Neighborhood Hirakata

3 weeks ago on my first night out around Hirakatashi eki/station my friends and I stumbled upon a very sincere individual. There were other performers with bigger voices, bigger instruments and larger amounts of "fans" or people stunned while passing by. However the deep voiced and quiet one sitting by himself under a stairwell was the one we got attached to, and who we continue to go see every Wednesday night.

This is ドンコる mixed spelling of hiragana and katakana it's pronounced Donkoru. Sometimes alone and sometimes with a friend on the bass box we get to weekly listen to his guitar mix and flow with the surrounding performers.

All over Hirakatashi eki on any given night and especially on the weekends the sounds of singers and musicians, dancers and beat boxers, skaters and bikes clash against the walls. Around this area there are many busses and if you sit and watch nearly every time a bus passes a field of vision you can see a new type of performer making up for lost time on the other side. Sitting and watching or walking around it seems something so natural.

I live in NYC nearly part time and most of the time when I see performers there is always something profit associated. CDS, a hat and or an open guitar case…but that may how they make their living despite the many that do it because they love to. And seems to be particularly true for these performers at Hirakatashi. It’s just about creation and expression. These groups of mostly a younger generation are not making a profit but spreading their name, getting out of uniforms and doing something for themselves as we get to watch. And maybe that’s a big difference, the weight of uniform either in school or work in Japanese institution.

At Hirakashi eki all the suits from all different places are returning and coming home…passing through this…And all the performers who probably equally drudge through the day are finally out in their own skin. The only thing I can do and should do is sit and watch, clap and support.

And that seems to be the only thing they want.