500 people are coming today!” It must be a rare occurrence for them.
Despite the large space, the stage was small, and the ceiling was low. The sound on stage was a bit muddy, making the performance harder than usual. But if I focused too much on small details like this, I wouldn’t be able to stay calm and perform consistently. Flexibility is essential when you’re doing a long tour like this.
The show went smoothly, and when it was time for the merch sale, we ran into a problem. The Square app, which allows card payments, didn’t work because of the border crossing. So, for the Canadian shows today and tomorrow, we had to accept cash only. That was a bit of a hassle.
Despite that, merchandise sales were solid, and we ended up making $1,900 USD (about ¥270,000). It was a bit tricky dealing with the pricing and payments in Canada, but we managed to exceed the $1,200 USD (about ¥170,000) target for the day.
Our remaining expenses stand at $11,100 USD (about ¥1,580,000).
Additionally, we had dinner at the attached restaurant, and the butter chicken curry was absolutely delicious. Personally, I feel like curry is always great no matter where you are.
Tomorrow, we’ll board the ferry again to head back to Vancouver. This ferry costs $115 CAD (about ¥16,000) each way, which is a bit steep. But it’s the only way to get to the next city, so I’ll just have to bear it.
To be continued next time
＞ Click here to see the article in the series.
maya ongaku US TOUR dates 2025
Apr 08 Seattle, WA, US｜Neumos
Apr 09 Bellingham, WA, US｜The Shakedown
Apr 10 Victoria, BC, Canada｜Wicket Hall
Apr 11 Vancouver, BC, Canada｜The Pearl
Apr 12 Portland, OR, US｜Wonder Ballroom
Apr 14 Chico, CA, US｜Argus Bar + Patio
Apr 15 Oakland, CA, US｜The New Parish
Apr 17 San Luis Obispo, CA, US｜SLO Brew Rock
Apr 18 Jacumba Hot Springs CA, US｜Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel
Apr 19 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US｜Teragram Ballroom
Apr 20 Flagstaff, AZ, US｜Coconino Center for the Arts
Apr 22 Santa Fe, NM, US｜Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery
Apr 23 Oklahoma City, OK, US｜Resonant Head
Apr 24 Austin, TX, US｜APF 25: Kickoff Party
maya ongaku
maya ongaku is a three-piece band formed in 2021 by Tsutomu Sonoda, Ryota Takano, and Shoei Ikeda, hailing from a coastal village near Enoshima, Japan. Rooted in an organic, psychedelic sound that feels both grounded and untethered, their music draws from collective improvisation and the atmosphere of their local music scene.
The band’s name—maya ongaku—is a coined term, not taken from ancient history, but imagined as a landscape beyond the visible frame, hinting at the spiritual and the unseen. The group sees their beginning as a kind of spontaneous emergence—like life arising from non-life—something that simply happened, without pretense or planning.
In May 2023, they released their debut album ‘Approach to Anima’ via Guruguru Brain and Bayon Production, followed by a successful EU/UK tour in November and a domestic tour across Japan in December.
Their latest EP ‘Electronic Phantoms’ was released in August 2024. That same month, they hosted “rhythm echo noise” in collaboration with WWW, inviting Dutch artist Felbm to Tokyo. The band was also named Best Breakthrough Artists at the inaugural TOKYO ALTER MUSIC AWARD 2024, a new platform highlighting emerging voices from Tokyo’s independent scene.
maya ongaku has performed at major Japanese festivals such as Mori, Michi, Ichiba, FFKT, FUJI ROCK, Asagiri JAM, and FUJI & SUN. Internationally, they have appeared at festivals in Korea and China, steadily expanding their presence in Asia and beyond.
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