Back Den

UPDATE
We were all looking forward to providing live Back Den music again as soon as it was safe to do so. However, we will need to continue our inactive status due to some unforeseen circumstances. Mahalo nui for your understanding.

Posted: 1/20/2023.

A Look Back at Fun Times

RHS 70 members (l-r): Layne Maeoka (drums); in foreground, Daniel Tagawa (guitar); Glenn Moriyama and Jane Anzai Inouye (vocals). Also FHS 70 grad Brian Umamoto in back on bass guitar.

September 26, 2019 - Thursday Nite Live @ St. Louis Alumni Association (SLA) Clubhouse. Special Music Theme: "British Invasion."

Sept. 26, 2019 - Paul Revere kicked off the fun evening by galloping in and sounding the alarm, "The British are coming! The British are coming!"

May 23, 2019 - Getting into the Spirit of the Fabulous Fifties (l-r) Steve Kaneshiro, MHS70; Jane (Anzai) Inouye; June (Corpuz) Tsukamoto, KHS71; Wilma (Iwasaki) Moriyama; Glenn Moriyama; Lynette Miyamura, KHS71; Derrick Shimabukuro, KHS71; and Gail Sasaki, MHS69.

Current band members (2018) from left to right: Daniel Tagawa - guitar, Brian Umamoto - bass, Masa Manabe - keyboard, Jane (Anzai) Inouye -vocals, Glenn Moriyama - vocals, Layne Maeoka drums, Garrett Shirai - guitar & keyboard.

Who Dat... Back Den?

Aloha nui! We are a bunch of Social Security / Medicare-eligible guys and gal who enjoy playing the nostalgic oldies music ~ mostly from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. This era of music was the backdrop of our formative years as adolescents and teenagers, thus had a definite influence in our lives. With very little-to-no formal music education or training, we suppose we are just a "hobby band" who welcome the opportunity to play for those who like to hear, sing along, and dance to these oldies music.

An All-Classmate Band. Originally formed as a "spoof", the band was formed for a one-night only performance for the 60th Birthday Bash (titled "Hawaii Six-O") of the Roosevelt High School Class of 1970 held on August 17, 2012. Event coordinators Glenn & Wilma Moriyama wondered (half-seriously) if an "all-classmate band" could be assembled to play their old school dance tunes of the 60s for the event. Amazingly, they were able to coerce seven fellow classmates (Daniel Tagawa, Layne Maeoka, Steve Masui, Jane (Anzai) Inouye, Eric Lee, Paul Goo, and Glenn Moriyama .. pictured below ), who had been in one band or another back in high school (42-44 years previous), into playing a one-night stand just for fun. Well, it turned out to be so much fun, the band continued to get together at one of the members home just to jam and have fun. The "no name band" played sporadically 1-2 times a year at their Class of 70 functions and small gatherings.

OUR 1ST GIG - Hawaii Six-0: Class of 70 turns 60! held on August 11, 2012 at Ft. Shafter's Hale Ikena. Original members L-R Daniel Tagawa (guitar), Layne Maeoka (drums), Eric Lee (keyboard), Steve Masui (guitar), Jane (Anzai) Inouye, Glenn Moriyama, Paul Goo (bass).

A Gig Here, A Gig There. As a "just-for-fun" hobby band, we did not actively look for venues and events (gigs) at which to perform and play-for-pay. But beginning in 2016, we were asked to fill in here and there when a scheduled band could not play. By this time we may have slowly upped our gigs to 3 or 4 times a year.

"What's the name of your band?" We started being asked this question a lot; so now it was apparent that we needed a name. Considering the often-used expression "back then" when referencing the past ~ plus the nostalgic memories of our good-ole-days that our music often conjures up ~ it was decided to simply call our band "Back Den" (purposely substituting 'Den' for 'Then' to proudly identify our local roots).

Still Laid-Back After All These Years. In September 2018, we entered (along with The SoulZ, another more experienced oldies band) into a conditional agreement with St. Louis Alumni Association to play for their Fourth Thursday live music dances. On our September 27, 2018 debut performance, both Back Den and The SoulZ played. Going forward, the two bands alternated for the monthly Fourth Thursday performances.

Current Band Members

Glenn Moriyama - Vocals.
Jane (Anzai) Inouye - Vocals.
Layne Maeoka - Drums, vocals.
Daniel Tagawa - Guitar & vocals.
Brian Umamoto - Bass guitar & vocals.
Garrett Shirai - Guitar, keyboard & vocals.
Stephen "Masa" Manabe - Keyboard & vocals.

MAHALO NUI LOA FOR YOUR MUCH APPRECIATED SUPPORT & ENCOURAGEMENT !!!