News
Chicago's Anime Central to Host X Japan's Yoshiki (Updated)
posted on by Gia Manry
The Chicago-area anime convention Anime Central announced on its website on Sunday that YOSHIKI, the drummer/pianist/songwriter for the Japanese rock band X Japan, will appear at the May 20 to 22 event in Rosemont, Illinois.
YOSHIKI has appeared at numerous anime events in the United States, including Anime Central 2010, in addition to performing concerts on tour throughout the country. Anime Central also screened a documentary on X Japan at last year's event.
In recent weeks, YOSHIKI has been involved in fundraising for relief efforts aimed at helping victims of March 11's Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) disaster, including the auction of his custom "crystal" piano.
X Japan's most notable anime contributions were the songs in the X² music video collection and later X movie. The animation Studio Madhouse adapted both productions from CLAMP's X manga. The surviving band members — Toshimitsu "Toshi" Deyama, Yoshiki Hayashi, Tomoaki "Pata" Ishizuka, and Hiroshi "Heath" Morie — reunited in 2007, ten years after they first disbanded and nine years after the death of guitarist Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto.
Anime Central 2011 will also feature Japanese fashion designers h.Naoto and Sixh, voice actors Colleen Clinkenbeard, Darrel Guilbeau, and Cristina Vee, and the J-Pop band Flow.
Update: YOSHIKI will be attending the event to host a panel and will not be performing.
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history