The man and the money behind the latest incarnation of TJ’s responds to Big Jeff’s goodbye.

“Dear all

Thanks Jeff for the update of Tokyo Joe’s history. We can share names and shed some light just to avoid rumors. Tokyo Joe’s was my favorite place to go during my expatriation in Thailand. It was almost my second home. When it closed I felt having lost something. Accidentally I learnt gradually more and more about the background, which is not to be discussed here, I decided to give it another try, spent some substantial amount of money out of my pocket and TJ’s opened some when mid of 2010 again.

Personal circumstances made it necessary to rethink about the future of TJ’s mid of 2011. We got a good offer to rent the building for two years, and the question was to lose it all or to continue, and if to continue how to do so.

Working in Nigeria, I asked, or rather pushed, Khun Jum to continue. She agreed and since mid of 2011 it is legally her bar.

It was always clear that TJ’s was the place of Jeff, Jeff was TJ’s and TJ’s was Jeff. No music no income and no reason to exist. So we needed music and of course we wanted to create the same atmosphere and the same kind of place as TJ’s was before.

Knowingly that we all were and still are on the very steep side of the learning curve we asked Jeff if he would be interested to organize the music part and to help to run the business, since he did it already for quite some time before. Jeff put his conditions on the table, we thought about it and agreed to afford it for six months. If we talked him into this business then I am sorry about it, I was not aware, and it was certainly not my intention to do so.

Jeff did a good job, revived the spirit of the former TJ’s, brought music, life and revenues. TJ’s had many highlights during the past six months grace of Jeff. Advertisement was made, many failures corrected, sales increased and TJ’s is today again a place to go. Thanks Jeff for your hard work, the result shows your efforts.

As good as the entertaining part of the business grow, the financial part of the business didn’t keep up. It certainly improved but not to the extend we see a break even for the nearer future, rental fee, all manager salaries, all refurbishments, renovations and installations are still paid directly from me, without any prospects to get it ever back.

Nevertheless, I believe we still achieved something, TJ’s is a place to go again, Khun Jum developed her skills and learns how to run a business, Jeff and the music created many wonderful moments and events, many of us had a good time, new contacts were established and many many times the world was reinvented on the terrace till early morning. That’s best money can buy.

I would like to thank Jeff and Aurelie/Sarah for all the efforts done and inputs without your help TJ’s wouldn’t be what it is now.

A very special “Thank You” goes to Khun Jum who was working very hard day and night. I particularly appreciate her efforts to balance between Thai environment and Farang demands, it has never been and will never be easy for her and many misunderstandings happened and will happen. Nevertheless she stays late with the customers and keeps smiling, even she would want to cry sometimes.

A great thanks to all musicians and all guests who patronized TJ’s until now and hopefully also in the next future.

The future? one thing is for sure, I am running out of funds, I simply can not afford anymore to inject monthly six digit figures into a business which should be self supporting by now, not counting any rental fees, interest rates, amortization or investments, just to keep business going. I will support Khun Jum as much as possible, she tries to keep the business running, since we all like the place and would find it a pitty to give it up again.

We go on, the place will change, the world changes, new people will come, others will stay away, everybody has his believes and his views. Many will like it others will dislike it, it is all about how we want to see and what we make out of a place. It is a place for everybody and everybody is warm welcome, not only to consume also to produce, to produce with your presence and your positive attitude a nice place for your friends and eventually for yourself.

You may think it is foolish and crazy to spend so much money into such a place, yes, you might be right, but, don’t you have dreams?

Funk Fanatics, SUPABAD, the 11-piece James Brown tribute band, will be playing one of their final concerts in Bangkok (before disbanding) at Det 5 Saturday  evening (12/05), commencing at 21:00. For those of you who missed it, they played their first gig at Det 5 on March 24th this year and, in approximately 60 minutes, completely changed the musical firmament on Sukhumvit Soi 8.  As tomorrow is one of their farewell performances, they will be playing their complete James Brown oeuvre.

“Dear Friends, Fans and Aficionados,

Tokyo Joe’s – past, present and done. The original Tokyo Joe’s was founded in Soi 24, back in 2003 by Jay, Iggi and I after we took over Ken’s faltering business. Scott also played a large part in making the club what it was, and although Ken stayed on for a while it wasn’t long before he was bought out and
disappeared. Within a year of our opening Tokyo Joe’s was mentioned in the same breath as the Bamboo Bar and Saxophone whenever quality live music in Bangkok was discussed. In our second year we won the coveted ”Best Live Music Venue High Five Award”. Top musicians graced our stage from near and far and such charity events as One World Beat and Music 4 Kids were born.

CoCo York, Glenn Patrik, Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges, Michelle Rounds -
are some of the more well known artists that took to the stage already
back in Soi 24.

In 2006, we had to move out as the land lord was selling the land
Tokyo Joe’s and several other clubs were located on and after 3 months
of intense searching opted for the best of the worst in what then
became Tokyo Joe’s Soi 26. By this time Iggi had left the club to make
a go of it in the South and George stepped in. True to form TJ’s
continued to supply some of the best live music in Bangkok albeit with
a heavy Blues and Jazz slant. The annual Bangkok Blues Festival was
established and participants yearly included the best Bangkok had to
offer as well as Glenn Patrik – who headlined the festival 2 years in
a row.

Then began Thailand’s political upheaval – Purachai, yellow shirts,
red shirts – blah blah, which slowly moved Thailand, and more
specifically Bangkok’s nightlife and entertainment scene into deeper
and deeper control by those in power and culminated in Tokyo Joe’s
closing it’s doors for the final time in 2009.

Or so we thought.

Last year, admittedly against my better judgement, I was talked into
reopening Tokyo Joe’s in the same location in Soi 26 as the
leaseholder had for some inexplicable reason paid the rent several
years in advance and the coffee bar they had going was failing. Within
2 months, despite a practically non-existent budget, my team and I had
things back to our usual standard, at least in the entertainment
department. In 6 months we managed to feature Eugene “Hideaway”
Bridges, Glenn Patrik, Music 4 Kids – where we raised 71,305bht for
the Mercy Centre – and Eddie Baytos. That is not to mention live music
every night from some of Bangkok’s top bands and artists. Hence – It
was a good run.

The leaseholder, in the meantime, had now decided they did not need us
anymore and at the end of April terminated our management contract.
During the first week of May I then removed any and all of the
pictures, light boxes, etc that made Tokyo Joe’s what it was since
back in the day. It is now an empty shell. Hence – Tokyo Joe’s is no
more.

It has however come to my attention that the leaseholder, and his Thai
partner, have decided to make a go of it using the same name. As such
it has to be made clear that the Tokyo Joe’s currently operating in
the same location in Soi 26 has absolutely nothing to do with the
original club and is a cheap attempt to capitalize on and leech off
the excellent reputation the name still inspires following our recent
6 month “re-opening” and when searched for on the net. The top bands
have now left the venue, the Sunday jam team are all out – and there
is nothing left of one of the best live music venues in town but the
name.

Thank you all for the support you showed while we were still in
operation, more news about charity events, bands, etc will be posted
as it becomes available.

See ya,

Jeff T

Eric Blaszczak

Blues at the very heart of Bangkok at Nothing But The Blues Bar on Thong Lor Soi 13. Catch a great slideman and singer and his band right under your nose.

This Friday evening… and no cover charge.