here, there, everywhere

Aside from Teiko's visit two weeks ago, we really don't get out much. So when one of my students invited me to her belly dancing performance, which was part of a larger "Numazu Summer Garden" festival, we were all too happy to check it out. Good thing too, because the belly dancing was only the opening act of an *awesome* evening-long concert on a stage stretched out over the Kanogawa river.

above: women in yukata

My favorite band by far were these guys, who began their set with a loud OKAY NUMAZU!!, opened with the Blues Brothers and sang a lot of Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin. 

The crowd was pretty quiet a first... 

... but soon there were lots of people dancing up towards the front.

Also, the concert was briefly interrupted to hold a wedding onstage! I have no idea why - it was definitely a weird moment to be the clueless non-Japanese speakers in the crowd - but I do very much hope that if I ever get married, I too can be married by a man in a red silk jacket and a pimp hat. I could probably do without a crowd of strangers looking on impatiently, though.