#dannykatz

Last night, I found myself in my favorite sensory overload vomit pit - Shibuya. The above photo (which I wish I had taken) makes it seem all pretty and orderly. But if you watch my music video for Sacramento, you can get the feel for being jostled into a lonely anonymity, while simultaneously being assaulted by three giant sized TVs blasting J-pop, bright lights flashing everywhere, and building size posters promoting prepubescent boy "bands" with names like "Sexy Zone."

Oh Google Image Search, you never let me down. But seriously, aren't these kids like... 5?

And yet, in the center of this madness, peeking out from clouds of cigarette smoke and tourist camera flashes, is the statue of Hachiko.

Shown here in the less manic daylight hours. I'm assuming those are just ordinary school kids and not another boy band in the making... #pray

I've been wanting to write a song as told by the Hachiko statue - but am struggling with the lyric. Not sure if it should focus on something as curmudgeonly pointed as "Japan's post-bubble decline," or make it more of a "marvel at Japan's technological success and post-3/11 resilience." Or something altogether different - such as the bonds that Hachiko represents - unconditional love, friendship, fidelity and loyalty.

After a massive 25 minute #techfail yesterday (^^;), we were finally able to get our StageIt show off the ground and up onto the good ol' Interwebs. Thanks all for your patience! #thisiswhydannycanthavenicethings #likeanipad.

Thanks to Tom for hosting us, to Fluter Scooter (surprise guest!) and Martin for bringing the music HARD and folktastic, and to all of you amazing fans. My heart swoons for you in 8-bit emoticon delight --->

US DURING HAPPIER TIMES :P

And then...

US DURING POST-SHOW GRUB... Japanese pizza

(so yes, corn and mayo. #onlyinJapan)

Martin and I are thinking about hosting StageIt performances on a monthly basis, but with each show having a different theme. So far we've come up with songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s. That plus -- I'm not-so-secretly pushing my (drag-queen) agenda via "The Miseducation of Kween Dandylion," a show which I envision featuring folk/country musicians (in drag) doing Peter, Paul and Mary style versions of classic tracks by female MCs.

Thinking something along the lines of MC Lyte's "Paper Thin" meets Peter Paul & Mary's version of "Blowing in the Wind," or Lil Kim on banjo: "How Many Twangs?" ("... he had a hurricane strum..." "...play guitar chord 8, oh oh oh")

Ok fine, so I'm secretly just looking for an excuse to dress like Sailor Moon... Don't hate. :P