ARTIST: exist†trace
EVENT: Sakura-Con 2011 (Seattle, WA)
DATE: April 22, 2011
CONCERT ATTENDANCE: 3000
PRESS RELEASE:
All-female Japanese visual kei/metal band exist†trace made their USA debut at Sakura-Con last Friday, April 22, performing to 3000 fans at the annual Japanese anime and culture festival in Seattle, Washington.
exist†trace performed songs from their latest album TWIN GATE, as well as older fan-favorites including “Judea” and “Ambivalence,” plus the title track from their upcoming major-label debut “TRUE”. In the middle of the set, vocalist Jyou set aside her trademark growls to perform “Cradle,” the ballad from TWIN GATE, adding a surprise verse spoken entirely in English.
For their encore song, the band returned to the stage carrying Japanese and American flags with the Japanese kanji “kizuna” (“bond”) written across each. Jyou gave a heartfelt speech in Japanese about the bond between the nations of America and Japan, and thanked America for its support during the current Japanese national crisis brought about by March 2011’s earthquake and tsunami.
Immediately after Friday night’s concert, the band signed autographs for 90 minutes and invited fans to contribute to Japan Relief and sign their own messages on the American flag. On Saturday, the members met fans for a Q&A session followed by more autographs, and then personally arrived at the exist†trace booth on Sunday to draw the winning name for a 6-foot signed banner. The winning ticket holder had traveled 700 miles from Idaho to see the band perform their first American live show.
