The Ventures have just finished playing 33 songs in the space of two hours in front of some enthusiastic, though seated, middle-aged fans at the Hokutopia concert hall in Tokyo. Kazushi Kojima, who calls himself a "philosopher," is there with his son. He's been attending Ventures shows for 30 years.
"My parents listened to The Ventures," he says. "My first musical hero was Tom Jones and later I was into British rock — Led Zeppelin, that sort of thing." Eventually, he gravitated back to The Ventures. "I'm really into martial arts and jazz, and I make sure my son listens to everything." The son nods sheepishly. Asked if he likes The Ventures, too, he says, "I borrowed some CDs from my father. I was impressed."
"The Beatles were always overrated in Japan," Kojima says.