A Story of Bands

Previously, I discussed about my collaboration with a local band in terms of what has happened and will continue to happen, as well as what may have played a key role in making it actually happen. However, as noted in the former post, I chose to hold back on most of its history, preferring instead to discuss it in a different post. Now, I'm ready to do so; this is something I had intended to do if a collaboration ever occurred, and it did. Also as I've noted, the band is a crucial part of the collaboration, but there are also three other local bands that can be considered to have played pivotal roles in the realization of the collaboration.

To that effect, I will also be discussing about things in a metaphorical fashion. The collaboration can be imagined as a "door" that is to be "opened" in order to be realized. All the bands that I will describe have some metaphorical relationship to this "door", along with me as the person who wishes to act upon the "door". Given this metaphorical imagery, I also will discuss the bands in chronological order up to the realization, when the "door" was finally opened.

The first band that I consider to have played a role is one named Akiba Street. I first recognized them during the first major edition of the convention that is now called the Daisuki! Japan Fest. The following photos with some of their personnel on stage were taken at that time five years ago, back before I started this blog and when I still used a paper Pikachu in my cosplay. Now, I would have passed them off as ordinary had they not done something special at that time: they performed "Mezase Pokémon Master" live on that same day. For some time afterwards, I kept referring to this as "pulling off an Akiba Street", in the case that another band would follow suit and do the same.

Metaphorically speaking, they were the ones who "indicated the existence of the door". They were the ones that suggested that a possibility of collaboration with someone existed, though at the time I didn't even consider the possibility as being real. Yet, with my musical and vocal experience, it seemed that the possibility (and therefore the "door") existed somewhere near. However, I didn't know where and in what direction to look for that "door". It would take the next band to guide me in the direction and to the place of that "door".

That band would be one named Otaku. I've actually recognized this band for longer than the previous one; I've met them early on during my cosplay efforts and often throughout that time. Chronologically for this collaboration, however, they come in second. They were the guest star band of a really faraway event that occurred over two years ago as I've started this blog. At that time, after their performance, I met and talked with them (with a photo taken, which can be seen below); they conjectured that it may be possible for them to play "Mezase Pokémon Master" at some later point in time and to involve me somehow, but at the time I wasn't quite open about my vocal abilities, nor did I have the lyrics to said song fully committed into memory.

Considering the metaphor, then, they "helped to find the door, but only knocked on the door". In realistic terms, they suggested that an actual collaboration may just occur because the possibility might seem real enough, but they may or may not be the ones to realize it - in other words, "to open the door", which was also "locked" due to neither I nor them having a "key". Then, I sought to craft the "key" myself by participating in singing/J-Song competitions - partially as having been suggested to do so by another friend - and in the meantime, I met another band.

The third band with a role in the effort is named Hyakushiki. The band was created two months shy of my second cosplay anniversary, and they have had some changes in personnel since then. Admittedly, though, we have never interacted much until about the time I joined the competitions to see if I could develop and realize a collaboration effort. On various occasions, we brought up the matter in conversation, and though the possibility was likely to be realized, whether with "Mezase Pokémon Master" or even another Pokémon song, it still seemed rather vague.

Picture reposted from an event in July.

In terms of the metaphor, they "pulled the door handle, but did not open the door". Likewise, neither of us had the "key" to be able to "unlock and open the door"; we could only test the door at the time, knowing that it could be "opened" if it were "unlocked". Though the possibility became very much real at this point, with somehow the both of us producing our quid pro quo for it if it were to happen, it became a matter of producing the "key" that would "unlock and open that door". It would take one more band to make the possibility of a collaboration a reality at last.

That band goes by the name of Maestoso. They are a fairly recent bunch, only about four and a half years old at this point. Yet their career as a band is also rather illustrious, with them winning the band competition of my "home turf" event four years ago (in fact, a month after their formation), then again the following year plus another school competition in that same year. That's pretty significant, but what was even more significant is that their keyboardist, the leftmost in the following picture, asked me during an event in October if I wanted to collaborate with them in a later event, and I of course accepted. The rest played out as I mentioned in the previous performance critique, and the breakthrough collaboration occurred in that same event.

(Also of note: due to the collaboration and the theme event happening, I wasn't able to go to the second of two events that happened one year ago - see below - which also happened on that same day this year. But both really made up for that.)

Thus, in relation to the metaphor, they "produced a key", then they "unlocked the door and opened it". What was once a conjectured possibility became a plan and subsequently reality. The "unlocking of the door" allowed us and particularly me to enter a new area related to both music and Pokémon. And it's a new area that can stand to be developed even further along the way, possibly with another band as well and particularly any of the three above that I have not collaborated with.

I owe much gratitude to all of these bands, not just the one with which the collaboration finally occurred. All of them provided insights and advancements in its progression, eventually leading up to today. They themselves enrich the musical situation at events and conventions in my area, while I myself do so with Pokémon and cosplay. In a way, it's been proven that we can, might, and do make a great team together. That too is something to be highly appreciated.

As for that "door", it has been opened, and my hope is that it will remain so for the future. The world of Pokémon music is rich with many songs, whether ones that I have sung and/or want to be able to sing. It would be great for me to do so in upcoming singing/J-Song competitions, and it would be even greater still to do it with a live band behind me. I'm sure that some of the local bands and I myself have what it takes to make this happen, at least once again.

One year ago: Cosplay: Manga no Kiseki & Japan Pop Culture 2018
Two years ago: Heroes, Veterans, and Special Ones