Living the Dream: Part II - “You GOT IT!!!”

When we last left the adventures of Psychic Lover, Yoffy, Joe, Columbia’s Kubota-san, and myself, were all singing a nighttime rendition of “This is a pen” in a Tokyo drinking spot.

I would soon meet Psychic Lover again when I went with Kubota-san to a Tokyo-AM radio station. There, Psychic Lover was hosting a short 15-minute live program where they introduced their personal “music folder.” I learned that a “music folder is the Japanese name for a play list on iTunes.

The radio premise basically meant that Yoffy and Joe bantered semi-comedic dialogue about pants back and forth while introducing snippets of their favorite songs on the air. Apparently it was national pants day in Japan, or so the producer told us. I wonder if it was a coincidence that three of the four songs selected to play off of Psychic Lover’s iPod were songs they wrote, including their latest Power Rangers theme. Nah, couldn’t be.

Oh, I almost forgot, I was featured on the radio during their show. The first song Psychic Lover wanted to introduce was “Rock and Roll All Night” by KISS. Joe was afraid that he couldn’t pronounce the name correctly, so I was the pinch hitter, saying “Here’s Rock and Roll All Night by KISS” in English on the air. After the song selection played, Yoffy and Joe were nice enough to banter about their American friend Ben for 10 seconds on the air.

By way of a short introduction, here we go! Tonight’s story takes place at the Pasela Karaoke Hall in the Ginza area of Tokyo. Karaoke is a combination of the words “karapo” (meaning empty, NOT crap) and the Japanese pronunciation of the English word “orchestra.” There you have it; karaoke (pronounced correctly as kah-rah-oh-kay) or “empty orchestra.” The same logic can be applied to the word karate, which translates into “empty hand.”

The Ginza Pasela is a karaoke hall for grownups. Completely different from that dusty black singing box you find in bars across America, real Japanese karaoke (in whatever form you choose to partake in) is an event within itself. Any self-respecting Japanese karaoke hall will offer patrons an individual soundproof room where they can sing to their heart’s content, without fear of public embarrassment. One pays for their karaoke room by the hour and, during this time, can order all the alcoholic drinks and snacks one wants for free, to be delivered directly to the room.

When it comes to pretending you’re on American Idol, rest assured that you will be able to sing just about any song you can think of. Phonebook sized listings of Japanese, Korean, Chinese, European, and American songs of every genre and by every artist imaginable, ensure that no one can rightfully use the excuse, “I couldn’t find a song I liked.” Come forewarned; in Japanese karaoke, everyone will be forced to take a turn at the mic (for better or worse depending on one’s tonal ability).

Cheap karaoke halls can be found around any Japanese college or in any place that dares to call itself a downtown. The Ginza Pasela prides itself on being the crème de la crème of karaoke. This basically means that the elaborate cocktails and delicate sashimi are a cut above what you’ll find anywhere else, and that the atmosphere inside the place, complete with see-through glass floors and waterfalls, are enough to make the Bellagio blush.

The basement event hall at the Ginza Pasela was the site for Psychic Lover’s live concert event. I was there as part of the Columbia anime section crew. Psychic Lover’s manager Mizuhara-san was also present with some of his colleagues from Ram’s Productions. Finally, merchandisers from Animate, a manga and anime chain store in Japan, were on hand to supply the fans with all the Psychic Lover CDs, posters, and tiny robot figurines they could want.

I said a quick hello to Joe, who was busy adjusting his levels on the stage; turning the volume up on his axe from deafening to ear bleeding. I then helped put up Psychic Lover posters and arrange the many CD singles into orderly stacks on the folding table, while female clerks from Animate watched me and giggled.

Kubota-san told me that there were going to be near 250 people at the event, but that was a gross exaggeration. To say there was a crowd of 100 would be generous. By and large, late-twenty something Japanese males with glasses and T-shirts, crowded in front of the stage as show time approached. Some guys had Psychic Lover shirts on (I was wearing the limited edition Psychic Lover shirt that my coworkers had given me), but most wore shirts that featured their favorite anime characters. Black was definitely the color of the night, and grease stained sweatpants were preferable to jeans. I also saw quite a few fanny packs.

I did spot one older Caucasian woman (she looked to be in her forties). Together, we were the only two white people in the place. From what I overheard, she could speak some amount of Japanese. I remember that she asked one of the event’s staff members if Psychic Lover was going to make another appearance after they left the stage. She glanced at me once in silence, as if to acknowledge that our skin pantone was the same color, but that was it.

Since the concert was meant to mimic the rowdy, testosterone-filled atmosphere of an outdoor rock festival, they switched off all the electronic dart machines, and forced everyone to stand up close to the stage. Psychic lover soon took their position, now in full rocker regalia and began the show. They played their five or six hit themes, all of which can be found on their current full-length studio album.

Both Yoffy and Joe have a real presence on stage and were helped by the energy from the small crowd that genuinely loved their music. Since Joe has a limited field of movement due to his guitar, Yoffy takes it upon himself to jump and spin around the stage, and lead the audience in clap-alongs during longer solos. Just like on the radio, the two banter semi-comedic dialogue back and forth about the places in Japan they visit on tours in-between songs.

While watching a concert featuring music of the anime or videogame variety, normal audience participation rules do not apply. There is certainly no moshing or screaming. Rather, fans must engage in the following three pre-approved physical actions in order to bring themselves closer to their beloved music and artists.

1) The Jump. This is the most common of the participatory actions, and a great way to keep in rhythm with your favorite song. It involves doing a short bunny hop on every first downbeat and pulsing your legs to the remaining three beats. One then saves up all their energy for the transitions into and out of the bridge, and the last note of the song, which require a large leap in the air. One must keep perfect time and jump in unison with fellow fans, so as not to appear in midair while everyone else is firmly planted on the ground. To be caught in this situation would be noticeably embarrassing and mark one as an amateur.

2) The Punch. The punch is reserved for select circumstances where girly Japanese men must show their strength and pretend that they are Power Rangers, at the prompting of lyric lines such as, “power up” or “let’s go.” During this time, everyone must unleash four fisted blasts into the air, alternating left-right-left-right, in conjunction with the song’s melody. One must count the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, aloud while punching the air, and finish the sequence with a jump of medium height on the downbeat of the following measure.

3) The Point. For slower ballads and quieter music moments where pretending you’re a backup star in a Tae Bo video won’t do, the point must be utilized. This action is the most involved, and requires that one begin extending their right arm skywards, with the index finger erect. The arm extension must start out slow but accelerate so that the finger jabs the air at the exact emotional apex of the music. For slower piano solos and melodic phrases that are longer in duration, it is perfectly acceptable to jab the air repeatedly and in succession, as much as one so desires.

Imagine 100 or so thick-rimmed glasses sporting nerds doing these actions completely in unison, and you will have a good approximation of what the atmosphere was like in the Ginza Pasela. My Columbia coworkers did not engage in these said activities for the most part, choosing rather to rock back and forth and mouth the lyrics to themselves. I experimented with “the point,” during a particularly poignant piano solo in the new Power Rangers theme, but when I looked backwards to see Kubota-san chuckling, I grew self-conscious and took to rocking back and forth like an autistic child instead.

As mentioned, the volume was WAY TOO LOUD. Call me an old crank if you must, but there simply wasn’t enough space or human bodies present in the hall to absorb the sound from the screeching guitar solos and amped up accompaniment. Add this to the fact that Japanese pop-rock always mixes the accompaniment louder than the lead vocals, and you had a solid recipe for death by sound. When the final note had died away, we all found ourselves yelling “WHAT?! WHAT?!,” whenever we addressed each other.

After the show, fans rushed to the folding table to lay their hands and dirty fingernails on CD singles, which came with a designer rectangular piece of white card stock. One could then stand in line for 15 minutes with said piece of rectangular card stock and receive a personalized autograph from Psychic Lover. As the line of fans grew shorter and shorter, with the last patrons waddling away from the stage, blowing on their new signatures so as to not smudge the Sharpie, the Animate store merchandisers brought out the rare stuff; Limited edition Psychic Lover guitar picks for the low, low, price of $15 each!

I saw one prospective impulse buyer rummage through his wallet, only to let his head sag on his chest when he realized that he didn’t have enough money for the yellow-tinted soft triangular piece of plastic. Life can be cruel sometimes…very cruel.

After the concert and cleanup, the whole lot of us (Columbia people, Animate people, and Psychic Lover people) ascended the crystal clear staircase to our own private karaoke room; it was time for the after-party. In total I would say there were around 25 people present, but since the Ginza Pasela gave us their nicest room, space wasn’t an issue. It goes without saying that I was the only white person present. I was also the youngest one there behind Psychic Lover (and they are both 29 years old).

We did a hearty kanpai to Psychic Lover’s successful live performance. Psychic Lover’s manager Mizuhara-san and their representative at Columbia Kubota-san both said, “Let’s move on to the next Psychic Lover album!” And with that, we all began to casually drink mugs of crisp, cool Asahi Beer. All the Japanese men began chain smoking.

After about 35 minutes of drinking and nibbling on the intricate flower shapes formed out of raw fish, the jumbo plasma TV at the front of the room was switched on and Kubota-san started flipping through a huge phonebook sized list of songs – I knew the end was near. From what followed, I learned that karaoke gets better with 1) the more people you have, and 2) the more alcohol you have in your system.

For the next two hours, our group of 25 sang all 30 years worth of Power Rangers theme songs (60 songs in all, since each series has both a beginning and ending theme). Occasionally, we would switch it up with a Masked Rider theme song or the Dragonball theme. It goes without saying that I knew none of these songs. For everyone else however, these songs represented a trip back to their youth.

Not only did all 24 other adults know these songs, they had all the lyrics memorized, and knew exactly when to punch, jump, or karate chop along with the screen. The sight of 24 grown Japanese people chopping and punching in unison at a television screen as it displayed images of a giant Megazord vanquishing the octopus creature can only be described as surreal. Thankfully for me, since virtually every Japanese Power Ranger theme included some sort of “Power Up” or “Let’s Go Rangers” chorus, it was very easy to sing along. Before I knew it, I was wildly punching the air and belting out, “His name is Masked Rider BLAAAAAAAACK RX!!!!”

About halfway through our time, Kubota-san dropped the song book in my lap and said, “You sing.” I took my time flipping through the book, choosing to observe the others around instead. Yoffy, who was nice and wasted, was busying putting a piece of paper against the screen as people were singing, to try to trip them up on the lyrics. When they couldn’t remember how a certain line went without the teleprompting, he would laugh hysterically, nearly falling off his cushion.

Mizuhara-san could be found in the back of the room, performing the Macarena to a particularly upbeat theme song. When it came time for him to sing his song, “Kokoro wa Tamago (心は卵)” or “My heart is an egg,” the ending theme from the show “Bird People Squadron Jet Rangers” (鳥人戦隊ジェットマン), he got down on one knee, looked me in the eyes, and said “I sing this song for you Ben.” Out of thirty years worth of Power Ranger themes, this song is my favorite (though not due to Mizuhara-san’s dedication). I like it because it reminds me of an 80s love ballad. During the chorus, Mizuhara-san jumped up on the couch and began swaying back and forth with his arms extended in the air. He was so into his Power Rangers kumbaya that he nearly fell backwards into the flat screen television.

Next, Psychic Lover sang four of their songs which were programmed into the karaoke box. It was very interesting to watch artists sing their own songs in karaoke. Yoffy, who wasn’t getting any soberer, took to imitating the image of himself on the screen. He would twist and twirl around rapidly to try to hit the same poses as his virtual self on the television. Meanwhile, Joe would pull his slumping body off of the couch cushion and thrash his torso around while playing the air guitar to his own prerecorded solos.

Then, it was my turn. I had been sweating over what song to sing, because I knew full well that I couldn’t attempt a Japanese anime song. I also knew that if I chose an American song I really wanted to sing, the chances of my Japanese friends knowing it were slim to none. After an hour and a half of jumping, screaming, punching, and vanquishing evil in vocal form, I dreaded the cricket chirping silence that would come if I sang Tiny Dancer.

Because of this, I went with a safe bet, The Beatles. I figured that the Japanese would know Twist & Shout, and sure enough they did. I also figured correctly that the call and response structure was at least lively enough to keep peoples’ heads from falling into their fried rice. It may have just been the alcohol, but I thought I sounded great! Actually, I believe that the karaoke machine was equipped with some sort of autocorrecting device that modulated your voice’s pitch up or down to fit the melody line. This would explain while my voice came out of the TV sounding just like John Lennon.

A good eight songs before me, Mizuhara-san had taken to jumping up on the couch Tom Cruise style, shooting two pointed index fingers your way, and yelling “YOU GOT IT!!!” in English whenever anyone finished a song. Needless to say, I got the pleasure of Mizuhara-san’s “YOU GOT IT!!!” couch dive. Even after my applause died down, he was still saying “YEAH! YEAH! YOU GOT IT!!!” in between gulps of beer. After I was done, Yoffy told me that I could also sing “Yesterday” by The Beatles or “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie Titanic, because all Japanese people know these songs. I declined to do my award winning Celine Dion impression – I’ll save that for “Lost in Translation II.”

The song I had been secretly searching for but couldn’t find came up ten minutes later; The American Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Theme! You know, the one from our middle school days with the lyrics, “Go Go Power Rangers, You Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!”

Needless to say, I jumped up to the mic, finally finding a superhero theme I could contribute to. Psychic Lover also took the remaining mics and the three of us did a trio on the American Power Rangers theme. I actually didn’t remember that the song had any lyrics other than “Go Go Power Rangers,” so I was caught off guard when actual verses came on the screen. The lyrics were written in English, but Psychic Lover knew the song better than I did, so it wasn't a problem. I tried my best to harmonize with professional rockers who can sing a good half octave above me, but I stopped reaching for the high notes for fear of upchucking my beer.

The best part about the song was the visuals on the screen. We were treated to panoramas of a cable car traveling around the hills of San Francisco as we belted out lyrics like, “No one can ever keep them down. There power lies INSIDE!!!!” During a guitar solo, Yoffy said, “Hmmm…Shots of overseas. It looks like America” over the mic. I replied “It’s San Francisco” in English and everyone in the room burst out laughing. Go figure.

We sang a few final songs before leaving the room – our three hours were up. We bowed and thanked each other for a fun time on the street corner in front of the Ginza Pasela, and I headed back on the train line, humming the Power Rangers song all the way home.

We’re hoping to launch the Ben Whaley – Psychic Lover joint, “Special Golden Best: A Power Rangers Theme Collection” this holiday season. Check amazon.jp in November for a great stocking stuffer!

To Be Continued…Next; the stunning conclusion of Living the Dream…

B.E.W.

Part III - "Could I have a little water?"