If you have been around Saigon for a while, there is a fair chance you might have come across Chris at some point.
Making his first venture to the country nearly a decade ago, he eventually decided to make it his home for a few years.
For several years, Chris has been touring the city’s venues with his bandmates, delivering Western-style rock music to a growing audience of supporters and admirers.
BitcoinVN News: How did you end up visiting Vietnam in the first place, and what compelled you to stay and build the current center of your life in Saigon?
Chris Day: I was at a place in life where I wanted to think and enjoy some free time. I talked to a girl I met in the states who had lived in Vietnam for a year. I quit my job, bought my plane ticket, and it was exactly as she described.
BitcoinVN News: When did you develop an interest in music and start playing?
Chris Day: My Mom put me in piano lessons when I was 7 or 8. She had a hunch I’d be good at it. As she tells it, when we went to pick up the piano (think we bought it Craigslist or something), I kept saying “hope you’re not buying that for me because I’m never playing it.” I ended up taking to it, but wanted to switch to guitar pretty early on, so I did so at around 12.
BitcoinVN News: You have been in Vietnam for about a decade now and have seen the rapid changes the city and society have gone through over the years. What noticeable changes have you seen in the music scene since your early days here, and how do you anticipate it evolving from here?
Chris Day: I wasn’t as plugged into the scene in my early days as I am now. I’d guess that the sense of community has grown stronger. I’d also say it’s gotten more saturated. But with the saturation has also come some demand for something different.
BitcoinVN News: You also got involved early on with the local Bitcoin community in Saigon and have been a steady supporter from its earliest events, such as Bitfilm Festival Saigon 2015 and BlockFin Asia 2016. What got you interested in Bitcoin, and why should people consider giving it a closer look?
Chris Day: I’d say it started when I learned about quantitative easing. I was researching options for making regular purchases of gold, but then I discovered bitcoin, and became more interested in that instead.
BitcoinVN News: What are you currently looking forward to in your personal life, and what ambitions are you working to realize in the coming years?
Chris Day: I’m in a Linkin Park tribute band. I also play with the bassist and the drummer in a 3-piece band called Tape Trio. Both of those projects have some more up their sleeve that I am really excited about. Me and my friend Adrian are doing duo sets around town, fun jamming with him. Anything coming up with those acts excites me. Also will definitely do more original stuff, both solo and with some people in town.
BitcoinVN News: What is your outlook on Vietnam as a potential “greener pasture” for people who are looking for a life outside their current home country? What type of personality might find Vietnam a good fit, and who will likely face a hard time adjusting to life in Vietnam?
Chris Day: It’s a great place to go if you need a retreat. Before I moved here, I was really unclear on how I wanted my life to look. I just knew that I wanted my life to change, but I wasn’t exactly sure how. You might come to VIetnam, find a spot that clicks, relax for a bit, then realize what you want to do, and then go back home and implement it. Or maybe you do some training or lay the groundwork for a project here, and then go back home. Or you may find you really dig it here and stay. At the end of the day, if you leave your home country to come here, and you don’t like it, you can always just go back (for the most part).
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Looking forward to seeing Chris perform next at a venue near you?
Chris will be performing at the inaugural Saigon Satoshi Flea Market on the 28th of July 2024 at Indika – House of Curiosity. For information about further performances, you can follow his socials here:
