Armed with a new set of earplugs, I attended the Exist + Trace concert at SakuraCon 2011. And what can I say...I was not impressed. I didn't really care for any of the songs performed, either because I had a difficult time seeing anything with a hundred screaming fans jumping up and down to the beat, or because I'm not a fan of visual kei. But, being bored and wanting to show support for the group who traveled several thousand miles to perform, I figured it would be best to head to the autograph panel after the concert.

I have to say that, despite not enjoying their music, I did like their personality. The organizers made two lines - one for those who were going to buy a CD at the autograph session, and one for those who were not buying a CD. I elected not to purchase a CD - I couldn't justify paying $20 for something I'd only end up selling on E-bay. After patiently waiting a good hour and a half for that line to die down, the group began to take people from the non-purchase line. I really appreciated the fact that they were willing to stay around and sign items for a good three hours that night and I'm sure that that who are fans of their songs appreciated it as well. It's guests like these that make convention experiences well worth it.


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