J-Rock outfits DAZZLE VISION and CANTOY have set the record for the highest-ever concert attendance at the American Tekkoshocon event last week, with 1100 fans attending the live performance in Pittsburgh during the April 5-7 weekend.
Tekkoshocon is an annual anime convention held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which has been running since 2003.
For DAZZLE VISION, it was their second American live concert (following on from their 2010 appearance at Sakura-Con) and the band certainly made an impression. Prior to the concert the band members wandered the convention cosplaying as characters from One Piece, while the concert saw bassist Takuro getting into the spirit of things by stage-diving into the crowd.
The performance was also notable for the fact that guitarist John was absent and has now actually withdrawn from the band. No details have surfaced on why John has departed DAZZLE VISION, although the band have since confirmed that Tony (who filled in at the Tekkoshocon performance) is now an official member of the band.
Meanwhile, CANTOY put on an energetic performance as they made their US debut, opening with ‘Samurai Girl’ while lead singer miri-pow chugged a can of Pittsburgh’s Iron City Beer.
DAZZLE VISION and CANTOY were both called back for encores during the concert, and spent an hour after the show meeting fans and signing autographs. Both bands also performed a special second concert the following day at Pittsburgh’s Hard Rock Cafe for a packed house of 150 Tekkoshocon volunteers and special badge holders.
DAZZLE VISION’s latest album release SHOCKING LOUD VOICE is out now.
http://dazzlevision.net
http://cantoy.jp
Text by Amy Bernheit
Photos: David Cirone/RESONANCE Media
14th April 2013