By Dave Rosen

 “AnimeVegas… So this is what kids are watching?”

Halloween and all of its 21-and-over parties including the Fetish & Fantasy Ball are still a couple months away, but I just got back from the underage version of the Fetish & Fantasy Ball. The 4th Annual AnimeVegas Convention, filled with more underage skin than Myspace, came to Las Vegas' Cashman Center last weekend, September 1-3.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like looking at skinny, little girls in mini-skirts, stocking, and tiny tops covered with glitter, fake elf ears and tails running around and giggling and swinging paper-mache swords... I mean really, who doesn't? Well actually, it is a bit creepy... Especially when overweight, middle-aged men with thick glasses and pony tails are selling these girls the costumes... Maybe it's just me that finds this weird?

Anyway, the AnimeVegas Convention is three days of anime for fan boys and fan girls alike. Anime (the Japanese version of Saturday morning cartoons, now with added sex and blood) has been busting out of its niche market as of late, with its images seen not just in the import comics and cartoon DVDs, but in toys, videogames, music videos (see everything The Gorillaz have ever done), and mainstream movies ("Kill Bill"). Where it's even surpassed its Saturday morning cartoon brothers, is in the dress up potential. You've got the aforementioned pre-teen sex goddess look for the girls, and impossibly skinny emo-ninja look for the guys (I could probably get punched, or worse yet, dragon punched for calling it that).

A warning to the anime-initiated: I am not what you would call an anime fan. What I do know of anime comes from its many crossovers into the world of videogames, such as the wildly popular Street Fighter, Dragon Ball Z, and Naruto series. Still, I have enough of a passing knowledge to be able to say that any fan of anime would find a lot to love at the AnimeVegas Convention… That being said, anyone who is not a fan might wonder what strange world they’ve found themselves lost in and might also be forewarned that they shouldn’t let their eyes wander if they don’t want to end up in jail.

The convention showed off all kinds of art, and featured meet-and-greets and signings with famous artists, voice-work actors, and writers. There was also music in the form of popular J-Rock, including featured guest of the show, Yoko Ishida.

One panel that I attended, which was actually billed as a “comedy” hour, featured Neil Kaplan, the voice of Optimus Prime in the first episode of “Transformers: Robots in Disguise,” as well as the voice of Hawkmon on “Digimon: Digital Monsters,” and the evil Diaboloco on “Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue.” According to the program, he also played ghosts and “stomachs.” I don’t really need to make jokes about this, as Kaplan made them himself the whole time. I joke, but actually it was quite interesting to see a man who has worked so hard, reflect on his two decades in a business that’s ultimate display of success, is when the fans engage in heated opinion-battles on Internet message boards.

I hate to be negative in my coverage of this event, as it seems like the organizers tried really hard to give the fans what they want. For the most part, they did a good job of providing great speakers, special guests, and vendors, but there was definitely a lot missing. The biggest problem, really, was that the helpers (or “minions” as they were called), were really just a bunch of untrained anime fans. No one really seemed to be all that organized or know much about what was going on. There were events throughout the day scheduled in Panel Room 1, 2, and 3, but they weren’t talking about Cashman Center Panel Room 1, 2 and 3. They were referring to three meeting rooms with paper signs that read Panel Room (but were, for the most part, covered up by all the kids standing around). Many of the minions seemed less interested in making sure the event went smoothly than they were with making sure they could catch a 3:00 p.m. panel featuring their favorite cartoon monster voice-actor.

Still, as I said before, I’m an outsider in this world, and I can’t really judge it that harshly. The fans that came for the anime undoubtedly had a blast, and either way, I’m less interested in commenting on the success of the show itself than I am in warning parents of what their kids are doing at a show like this.

I enjoy violent and sexual movies and videogames, and censors are constantly trying to take those things away for the sake of our children. Why then, are parents letting their kids dress like runaway sex-slaves with blue hair? Is it because it’s only a cartoon?

Parents need to understand what it is their kids are watching and emulating. At video stores, the adult section is hidden behind a wall of shame. At the AnimeVegas Convention, the adult DVDs (I’m pretty sure one was called “Boobie Snatchers”) are right there in the open. If you take anything from this, parents: please monitor your kids, so that they aren’t exposed to anything inappropriate, and so I can still get my hands on “Boobie Snatchers.”
 

 “Weird Al Yankovich – Still Hilarious After All These Years”

The first concert I ever saw was "Weird Al" Yankovich. Throughout my life I went through phases of loving Weird Al, to not even thinking about him, to even having my own comedy-music group. Now, 17 years later, it seems that I've come full circle. Weird Al rules.

Weird Al Yankovich
Photo courtesy of http://www.weirdal.com

For those that don't know (which seems impossible in my mind), Weird Al is a comedian/songwriter who is mostly famous for parodying pop-hits from the likes of Madonna, Nirvana, and most famously, Michael Jackson. He never releases a parody without the artists blessing (which is also the reason "You're Pitiful," a parody of the James Blunt mega-hit "You're Beautiful," which he played Thursday Night, was never released), but has skewered pretty much everybody in the pop music spotlight. Some artists have even gone as far as to say that they haven't fully "made it" yet until Weird Al parodies them (Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain was particularly pleased when “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was parodied).

Unfortunately, for us fans, Weird Al had sort of fallen off in the past 5 years or so. Maybe it says something for the current state of pop music (a few years ago he came out with a parody of "American Pie," not quite the usual current pop-fare), or maybe Al had just gotten a case of parody-writer's block. Either way, with his recent hit "White & Nerdy," a take on Chamillionaire's multi-platinum rap hit, "Ridin' Dirty," Weird Al is back with his new album "Straight Outta Lynwood," and a tour to match.

Photo courtesy of http://www.weirdal.com

Playing at the Henderson Pavilion's outdoor amphitheatre on Thursday, June 14, Al didn't disappoint the almost sold out crowd. The fans ranged from guys in their 20's like myself to entire families bringing their children to experience Weird Al for the first time (just like my parents took me when I was a kid). It seems as if Al comes in phases like clothing and hair styles. When it's not cool to like him, no one likes him, but when he's in style (which he is now due to "White & Nerdy"), his fans range from nerds to jocks to young and old and even, apparently, Jedi. There was a crowd of about ten sitting dead center that were dressed like the cast of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace." "Wow," was all I thought to myself.

Most people probably don't even realize that Weird Al's albums are a mix of parodies and original songs, but his show was also a big mix. Originals like "Alb-baquerqe" and "I'll Sue Ya" were still big hits for the super-fans in attendance, and some even drew as much laughter and applause as the more well-known parodies. One of the biggest numbers of the night was the original "Wanna B UR Lover," a ridiculous sexual come-on, filled with ridiculous pick-up lines.

He opened the concert with "Polkarama," the newest in a tradition of polka-medleys that take on about 10 current pop hits, this time around the party included Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out," Black Eyed Peas' "Lets Get It Started," and our own The Killers' "Somebody Told Me." Later in the show, Al fit in many of his most popular parodies (he has three Greatest Hits albums... so it would be hard for him to do them all). Some of the highlights were "Fat" (Michael Jackson's "Bad," complete with the fat suit from the video), "Canadian Idiot" (Green Day's "American Idiot"), and the aforementioned "White & Nerdy."

Photo courtesy of http://www.weirdal.com

In between songs, prerecorded skits from Al’s non-existent television show “AL-TV” (based on a two-time Weird Al special that aired on MTV) showed on giant screens above the stage. The clips were in some instances even funnier than the actual show. Some included music videos for the songs, while some were interviews conducted with stars using just out-of-context clips from various TV clips… All classic Al.

Obviously, I loved this show. While liking Weird Al may not be quite as popular as it once was, it doesn’t matter. Anyone who isn’t in on the joke is clearly missing out. I love you, Al.