I also want to apologize for posting movies instead of putting up blog entries of any real substance. I should be writing a blog that is informative and insightful like my colleague Michel is doing on his blog, but I can rarely remember names of the countless shrines I go to.
So now, I'm going to post my last YouTube movie for a while (unless it is one of my own making). This one is a little more fitting because it is a J-Pop video. A few years ago B, Mrs. B, SpSp and I were able to see this band at First Ave. in Minneapolis. We'd already been listening to this band on CDs, and jumped at the chance to see them live. We knew it was going to be a great concert when one of the band members came out in a black tux jacket (sans tails) with a smart bow tie, and a kilt. He carried a huge Japanese flag that he waved over the audience. After that, the concert was a total visual free-for-all. Between songs, retro style videos of the band were played while the audience anticipated the next number. 
These guys had a costume change for every song they performed - Japanese school uniforms, Disco wear, collegiate style cheerleading uniforms complete with letterman cardigans and a mascot. Their style was always a sort of 60s fizzy, Euro, lounge look. It was amazing how well they got it. To this day, the Pizzicato Five concert I attended that night was my all-time favorite. Since I've been here, I've seen tons of their discs - stuff you can't get in the US. I found out that Nomiya Maki - their lead singer during their most popular years was not the original lead, but the third lead singer the band had had. I only wish they were still making their amazing music. From what I read on Wikipedia, this type of J-Pop is called Shibuya-kei (named for Shibuya, a really "hip" district in Tokyo). If you like the video below, go to YouTube and search for Pizzicato Five or go to my videos (anskov is my screen name there), and check out my favorites of theirs. Enjoy:
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