LIVE REPORT ~ Anna Tsuchiya: June 30 2007
Anime Expo Long Beach, CA
Anna Tsuchiya’s fame has been on the rise ever since she debuted in the film Kamikaze Girls. Likewise, her musical career has been gaining more notoriety after NANA made its anime debut, showcasing none other than Miss Tsuchiya as the singing voice of the talented rock goddess Nana Osaki. Anna Tsuchiya’s presence, however, is really one of a rock goddess itself. Fans of her work and curious attendees filled the Long Beach arena which would house the US debut of this glamorous star.
The lights dimmed and musicians crossed the stage throwing up their demon horns of rock to an enthusiastic audience. A cute, punked-out blonde in red shorts sauntered across the stage and all at once joyous screams filled the arena as fans threw up their hands in excitement.
The first song that was launched into was LUCY, one of the opening songs of the anime NANA. For fans of the anime this was a familiar tune, and many in the audience began singing along, but even for those unfamiliar with the song its fast pace and punk beat allowed for a lot of heavy head banging and general rocking out.
Scream, the second song, had a sly, hip sort of attitude that Anna completely encompassed as she clung to her microphone and crowed out to the audience with an equally sly look on her face.
A softer song, Take Me Out, showcased Anna’s sweet singing skills. She was lost passionately in this serenading song as a soft, blue light filtered down on her from above. The arena was completely spellbound.
Upping her abilities to captivate audiences, Anna enchanted and dazzled fans once again with her startlingly poignant vocals in the arrangement Kuroi Namida, a closing theme from NANA. This gorgeous song had the audience swaying to and fro, lost in the powerful melody being shared with them.
Knock Down brought back the craziness with its fast, wicked appeal. The guitarists motioned for the audience to jump and everyone sensed that their urge to rock out was being awakened.
An even faster paced song, Without You, displayed the stylish talent of Anna’s band. Every song they churned out they did with a fierce determination and a very stylish demeanor. The interaction between the audience and Anna’s band was one of the highlights of the event. When they rocked out, they made sure the audience was rocking along with them and not just nodding their heads in approval.
The very second the guitar intro of Rose started the audience busted out in screams of delight. This is perhaps the opening fans of NANA are most familiar with since it was the first one and therefore many, many fans in the audience were singing along. This must have pleased Anna who gave it her all and sung with vigor and energy throughout the entire track.
An anthem to punk rock goddesses everywhere, Zero was an easy song to get into with its English chorus and chirpy beat. It invited everyone in the arena to get their head bang on. “I’m going my way! Living my way!” sang a smiling Anna Tsuchiya who, after seven successful songs in a row, was holding the audience in the palm of her hand.
Perhaps the song everyone was waiting for and looking forward to the most, and surprisingly…not from NANA, Slap the Naughty Body brought the house down. As soon as that “Aaahhh” pitch started up, surprised fans squealed and cheered... knowing what was around the corner of that first note. A unique guilty pleasure of a song, fans danced and rocked out like crazy. The guitarists all stepped up to the edge of the stage, basking in the energy that was being unleashed from the audience and throwing it back to them tenfold. Anna pointed to the audience and said it best in the lyrics, “Move your ass! Don’t stop!” No one could. The energy being radiated from all spectrums of the arena was just addicting and unstoppable!
It was after this song ended that Anna and her band mates left the stage. Surprised fans uttered out, “Awww” and begged for an encore. And for those lucky fans, they received a very lucky reward…
Not only was this Anna’s US debut, but the debut of her newest single, Bubbletrip. The single hadn’t been released yet and for privileged fans this occasion marked the first live performance of the song as well as the first time anyone had heard it in its entirety. Taking a very different route from the previous songs, Bubbletrip is more of whimsical pop song--a popsicle we’ll call it. Anna would often cross over to her band mates and interact with them, which was fun to watch. The warm connection between Anna and her band was easy to pick up on, and Bubbletrip had everyone grooving along in sync to the trippy beats.
The encore continued with Anna’s cover of the Sex Pistols’s Anarchy in the UK. This was a fantastic song to end with. Not only does Anna’s rendition breathe a new life into the 70s hit without taking away its integrity, but it was a song nearly everyone was already familiar with. Anna, Anna’s band, and the audience held a chemistry between them like old friends as everyone’s voices mingled together and rang out with the 70s classic.
A brilliantly stretched out electric guitar solo ended Anarchy in the UK and concluded Anna’s first live in the USA. Anna spoke Japanese to the audience almost the entire time. Her final message to the fans? “Arigatou Gozaimashita! Have fun! Okay! Bye bye!” With that, the blond haired beauty crossed the stage a final time. Her band mates threw out picks and drum sticks, acknowledging the audience one last time as they threw up demon horns and peace signs.
Anna Tsuchiya’s live left the audience feeling very satisfied, similar to the feeling received after eating a really good dessert, the type of dessert that hits the taste buds in all the right places. Being a solo artist without an instrument to showcase like a guitar or a piano, it’s tougher to hold together a live performance. Audience expectations are higher. Anna pulled it off without a hitch. She showed that she can captivate audiences with just a touch of her voice and that her voice sounds just as good live as it does on CD. She had stage presence without having to overdo it with pyrotechnics or gags. She didn’t need to demand the audience’s attention. She just took it without anyone having noticed. To do that is a rare quality seen in artists today. Few achieve it and many strive for it, but actually pulling it off deserves a whole new level of respect.
set list
LUCY
Scream
Take Me Out
Kuroi Namida
Knock Down
Without You
Rose
Zero
Slap the Naughty Body
-ENCORE-
Bubbletrip
Anarchy in the UK
Report by Sarah; photo courtesy of AVEX
Thank you to Anna Tsuchiya, AVEX, and Anime Expo for making this possible.
links
Anna Tsuchiya Official Website
Anime Expo
Anna Tsuchiya at Anime Expo PRESS CONFERENCE
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