Flying Platforms have yet to come out with its own release as of now, but our own wi_ngo has gone ahead and did a GREAT remix of “Dinosaurs” on his Soundcloud page. ENJOY!!

we have a show w/ The Fighting Cocks and Heart of Gold at Max Steiners in Long Beach on Nov 4th FRI, come post-Halloween party with us!

Dinosaurs (wi_ngo 5000 Remix) by wi_ngo

October seems to be a very busy month for everyone, and I’m no exception;
2 trips to Vegas, Mega Birthday Bash at MidTones last WED,
and a new residency for the Mtones Crew now named “Melonious Thonk” at 72 North in Pasadena
(which kicks off on 10/20 and every 3rd Thursday of the month)
so prepare to hear from me often this month…my apology in advance

THIS THURSDAY the 13th, Flying Platforms will join Heart of Gold and Brian Kenney Fresno (touch-guitar)
for the night of prog-rock madness at 321 Lounge @ Taix French Restaurant in Silver Lake!
if you’re a fan of early Genesis, 80s King Crimson and Battles, this is the place to be
check out their individual websites for more details on what they do best, I’ll guarantee your brains will melt
and pour out of your ears then merge with delicious French Onion Soup that Taix serves fresh!
DJ CLab will set the mood with his distinctive mix of house/dubstep between live acts as well.

Taix is at
1911 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
Valet Parking available for a tiny fee, the show is FREE and ALL AGES
be there by 9pm

Tuesday Night Project has been nothing but supportive of not only my ass but all artists regardless of style, age and ethnicity. and it is the longest running non-profit art program in Los Angeles. as the MC Johneric Concordia always like to say, “they started out with a Karaoke machine” and they still operate on a volunteer basis; the labor of love, which I appreciate especially considering the fact that they’ve been at it for 12 years and counting. everytime I have an honor of performing at their beautiful venue right in front of East West Players building, I get overwhelmed by the size of the crowd which seems to be only growing bigger. it’s not just an artsy gathering of progressives – it’s social. it’s welcoming and it’s fun. I cannot stress enough the importance of programs like this in this city, society and time we live in, where everything (or if not many things) seems to be falling apart.

me and my guys will have a short set at a fundraiser for this amazing phenomenon that keeps encouraging people of all ages to be brave, aware and comfortable with who you are, what you want and where you want to go. and I’m excited to share stage with talents like Andrew Chiang, Connie Lim, Dawen, Jane Lui, Lindsay Yung, Mista Cookie Jar and Skim. it’s a daytime gig downtown so you can head out and keep your party going anywhere you like afterwards, and you know it’ll be a beautiful Saturday in the city of angeles. I hope to see you all there.

after a few months of recovering from personal injury, health setback and national disaster, Flying Platforms is finally ready to take off again. this time as a part of Tony T Sessions we will bring our brand of intergalactic pleasure noise into Foundation Room / House of Blues Sunset on June 22nd WED. also performing are Kristine Sa, Tony T Nguyen, Andrew Figueroa Chiang and Vudoo Soul. check out the Facebook page here.
PLEASE NOTE; there will be NO TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR, you HAVE TO GET TIX IN ADVANCE from this page.
(it’s not my choice, the venue doesn’t allow us to deal with $$ at the door what can ya do)

and the video above is (secretly) taken from a certain past show. enjoy

my dear friend, musician and undercover-chef lol Atsuki Inoue grew up just an hour outside of where the 3/11 Quake/Tsunami left its people devastated. having seen that after 2 months there’s still enormous amount of work to be done before the evacuees even start to think about rebuilding the towns and villages, he decided to spend about 2 weeks in the affected area and volunteer himself to a physical labor that’s desperately needed. and I want you to, if you could, help his nobel cause by donating some dollar so he could buy the equipment necessary AND the goods that he will deliver to the evacuees. click on the pictures above to head over to his Chipin page to donate.

after almost one year of procrastination, I finally managed to upload new videos on YouTube. it’s not much; just a straight performance capture on my iPhone but hey, it’s something new working with Line 6 M9 instead of good ol’ DL4 has been a bit of adjustment, but I’m slowly adapting and it’s stating to feel good. still don’t like the foot switches as much as DL4, but I can make ‘em work. watch for my tap-dancing skillz lol

they’re both covers, obviously – one is a funk classic by Sly & The Family Stone and was a request. the other is a silly mash-up of Bill Withers and the only Japanese classic that made its mark on the Billboard chart. and is dedicated to those affected by the recent disaster. ever since it happened, I’ve been bringing back the songs that I grew up listening to into my set. and this, being the most recognizable to the US audience, has become the staple rapidly and even though the lyrical content might not be the most uplifting, I cannot help but sing this one. the sad but hauntingly beautiful imagery of the original lyrics never escapes the mind of every Japanese native that has heard this song, which over and over has proven itself to be a timeless classic. the same goes for the Withers song and that is exactly why I thought of mashing them together. and it adds a little sense of hope to what is otherwise a bit too sentimental for the time when Touhoku has to rise up for its rebuild.

hope you enjoy. “If You Want Me To Stay” is up on Vimeo page as well.

I have a few solo sets booked in the coming weeks – I must confess that I’ve been a little out of the loop from the whole live looping thing but trying to get back into it as I type this. also writing more songs – I mean SONGS. ever since the quake there’s been a lot of thoughts that’s been going through my head, and to be honest I’ve had doubts in my career decisions from feeling so helpless and powerless. but I’m slowly coming to an agreement with my senses to draw some kind of conclusion that all I can do is to live my life to its fullest without being ignorant of the events that affect many lives. Flying Platforms will most likely have a show in late May when Spils recovers from his surgery, meanwhile I’ll focus more on my solo act and I hope you guys can make it out to some of these dates.

I’ll be singing a few tunes for another Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief in South Pasadena on April 28th THU. “There will be cultural exchange booths that your kids will enjoy and also exhibitions for everyone to study what is happening at shelters and with orphans and pets in affected areas.There will be the South Pasadena Farmers Market happening on the same block. And plenty of nice cafes/restaurants in old town South Pasadena.” the address is 1115 El Centro St., South Pasadena CA 91030 and it starts at 4pm. I’m scheduled go on around 8pm. Facebook page is here.

then for OC folks, I’ll be playing Common Ground on May 5th THU at Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA) Center. I don’t come out to OC enough (used to play jazz gigs down in Tustin) so it’ll be a fun night. come out around 7:30pm. Facebook Page is here. what did we do before Facebook? it’s annoyingly convenient.

I’m also doing a Kollaboration @ LCD Pavilion at Atlantic Times Square the night after on May 6th FRI. I’ll be sharing a bill with a few finalists for the Kollaboration Acoustic a Ford Amphitheatre. SGV peeps should take notes on this special occasion, and I’ll make sure that I’ll pick up a Vietnamese coffee afterwards.

here’s a video from my past solo performance.

thanx to those who reached out to me in this time of crisis for my country and people
fortunately my immediate family and friends were far enough from the epicenter
but a few of my friends are still unable to get in touch with their loved ones
and the situation at the nuclear plant in Fukushima is still serious
please folks, in the last few days the news media (even the ones in Japan)
seems to grow more sensationalistic,
DON’T BELIEVE JUST WHATEVER YOU READ ONLINE
fear mongering does not help anyone

I’ve been watching NHK livefeed since last THU night, and I have to say I feel helpless
(English speakers can check out the NHK World livefeed)
seems like there not much that I personally can do to help at this point other than to donate money
(this afternoon CNN reported that Earthquake aid to Japan is at $23 million
- far less than Haiti
hopefully the number has changed since, but please do what you can)
I figure that I just have to carry on with my life right now and wait
till more things become clear
but it definitely gives me focus to HELP OTHERS
and there are things I can do to help the people I love

also, let’s not waste our time paying attention to stupid people,
be it some meatheads saying that this was a payback
or some fat chick making racial remarks
you paying attention to these maggots only encourages them to do more
REAL PROBLEMS are out there

Just before the holidays, Christopher Spilsbury was in a car accident while driving home from a performance.
Chris was lucky to survive with mostly minor injuries, but his right eye was lacerated, leaving him partially blind.

Chris is now out of the hospital after multiple surgeries but dealing with mounting debt.
He will shortly be needing yet another operation, where he will receive a prosthetic lens.
We are asking for anything you may be willing to give to help get our colleague and friend back on his feet.
and as a show of our gratitude, we have prepared a great night of music for you.

A concert will be held on March 25th Friday at Taix French Restaurant in Silver Lake on Christopher’s behalf.
Performing that night will be famed jazz musicians, Otmaro Ruiz and Joe LaBarbera.
A donation of $20 or more at Tophest2011.com or the widget you see below will get admission to both shows.
Door opens at 8pm. more info is also available at Tophest2011.com

Thank you.

Tophest 2011 Committee

this JPN boy is excited to receive an email saying that my album “Shin Kawasaki” is
one of 4 nominees for Independent Music Awards Album/Eclectic category! this is where Los Desnudos was nominated back in ’07, maybe I have that “Independent sensibility” and I am THE ONLY UNSIGNED NOMINEE for this category, so they should might as well give it to me, don’t ya think?
anyhoo it is cool that it got the recognition, and if you think it’s cool that I might get a trophy or something for it, YOU CAN VOTE on the widget you see on the left, or ON THIS PAGE (you do have to “register” = give them your email, but it’s for your boy!) when and if I win I promise to throw a party.