IMARi ToNES -The First Christian Heavy Metal from Japan-: Now touring!!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Now touring!!

Hello, this is Tak from Imari Tones.

We are doing our updates on our facebook and twitter, but really sorry we have no time to give you an update here on Kickstarter.
After all, you are the ones who made this happen. So thank you very much. We can't be thankful enough.

We are now in the middle of our tour now. We did 3 shows in Texas, did 3 songs recording in Dallas Texas, played 2 shows in Tennessee. Now we are in Delaware, East Coast.

Tour has been going very well so far. So much blessing we can't be thankful enough. We are thankful to people who made our recording session in Dallas TX possible. We are thankful to all the people we met in Texas, we are thankful to all the people we met in Nashville TN, and we are thankful to all the people we met at Hamilton Pointe Church, Hixson TN. It was a blessing.

But most important thing we had so far, is a message from God. Believe it or not, we are doing this tour for our country Japan. I always say, Japan is an almost perfect place, but only 2 things are missing which are Rockn'Roll and Jesus. Last year, we did East Coast Tour and that's when we knew our mission is to change our country Japan. That was our prayer to God.

And 1 year later, now we know Japan is changing. It was not easy. It is a tough thing. I think everyone knows what happened in March 2011 in Japan. The earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Crisis. Many lives were lost. Cities, Towns, lost. It has changed everything. I think it has changed everything forever in Japan. People, especially young people, they started talking about things like politics, energy policy, changing society.

I think it takes time, because in Japan society and system is mostly fixed and older generations take control. But I believe our country Japan is going to change little by little, into what it really is, something more than just a economic capital in the world. We believe what we are doing, is a part of this change, an action to make our country new. Every song, every note we play, that is our prayer to God. We now know God answers our prayer.

It was our joy to hear the news today, that Prime Minister of Japan, has ordered to stop the nuclear power plants in Hamaoka. Things are not easy, not simple, but we believe it is a step ahead, one great step ahead. So please keep praying for Japan. So that God will work on this country and so that we can change Japan, despite all the hardship we are going through.

We are trying to prove that we can change. Another important thing during this tour is, our spiritual growth. We, Tak, Hassy, and Jake, all are ordinary Japanese persons who grew up in ordinary Japanese culture background. We are not smart, we are not even the best in music skills. But we are trying to break our limit. Hassy&Jake, just for your information they are not baptized yet, their faith getting very stronger during this tour. They are growing fast spiritually. Every problem we have, that is a chance for us to push ourselves further and grow in spirit.

We prayed, and we are getting the answer. So journey goes on. At the end of this tour, what answer will God give us, and what can we bring back to Japan? Each day, every moment, every breath we take here in USA, that is our prayer and that is our searching for answer.

So THANK　YOU　VERY MUCH for making this happen.

Here is our show dates after this.

May 7 Saturday, Mojo13, Wilmington DE
9pm or later
http://www.mojothirteen.com/

May 8 Sunday, Crossroads Church and Ministries, New Castle DE
10am
Church service, we will give our testimony and play 2-3 songs.
http://www.crossroadshome.net/

May 11 Wednesday, The Wonderland Ballroom, Wahington DC
9pm
http://www.thewonderlandballroom.com/

May 13 Friday, Clash Bar, Clifton NJ
10:30pm
http://www.myspace.com/clashbar

May 14 Saturday, Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn NY
somewhere between 8pm--11pm, needs to be confirmed
http://www.goodbye-blue-monday.com/

May 15 Sunday, Gloryzone Ministries, Deer Park NY
Church concert, all ages
Concert is at 6pm.
http://gloryzone.org/

May 21 Saturday, Blue Moon, Seattle WA
10:30pm
http://bluemoonseattle.wordpress.com/

On this day we also may be helping this event in University District.
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203537306335565

May 24 Tuesday, Rocketown, Nashville TN
We play 9:20pm slot. Showcase in front of music industry people.
http://www.rocketown.com/

I think that's all for now. Lastly but most importantly, the reason we came to The United States to tour is, we (still) believe that we can find "Rockn'Roll" here in USA, and we can find "Jesus" here in USA. This is our continuous quest for "Lost Rockn'Roll". And we strongly believe that we can find it in Jesus. After all, that's the very reason we became a Christian rock band.

p.s. Don't forget to visit PAZ Japan. We are giving out flyers to people for them during this tour.
http://www.pazjapan.org/

At pastor's house in Elkton Maryland,
2011 May 7th, 3am,
Tak "Tone" Nakamine
Imari Tones
"The first Christian heavy metal from Japan"

p.s.again.
The reason we call this tour "Yes we are okay, we rock tour" is, because after March 11th so many people asking us if we are okay and if we are still touring. So we decided to answer before asked. But after coming to USA we realized that rock band saying "we are okay" is kind of funny. That was funny, yes.

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Bio, Bio, Bio...

IMARITONES BIO

Written by Phil Putnam

Of the long list of factors that make ImariTones stand out from the world around them, it is their drive, their reach that tops it all. An unapologetically Christian heavy metal band out of Japan, Tak, Hassy, and Jake have a passion to reach beyond their culture to make the music they love, and to reach beyond their music to bring Jesus into their culture. While drawing comparisons to legends like Van Halen, Rush, and Stryper with their hybrid of old school metal/glam/Brit/70's prog rock, they are one of very few bands in the world that can claim true originality. How so? They are the first Christian heavy metal band ever to come out of Japan.

"There are very few Japanese bands who say 'Hey, we're a Christian band.' A Christian band from Japan almost sounds like a joke, since most people in Japan are Buddhists, or Atheists," says Tak, founder, guitar/vocalist, and frontman of ImariTones. Things didn't start out Christian for Tak, though. Having started playing electric guitar at age 14 and joining his first band at 15, Tak gained local teen success in his hometown of Toyohashi and won awards for his songwriting. However, he quit the band at 17 to pursue a career as a lawyer. Music stayed with him, though, and while playing an acoustic show in Harajuku Tokyo in December of 2007, Tak was impressed by several Christian performers who were playing as well. Feeling that Jesus may be the larger meaning behind music that he always felt was there, his mind and heart opened to Christianity.

Breaking many written and unwritten rules of Japanese culture, Tak, Hassy on bass/background vocals, and Jake on drums/background vocals, are reaching upward and forward to see changes happen in the world. Currently based in Yokohama, their astonishing 15-album discography includes Hero of the Lights, Color of Hers, fireworks, Japanese Pop produced by metal legend Sascha Paeth (Angra, Edguy, Rhapsody of Fire, Avantasia, Kamelot), Welcome to the School, and their most recent release Victory in Christ. Not content to play the standard soft pop/rock of the major label Christian industry, their music is 100% heavy metal and 100% independently recorded and produced. Victory in Christ hit the street in October 2010 with the single "Faith Rider" leading the charge. Originally written as a parody of the big 80's metal of Judas Priest and Stryper, it quickly became a fan favorite and was put on Victory in Christ.

With both their commitment to making stellar heavy metal music and their driving passion to share Jesus with their native Japan and the rest of the world, ImariTones is always reaching to join these two primary goals together. "Since we are a Christian band, our goal is not business success," says Tak. "We are not chasing glory in this world. We are chasing the glory of God." Staying independent and record label-free is an important part of the process for them. "We don't believe in 'music business', especially in Japan, and have chosen to go independent, looking for our own way. We really want to change something about society and about what people think and believe. That's our ultimate goal."

That ultimate goal, to see their native Japan embrace Christianity, is what they reach for most of all, even while their sights are set on the USA and the rest of the world. Some think they're a joke, or a contradiction, that Christianity, Japan, and heavy metal just don't belong together. Some think they're ahead of their time. But if you ask Tak, Hassy, and Jake, they'll say they're doing exactly what they love at exactly the right time, and they're never going to stop reaching for more.