One year ago, I was in pain. Quite a bit of pain from bad shoes, and sleeping outside for a couple nights. That weekend though, I had accidentally began walking on a new brick road…was that really a year ago? Yes, it was the 26th. Many people ask how I got involved in with Jrock Revolution. At the time, I was attempting a business adventure, and while trying to contact YOSHIKI via a letter, I ended up meeting the head of Jrock Revolution. He liked my writing and asked me to write a report, which is the Fan’s Perspective up on our site today. (You may also hear that there is footage of me singing Miyavi songs on camera, but that footage will never ever see the light of day.)

As for JRR, though, things this last year have been utterly surreal. I witnessed new staff coming in, interns going, the forum exploding, bands reuniting, and meeting hundreds of people I would never met otherwise. It’s really fantastic. I am accomplishing my goal of connecting fans with their artists, and am being the ombudsman for hundreds of eager people who just want the Jrock companies to know that they exist. It’s not just people blathering and the people in suits nodding but not really paying attention. It’s equal exchange. This past year, I lost a pet parakeet I had for over a decade and I posted it on the JRR forum in tears…even as a staff member, I felt comfortable sharing this with the fans. The fans, in turn, freely post without worrying that some mod on a power trip will give them the glare of doom. They talk to us as real people, and expect to get answers. It’s neat, they understand we’re on the same level. Everyone is on the same level.

It’s an internal symbiotic relationship: without the fans, the artists fail, without the artists, there aren’t any fans…but if there isn’t a way to tie them together, there isn’t an industry. Especially overseas, this is crucial and important. If the link can’t communicate between the international fans and the Japanese artists, it will go -poof- into dust. It has to be concrete. What’s neat about concrete is that it all depends on water; poor water makes it fail. If you are the water bearer, you better pay attention to the concrete you’re making.

Working with the staff members of JRR is really fantastic too. I will admit I’ve tried to quit about three times now, mostly out of frustration and self doubt…. Kuri wouldn’t let me. I was not allowed to quit, which was rather bizarre and interesting at the same time. Truth is, I’m glad I didn’t. This weekend I’m off to A-kon to do a panel for JRR, and I’m looking forward to it. It must be some weird masochistic side of me, looking forward to lugging four boxes of fliers on an airplane. I’m looking forward to meeting the Mid Western fanbase for JRR, and wondering if Inai is indeed bring tube socks….

Lately, I’ve been reading all of Miyavi’s diary entries and MySpace posts. We now live in an era where you can freely document the music revolution. I am part of it. You are part of it. It’s "kakumei", ne? Does that make sense? I’ve typed so much, I’m sorry if I’m yammering… I just sort of wanted to add a touch to our anniversary article that recently went up on the site. You’ll read it, right? I’ll see you guys next year, OK?