Chisa onstage getting flowers.

On the chilly Friday morning of October 4, 1996, anime fans who managed to get away from a normal weekday schedule lined up outside the Ash Grove on the Santa Monica pier for an event that few on this side of the Pacific have experienced. Despite the increasing popularity of anime, seeing a popular Japanese voice actress in a live concert is rare and a cause for excitement.
The CHISA IN LA live concert event took place in a club setting not unlike that of MTV Unplugged. The small venue provided a personal atmosphere, and the decor of intertwined sheets and filtered lighting behind the stage framed everything in ripples of red and blue. Mr. Nakamura from Pioneer wasted no time in introducing himself and the producer of the event, Mr. Kit Thomas. Mr. Thomas and his production team was hired not only to record this live event, but they had also already finished 2 music videos featuring Ms. Yokoyama. According to Mr. Thomas, Ms. Yokoyama had arrived only the day before, and was immediately put to work.
The role of the audience, continued Mr. Thomas, was to play along with the recording of the songs. He explained that every song would likely need several takes before getting it right, and we should act as naturally as possible during the performance. The thought of "acting" like a live audience and mimicking the appropriate responses seemed a bit unnatural at the time, to be sure. He further encouraged us to help Ms. Yokoyama along

In between takes on the stage.

with loud clapping and big cheers. And with that, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Nakamura exited the stage and we were left to be entertained by an episode of Pretty Sammy shown on what used to be camera checking monitors. Having watched that particular show once too often, I decided it was a good time to make use of the promotional materials, and began jotting down some notes.
After nearly an hour, a shift in the atmosphere occurred as the crew made ready for the first take. Mr. Thomas once again took stage as he introduced the band members. I have to admit I had my doubts at first about the band's ability to perform most of the songs from the TENCHI MUYO series. Since most of the tracks, both BGM and vocal, consist of synthesized instruments, I could not see how a traditional 5 piece band could pull off some of the songs on their set. (The song list was procured from a production crew member). Suddenly, there was a commotion behind the seated crowd: Yokoyama Chisa was ready to take the stage!
Attired in a white summer dress with flaring shoulder length sleeves, Ms. Yokoyama seemed eager to take center stage. The band had taken their positions as the stage manager signaled for silence from everyone. As he counted down towards the start of the recording, you could almost feel the anticipation from the crowd. Three-Two-One-and a big circular arm motion signaled the band into action, and they exploded into the first number, the original TENCHI MUYO instrumental opening.
The song was brilliantly re-scored and performed by the band. The audience abandoned all good graces and grooved with the music, and my fears about the band's ability were quickly laid to rest. Not only did they succeed in capturing the essence of the original piece, but having it performed live with conventional instruments made the sounds come alive. The band, feeling the positive feedback from their listeners, poured even more energy and enthusiasm into their performance.
With the fading of the last note, the crowd cheered wildly, only to be silenced by the approach of Ms. Yokoyama towards the stage. The band continued playing, a soft and slow intro leading into her first vocal number, "I'm a Pioneer" (continued).