Outta nowhere I got a friendly message in my inbox from a familiar name, Michael Leoncini, mentioning that he was back in Tokyo, and that I might see him at my next, at the time, upcoming “Tokyo Record Style Day” at VDS Records in Kameari. “Wonderful!” I replied, but “Wait a sec,” I thought, “I haven’t seen this name in years. How do I know Michael Leoncini? Who is Michael again?” Then I proceeded to immediately forget about it, due to my admitted scatterbrained-ness, until the day arrived. As I rolled up on VDS at the SKWAT complex, out from the other side of the train tracks comes a face so familiar that I feel my arms open for a big brotherly hug, and approaching a still confused me is …I think… Michael Leoncini. “Wait, are you Michael?” I ask. “Yeah, man, it’s me, Michael, AKA ‘Frank Breech’!
OH SHIT! FRANK BREECH!!!! THE PHOTOGRAPHER!
Yes, yes, yes. It all comes flooding back to me now. I know Michael, yes, by his name Michael Leoncini, but more by his internetting alias, Frank Breech …THE Frank Breech, who we used to hang and shoot the streets with WAY back in the day, like MySpace days, Flickr days, Zebrio days, Japan- before-iPhone days, paper map days. “FRAAAANK!!!! Amazing to see you! Wonderful (though foggy) memories flooding back …of Leica cameras, Tri-X, street beers and smoky bars, pop-up exhibitions, photo walks, even Mike’s surprise engagement to his lovely, arranged for which Frank arranged ol’ Jim O’Connell and I to shoot from two different angles at Ueno Station WAY back when. I have no idea if we ever “got the shot” of Frank’s engagement, but he certainly got one of me and Jim that day, a print of which he presented to me this day of our re-acquaintance, and after all these years, a forgotten photo from nearly 20 years ago!
Turns out that Mike left Japan shortly after his engagement and went back to the states where he and his Lovely got life going. Then I guess they returned to Japan a few years back, and the way he tells it, he’s living the life, in a quiet east-side neighborhood, out of the spotlight of Shibuya and the like. He’s taken to the old folks and is doing the community duties and I suppose rising through the ranks as some fresh young blood to take up the torch of the next generation of neighborhood good-doers. That’s no surprise, cuz Mike’s good people. You can just see it in his face.
It was so great to re-connect. Mike, let’s do it again and thanks for popping up in my life again. Enjoy that Laurin Anderson records and thanks again for this amazing photo.
Laurie Anderson – Mister Heartbreak
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 9 25077-1, Warner Bros. Records – 1-25077
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Allied Pressing
Country: US
Released:1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Electro, Pop Rock, Avantgarde
https://www.discogs.com/release/61107-Laurie-Anderson-Mister-Heartbreak
Try Best Offer Score
On Instagram