Tekko '10 (Spoils)

Let's jump back to the Dealer's Room on Saturday afternoon at the con, where I made my purchases. But first, I'll tell you a secret. I had a gift card I've been trying to get rid of ever since Christmas. I brought it with me, hoping I'd be able to use it, and it worked swimmingly. As such, since I was eager to use the gift card up rather than hold onto it indefinitely (which is what I was doing with it by that point), I actually had something of a nice budget to blow at the Dealer's Room. Thus I ended up buying considerably more than I would have bought had I not had that gift card, but I'm completely satisfied with how that turned out.


One of the things I had thought of before the con to look for when I got there was a school uniform. You can call me whatever names you want, but I was inspired by the idea of hanging one up on my wall (no, I wasn't actually planning on wearing it :p). There were two problems with that plan, though. First, is the concern I have about cosplay fabrics, which seem cheaper and faker than what they use for real clothes (which kind of irks me, because I think "costumes" look better when they actually look like clothes and not costumes). The other problem was that, of the serafuku cosplay I spied in the Dealer's Room, they were all alternative colors or styles, and not the classic blue/white/red ribbon style that I'm looking for. Not to say that I don't like those other styles, but for my purposes, it's supposed to serve as a symbol, and as such, it should be the most iconic style.


Anyway, in place of that, I ended up buying a serafuku pillow that I spotted instead, which is similar, and quite cute. I'm really impressed with it.


The shiny red bow is reminiscent of the sailor senshi's uniforms.


Look, it even has pantsu!


And to save you the trouble of asking, yes, it's a DFC pillow. -_^

As for my other purchases, I bought all of four figures, all of them larger than the capsule/trading type that I focused on last year. Since I kind of ended up overdosing on Eva figures last year, I restricted myself to just one Asuka figure this year, which I like, although it's not the one I saw last year that I regret not buying (since it was kind of expensive).




It's a very nice figure, featuring Asuka in an attractive ground sit pose, with her civilian clothes modestly disheveled, and a suggestion of wind blowing through her hair. On her face is painted a look of slight melancholy. This is a figure that tells a story. You can't help wondering what set of circumstances led her to be in this condition.


Pantsu Check:


Pantsu? Check!

The figure also comes with a box of combat rations, which includes some sort of crackers and a lump of "crystal sugar". I can't decide whether to eat them or save them for the Second Impact...




One of the other figures I bought was a Nagi in a white swimsuit, likely a result of my being inspired by watching Kannagi earlier in the day.



When I asked the vendor for the price, he offered to open the box and take out the (wrapped) pieces so I could inspect them. As he pointed out, there is a very faint blush on the goddess' cheeks which is hard to see on the box art. It enhances the erotic effect of the figure.


A close inspection of Nagi's bust (like you could resist :p) reveals that she is probably not as flat as she is supposed to be, but the inflation is minimal, and not outside my standards of acceptability, thus I will refrain from lodging a complaint.


I'm happy with this figure, even though it's a little out of character (a large part of Nagi's charm is her whimsical mischievousness). Also, I'm particularly fond of Nagi's distinctive regular outfit, even down to the boots, and would love to have another figure with her in those clothes. Maybe someday.

I saw three different Nia (from Gurren Lagann) figures that I liked, but I ended up going for the standard one rather than either the swimsuit or maid figure, based purely on the fact that she was the only one of the three who had the longer hairstyle that I prefer.



It's still a cute outfit, though, and all the elements of her style are there - from the psychedelic eyes and puffy blue-yellow hair, to her pink clothes, and the flower in her hair. Very girly. Just the way I like her. :3



I'll admit, though I liked her character from the start anyway, I've grown more attached to her than I would have otherwise, considering that I sleep with her in my bed every night. ;-) Speaking of which, I saw a few dakimakura at one of the booths, including a tempting Nia one, but they were half the size of the one I have (at most), and being official products, not quite as naked. ;-)

Pantsu Check:


Pantsu? Check!

The last of the figures I bought is a fully posable Tohsaka Rin (queen of the zettai ryouiki), from the Fraulein Revoltech line. If I hadn't picked up the box for closer inspection at the last minute before deciding on another purchase, I wouldn't have noticed it was a posable figure (now I'm wondering if those Rei and Asuka figures I saw from the same line were posable too), and wouldn't have thought to buy it.


The idea of being able to pose a figure takes me back to the days of my childhood when I actually played with my toys, rather than just stare at them and drool. Not that the two approaches aren't compatible.




Rin comes with a magic blade, and four different pairs of changeable hands, including one pair with her holding her magic gems between her fingers. The addition of a posing stand is convenient, so you can stabilize the figure even in the midst of unbalanced action poses.



Playing around with her is fun, though she has quite the habit of falling apart. Adjusting an arm frequently leads to reattaching that arm, and I even had Rin's back come off at one point.


(I couldn't resist.)
It's all quite put-back-together-able, and I presume that's how it's supposed to be, but correct me if I'm wrong, because I've played with posable toys before that don't have a habit of falling apart. In any case, it's pretty neat - I mean, even Rin's twintails are posable!


Perfect for indicating motion.

Pantsu Check:


Pantsu?


Check! Actually, I had to split her in two to get the last of the plastic sheets off of her, and her stomach is nicely detailed. Bonus points for that, since it's an area that really isn't meant to be exposed on this figure.

In addition to the above figures, I bought three Chobits "posters", which are actually done in that nice pencil board material, though they are the size of small posters and not your typical smaller pencil board. They are three very nice designs, including the one I described as "Heaven" in a blog entry from almost a year ago. Since the material is sort of translucent, the "posters" look very nice backlit, such as against a window.




(My window doesn't produce a whole lot of light...)
I know I said I didn't have any room left for this kind of thing, but these looked just too good for me to pass up (and considering how I feel about Chii...). I didn't even see them at first, because they were hanging low off the front of the booth of one of the vendors, below my vision. That was a good booth. They had some nice figures and t-shirts and buttons and posters, and one of the guys working behind it, a Japanese guy, recognized my Behelit (one of only two people) and described to me some rare Berserk merchandise. He also told me these Chobits "posters" were rare. I believe it. They're very nice.

And while we're speaking of vendors, I saved the receipts from my purchases this year, so I can actually tell who I bought my stuff from. I mention this because last year I wrote about how nice the one vendor was whom I bought the majority of my Eva not-so-blind box figures from, but I had no idea what store he represented. Well, the same guy was there again this year, and he's the one I bought my Rin, Nia, and Asuka figures from. And he was representing Kyoto Anime. So now you know. And now I think I'll get back to playing with my toys.

Tekko '10 (Aside: Cosplay Photography)

The main attraction of an anime convention for me is the people. Some go to a convention for the celebrities, but I go to a convention for the people. Of course, being an antisocial loner, I don't mean that I actually interact with the people, I just like watching them. And while there are stereotypes about otaku and geeks in general, the truth is, there are as many attractive people at an anime convention as there are anywhere else (except places that specifically attract attractive people - like a supermodel convention, for example :3). It helps that the demographic is relatively young, too.

And the special benefit of an anime convention is the cosplay. Cosplay can be exciting because you get to see your favorite characters (if you're an anime fan) imitated in 3D (yes, I know 2D > 3D, but that doesn't mean 3D doesn't have its own unique appeal :p). Plus - and there may be some people who don't want to hear this, but - there are a lot of fetish elements in anime cosplay. And when I say that, I don't necessarily mean that in the context of raw sexuality - although there's that, too. I'm just saying, there's a whole lot to admire.

So while sitting around, watching all the people in interesting costumes go by, I got to thinking about beauty. In my mind, there exists an abstract form of ideal beauty. When I look at a person, I might notice an element here or there that reflects that ideal form of beauty - but it's just an element. In most cases, the more I look, the more I see the other elements that person possesses that clash with the ideal form my mind is seeking. Some people have more of the ideal elements than others, and those are the people my gaze is drawn toward more strongly. It is rare, but every so often my eyes will light upon a figure whose combination of elements is so perfect, that no matter how long I look, I cannot find a flaw. When I discover such an image of divine beauty rendered in earthly flesh, I am overcome by a feeling of great weight. I would drop to the ground and bow before this goddess if only she would acknowledge me, if only she would let me be close to her, if only she would allow me to admire her (and if only I wouldn't be criticized and then ostracized for my unnatural outburst of affection).

This feeling leaves me with a longing desire, and since I don't feel in a position to appease it, I have to start wondering what it is for. In terms of pure physical attraction, one could suggest the purpose is procreation, but I'm above and beyond that. Besides, I view beauty as an ends in and of itself - to consider it as simply a means for some other end would be blasphemy. And in any case, my lofty notions of getting along with the people I am most attracted to have already been shattered by past (painful) experiences. But this feeling cannot be ignored, and thus I must find a use for it. Preferably something more satisfying than an everlasting source of depression.

As a photographer, the obvious answer is to capture that beauty on film to be shared and admired and preserved for eternity (relatively speaking). Which brings us to the question of why I don't take cosplay photographs at anime conventions anymore. The obvious answer is my hesitation when it comes to approaching strangers, but it goes deeper than that. Rather than taking quick snapshots of a lot of normal people in costume (which anyone can do, and many do), I'd prefer to take the time to create flattering portraits of only the most attractive people I see. But the more serious the shoot becomes (and the more attractive the model), the harder it is for me to ask a stranger out of the blue who, though she might happily pose for a snap or two, probably doesn't have the time or the inclination to indulge my unexpected request.

And anyway, I'm not comfortable working with strangers in that way. Especially not in such a chaotic environment. So, it's not like I'm trying to downplay my own failings, but the fact is, if I were to take cosplay pictures, I just wouldn't be satisfied with the run of the mill shots you most frequently see. I demand more, and I'm not comfortable demanding that from people I don't know, at this time. Still, David Hamilton, a photographer I greatly admire, once said, "if you are on a beach and you notice a face, or a body, that stands out from the crowd, the sight of which makes your heart leap in your breast, then stop. If your feeling is honest and sincere, it will help you find the right words. Who knows what could then come from such a meeting?" Maybe the day will come when I am able to follow David Hamilton's sagely advice, but that day is not today.

Tekko '10 (Day the Second)

We continue on to my second day at the convention (Saturday), in which I was accompanied by yet another con-goer, related to the first. After securing a convenient parking spot in the garage attached to the convention center, we got into the convention and I noticed with surprise (and glee) that Kannagi (a very humorous series that I recommend) was currently playing in one of the subbed video rooms! We caught a few episodes before it was time to catch one of the few panels (actually, a workshop) I had my eye on. Which one, you ask? Japanese food!

I was hoping they'd have some samples (and thankfully, they did) from the start, but even more so by the time I got there, as I was getting pretty hungry for lunch. The panel (er, workshop) was pretty crowded, but we managed to squeeze in. The first part was a description of popular Japanese foods, accompanied by slides. All the usual suspects were there, as well as some surprises, except that I didn't hear much about sushi - although there's a good chance they covered it at the very beginning of the panel before we came in. Plenty to make one's mouth water, for sure.

After the descriptions were out of the way, the rest of the workshop consisted of eating the food samples (thankfully NOT plastic samples) that had been prepared. Naturally, there wasn't much for any one person to have, but there turned out to be more to go around than I was pessimistically predicting there to be. I was of course happy to try some of the samples, although it made for a very meagre lunch (even for someone like me, who doesn't like to eat a lot!).


There was a variety of samples to choose from. As you can see, I grabbed some gyouza (very tasty), crab/shrimp (or something similar) chips (which were actually pretty good), edamame (I was tempted by how nutritious they're supposed to be, and the story I heard that they're eaten like peanuts at bars in Japan, although I was less than totally impressed by their taste), a single sugar star, a strawberry Pocky stick, some delicious mochi, and some form of barley tea to drink. Attending that workshop was definitely a worthwhile experience.

And while we're talking about subjects that are more along the lines of Japanese culture in general as opposed to anime in specific, for those of you who are hoping for a description/pictures of a kendo demonstration, I am disappointed to inform you that I did not see such a thing in the schedule, nor did I hear anything about one. That's too bad, because that was the highlight of last year's con. :(


Since it was warmer and sunnier on Saturday, there were more people outside on the roof/balconies, compared to Friday. I actually discovered that you could go out onto one of the balconies, which has grass (fake grass, though), that I didn't realize you could go out onto last year (unless I'm forgetting myself). It was a nice place, a great outdoor location for photoshoots - and expectedly, there were cosplayers out there doing their thing.


Next up was a visit to the Dealer's Room, which meant it was time for me to make some decisions and spend my money. I'm gonna go ahead and describe my spoils in a separate post, so for now you'll just have to wait, while we jump ahead a couple of hours.


After linner (at Subway again; they were getting swamped and running out of things at this point) we headed up to the roof to enjoy the comparatively better weather. It was actually pretty nice out there. Sunny, with a bright blue sky, and not much wind. We ended up spending quite a bit of time up there getting some much needed rest and relaxation.


Afterward, I decided on a whim to check out a show playing in one of the video rooms, based only on the title - Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. It's about a guy who gets changed into a girl after being hit by a UFO (yeah), and the resulting confusion with regards to the two girls who had feelings for him. Now that he's a girl, will their feelings become platonic, or will they remain romantic? You should be able to guess which direction it goes. I wouldn't say that it was an amazing series, but the subject matter alone made it of particular interest to me.

When sampling of that series ended, we went over to catch the tail end of the Evangelion Is Totally Awesome panel, which, as I predicted after reading the description in the con booklet, wasn't that great on account of the passage that read, "rather than talking about a bunch of philosophical nonsense, we'll be looking at all sorts of unusual and hilarious facets of the Evangelion franchise and fandom that you didn't know existed." Which included watching an animation of the Eva characters performing the Haruhi dance. One thing of interest that was brought up was the theory that the new Evangelion Rebuild isn't purely a remake but something like a continuation of the series after EoE or somesuch. I admit the idea makes the whole Rebuild thing more palatable, and replaces some of my disdain for it (on the grounds that it's a remake of one of the greatest series of all time) with fascination. And though I dislike the idea of tossing an entirely new character into the works, I saw some figures of the glasses girl in the Dealer's Room that looked pretty cute. I still can't forgive changing Asuka's family name, though. I saw some figure boxes with that name on it. I'll never accept it. Never!

Wandering around afterward, I oddly saw a lot of people carrying pizza boxes, and it not only accentuated my growing hunger, but intensified my craving for pizza. We spotted an address on the side of one of those pizza boxes, and since it was a street name that I recognized as being close enough to the convention center, we decided to go for it. We didn't make it there, but we found a different pizza shop (Pizza Parma) right on the corner past the Subway previously introduced. So, I'll consider that a new addition to my restaurant repertoire for future Tekkoshocons. It had a very corner shop pizza parlor atmosphere, and the pizza was very good (New York style) - it hit the spot.

Coming towards the end of the night, it was time for the anticipated Silent Hill panel (which I missed two years ago due to a last minute schedule change, by the way). The panel was fun, although I was kind of perturbed by the fact that they kept talking about the Silent Hill game I haven't played - Shattered Memories - although they made it out to sound very interesting (which I already thought it sounded anyway). But that's understandable, I guess, as it's one of the more (if not the most) recent titles in the series. They also spent some time at the end playing videos of the various UFO endings. Which are quirky. What they said about those endings being an example that the makers really enjoy what they're doing and don't take themselves too seriously, I agree is cool, but at a Silent Hill panel I want scares not laughs! :p It was still fun, though.

So to end my convention experience, I opted to do some final people watching outside the rave. Why does the rave attract me when I know it's no good for me? It's the same thing I felt in high school when other kids went to parties and I stayed at home. There's nothing in that rave for me. I went in there last year, and had no desire to dance. But the lights and colors and fog and music make it seem fun. It reminded me of Burning Man. But it's not my kind of party. If I were to host a party, my ideal party, the atmosphere would be different. So why do I feel empty because I'm missing something I don't even want? Why do I have to feel the desire to be social if I don't like being social? My life has been filled with such questions, and I still haven't found my place in the world, where I feel comfortable. Not just safe, but satisfied, too. Is there a medium ground out there somewhere?

To conclude, I had a lot of fun at the con. There's a certain other thing I'd like to discuss in another post, and then of course there will be a post detailing the goodies I picked up in the Dealer's Room, which I'm looking forward to. I'll have to take some more pictures of my toys as I open them up first, though. But stay tuned!

Tekko '10 (Day the First)

(Not to be confused with Tekko X, which will occur in 2012, God willing.)

With posts like this one, I always wonder how much (if any) preface is required before diving into the meat of the post. For the people whom I expect to read this, no preface is necessary. On the other hand, someone else might read it who would benefit from a preface. If nothing else, it gives me a place to start.

Tekkoshocon is a Pittsburgh-area anime convention (ignore the sentai-themed original art, it's a genuine anime con :p), which was held in the big ol' convention center smack dab in the middle of the city for its second time this year. Tekko saw its first year in 2003 (if I've counted backward correctly), the first year I was out of town during the season - thus I was not aware of the con until two years ago (almost three, but not quite). That year ('08), the con was in transition, searching for a new larger space, to accommodate its growing size. It wasn't until the next year (last year), that they secured the big ol' convention center mentioned above, which gives them plenty of space to grow into. At this time, the con is still relatively small compared to the bigger cons in the country (because of my personal experience, I can't help comparing all cons to Otakon), but also a lot larger than the local Comicon from around the turn of the millenium that hosted meager amounts of anime-related programming (and merchandise) before Tekko existed.


Japanese Idol Group AKB48
This year, Tekko, for me, went down much like last year, despite the fact that I found someone to actually accompany me (a decided difference). As the con approached, I began to prepare myself. For my mix "tape" (read: CD), to listen to in the car, I put together a bunch of tracks from my anime music and Japanese idol groups folders. Representing the idol groups, I chose a handful of AKB48 tracks, reinforced by some SweetS and Berryz Koubou. The other half of the disc featured anime tracks, including (but not limited to) three songs from K-ON!, the opening theme to Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan (because it's catchy, and it reminds me of how ridiculous that show is), and Dame! from Hayate no Gotoku, sung by the voice of Nagi-ojousama (Kugimiya Rie). At the end were a couple of classics, songs that I can actually sing and play - Shinken from Love Hina (Aoyama Motoko's character song), and an excellent song from Serial Experiments Lain called Tooi Sakebi. Closing the disc was the ending theme from Chobits (Ningyo Hime) which has a melancholy, minor feel to it that I like.


Hikikomori Princess Sanzenin Nagi
The week of the con I began to adjust my schedule from "nocturnal vampire" mode to "lazy teen" mode (sleeping until noonish), so as to soften the impact of the schedule change and to prevent me from being completely miserable at the con, because I'm not used to being awake when the sun is in the sky. Usually these efforts at schedule readjustment fail spectacularly, but this time it worked out pretty well, with a few minor kinks.

The weather, which was gorgeous throughout the week (going up into the 80s), expectedly (provided you're a pessimist) dropped just before the weekend. Luckily, con-going is largely an indoor activity, so the weather's not terribly important, but festivals are more...festive...when the sun is shining. At any rate, the weather followed last year's pattern in that it was cold, windy, and cloudy on Friday, but a bit nicer and sunnier on Saturday. Weird how that worked out.

So we arrived at the convention center on Friday around noon. I scoped out parking options ahead of time this year and thus managed to squeeze into an open lot just across the street from the con center (the lot attendant put up the "Full" sign just behind us as we pulled in). It was better than where I parked last time which required a brisk trot across the city to go from car to con (and back again). The convention center garage itself was full on Friday, but had space for us on Saturday (also mimicking last year's pattern).

We secured our badges and then took a seat to scour the schedule for interesting programming. There's usually not a whole lot in the schedule that grabs me - I look at cons as more of an atmosphere to experience than a series of specific things to do/see - and this year was no different. I was pleased that the schedule labeled which of the video rooms were dedicated to subs and which to dubs (between the four regular viewing rooms, there were two and two). But, unfortunately, most of the good shows I was familiar with (School Rumble, Gurren Lagann, Claymore, Strike Witches, Record of Lodoss War, Last Exile, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Lucky Star, Mnemosyne, Revolutionary Girl Utena...) were playing in the dub rooms :/. Still, con-going means the potential for finding new shows is good (although the chance of stumbling upon an especially good one may be slim).

While passing the queue that was forming in anticipation of the initial opening of the Dealer's Room, Audrey (re: The Primatives), a shiriai no hito whom I introduced last year, called out to me. I was hoping I'd bump into her, although there was no second meeting this year. Granted, I wasn't quite as unaccompanied as I was last year.

One thing I like to make a point to do for sure at an anime con is watch some AMVs. We got that out of the way early. It was request hour, and to my satisfaction, they played some pretty good AMVs, including the classic Eva/Engel, and a new (to me) AMV using the Sunscreen song, this time with visuals from Naruto (it was pretty good). There were other less recognizable ones, and some silly ones, but I was happy with what I got to see. I'm kind of torn about the way they schedule AMVs at cons. There's the AMV contest, for which people send in submissions prior to the con to be judged at the con. Those are the AMVs I'd really like to see, but the AMV contest is really popular, and thus there is the potential of not getting in, and plus it might conflict with other schedule interests because it takes some time. The AMV-dedicated room spends a lot of time showing other AMVs - old ones and such, usually based around various themes. Those are good to see, too, but I kind of wish there was more opportunity to see the ones enrolled in the contest outside of the actual contest...

After lunch (at the same Subway I scoped out last year), we spent a couple hours in the Dealer's Room. As usual, I held back on buying anything on the first day, waiting to give myself time to mull over what I wanted to spend money on. Selection was comparable to last year. Lots of weapons, lots of figures (although not necessarily the ones you were looking for), one or two dedicated video booths (though in all fairness, official releases just don't hold the excitement of bootlegs), at least one dedicated manga booth, lots of t-shirts and wall scrolls (obviously biased towards the more popular series), plenty of kawaii mono, various cosplay costumes and accessories, and all the sorts of things you'd expect to find in a Dealer's Room at an anime convention (just, not as many of them as at Otakon :p). I picked up a hentai manga at one point and the vendor shouted at me because he apparently thought I was underage (or something, it was hard to understand him). I should have been flattered, but instead I just became self-conscious. ;_;


Finally escaping the hustle and bustle of the Dealer's Room, we went up to check out the roof. The weather was not cooperative, however. The wind and the cold made it pretty much unbearable, so we came back in promptly. We were wandering about the con, when purely random circumstances directed our attention toward the Fashion Show that was just starting on the main stage. Looking at the schedule, I noted that it was an "EGL" Fashion Show, which only confused me, but I decided that, being a fashion show, it was worth a look. When we got inside, it became immediately clear to me that EGL = Elegant Gothic Lolita (and shame on me for not knowing that, because I distinctly remember learning that once before). Knowing this, there was no question about staying to watch.


The first part of the show was a presentation on Lolita fashion, the different styles, and the philosophy behind it. For obvious reasons, the presenters (as I imagine many who wear the fashion do) made a point to disassociate Lolita fashion from the implications of the original term as penned by Nabokov. An important aspect of Lolita fashion is that of modesty (which is normally something I am opposed to), and so it's clear that the intent is not to sexualize. While I understand and respect this (really, I do), methinks the lady doth protest too much.


The second part of the show was an actual fashion show, featuring a number of models (read: EGL otaku) dressed up in various Lolita styles. As for me, I can go for the Gothic and Punk styles, but I have a bit of a Sweet tooth, and Hime speaks for itself (provided you know that "hime" is Japanese for "princess"). Classic is kind of dull :p. Of course, the best style is Ero, but I get the feeling it's kind of fringe, and straddling the line (which, frankly, makes it exciting).

After the fashion show, I was sufficiently moved, and feeling bold, so back in the Dealer's Room, I finally worked up the courage to actually browse through the various feminine fashions available. Is it weird to wish I could wear these clothes? I feel literally attracted to them. I don't wear them because I know how they'd look on me, but I still want to. I think I know how the ugly girls feel, because I want really bad to be pretty, but I don't have any realistic expectations of fulfilling that desire in my lifetime. Regardless, I'm really tempted to wear a Lolita outfit (complete with skirt/petticoat and appropriate shoes - something really cute - along with hair and, presumably, makeup?) next time I go to a con. There are only two things stopping me: the first is cost; and the second is finding something that would fit me. :(


We left the con early so I could make it to my performance at an Open Stage in the evening (I'm a guitarist, remember?). Unfortunately, it seems like the best 18+ oriented programming was taking place on Friday night rather than Saturday night, which means I had to miss it. Still, I wonder how much I'm really missing, because I can watch hentai at home - it's easy enough for me to procure if I am so inclined - and I can choose what to watch (because honestly, people's sexual interests are highly diverse). Plus, I can avoid the potential audience reaction of "lulz naked anime chicks, isn't this humorously pathetic, guyz?" And if you think I'm just being paranoid about that, then please explain to me why there is an MST3K style hentai viewing on the schedule. :p

Anyway, at the end of the night, I tried to get some sleep to recharge for day the second of the con, but obsessive thoughts of gothic lolitas invaded my mind and tortured me for not being able to be a part of their group, and I wasn't able to rest very well. Still, day the second came no less quickly.

ZML^2 - Rainbow Vibrations

For a brief explanation of Zharth's Music Log (and a link to the archives), see the first paragraph of the last installment of Zharth's Music Log Revisited. Since I like the idea of the music log so much, but didn't have the resources (whether internal or external) to keep it going past a year (and really, a whole year of posting a different song each day is pretty impressive if you ask me, what with the themes and everything), and since I still have some themes leftover that I like enough not to completely forget, I figured I could pull one out every so often when the timing is ripe, and we could all have fun basking in the faded glow of a great idea whose time has come and gone.


And speaking of glowing, what with it now being April, with spring in tow, ready to shower the earth in preparation for the colorful floral bloom that is impending, the theme I bring to you today is one of colors - the vibrant colors of the rainbow. We'll take them in order, following the old standard - ROYGBIV.


Jimi Hendrix - Electric Church Red House [Blues]
Comments: An old standard itself, Red House is a tune that belies its simple blues construction. It's one of my favorite songs in Jimi's repertoire, and among the various recorded versions of it that I've heard, I have yet to hear a bad one. This one is one of my favorites, and stands distinct from both the original studio version, and the more fleshed out live versions scattered around. It starts with some pseudo-inspirational ramblings, and then takes off, wandering far off the path and getting lost in the woods during the solo in the middle, never even finding its way back for the last verse, before it ultimately fizzles out. Wild and unrestrained - that's what it's all about.


The Amboy Dukes - Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than A Orange? [Journey To The Center Of The Mind, 1968]
Comments: Knowing Ted Nugent, you might be surprised to learn that he was a prominent member of a psychedelic band during the later part of the swingin' sixties, but it's true. And The Amboy Dukes, while not as popular as, say, Jefferson Airplane, had a few good acid trips (I'm referring to songs, here) of their own. In this song, the band asks the strikingly poignant question, why is a carrot more orange than an orange? It beats me.


Donovan - Mellow Yellow [Mellow Yellow, 1967 (released as a single in 1966)]
Comments: Popularly hailed as Britain's "answer" to Bob Dylan, Donovan's one song of particular note - to me, personally, that is - is a song done even better by other musicians. That song is Season of the Witch, and those musicians are the ones who stuck around for the Super Session (including Al Kooper and Stephen Stills) after Michael Bloomfield bailed. But Donovan comes back to my attention by way of this song, Mellow Yellow, played - once again - even better by a local musician of no small talent, whom I know personally. ;)


Pink Floyd - Green Is The Colour [More, 1969]
Comments: Here is a track from one of Pink Floyd's oft-overlooked albums, which was actually recorded as the soundtrack to a film of the same name, an arty look at drug addiction and sun worship on the Spanish isle of Ibiza. Despite technically being a soundtrack album, More stands pretty strong on its own, in my opinion, more so if you don't mind atmospheric tracks (something Pink Floyd is known for anyway). But there are also a number of good straight tunes on this album, such as this one presented here.


Cream - Blue Condition [Disraeli Gears, 1967]
Comments: Some colors are better represented in song titles than others. For example, I could only find a single orange song in my catalog. Blue, as it turns out, is a very popular color - and that's true even if you ignore the many songs with the word "blues" in the title. I chose this one, from the album that brought us such classic tracks as Strange Brew and Sunshine of Your Love, because I think it fits well with the other mellow tracks chosen for this theme (excepting, of course, the red song).


Led Zeppelin - White Summer/Black Mountain Side [Coda (bonus track), recorded in 1969]
Comments: Since indigo is an illusory color that doesn't really exist, I figured I'd do a "black and white" sort of a thing instead. And how convenient that we have Led Zeppelin's White Summer and Black Mountain Side (really only variations or parts of the same song to begin with, at least how Page played them) together in one track! You can check out the roots of Led Zeppelin for more info, but White Summer was first recorded by Jimmy Page back in the Yardbirds, and Black Mountain Side appeared on Led Zeppelin's debut album. During the band's later tours (1977 on), the piece worked as a counterpoint and unsuspecting intro to the much heavier and hypnotic Kashmir.


The Blues Project - Violets of Dawn [released as a single, 1966]
Comments: Violet is another color that's hard to find, although a little bit easier if you allow purple. But I didn't want to do two Jimi Hendrix tracks for this theme (and I've already used that song for another theme, incidentally), and I don't own any Prince, I'll tell you that. Anyhow, it's fitting that I was able to find an actual violet song, as opposed to simply purple, even though I think the song may be referring to the flower. But that's okay, because isn't the flower named for its color anyway (or maybe it's the other way around)? Well, in any case, this is a nice light track to close the theme, from a great little known band that I will tell you is not adequately represented by this track alone. Check out their performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967 (the Summer of Love), if I've got your curiosity piqued (or, try this on for size).

And with those thoughts of flowers and summer I leave you. Until next time.