An LED sign with the words “Thank You Ginger Root” and “Retro Pop Princess” stood on an expectant stage, while the crowds waited in casual anticipation. The Aztec Gods of the beautiful Aztec Theatre looked down, listening to “Zhi Qui San Bi Qu” and “Amayo No Seppun,” J-pop setting the tone for the rest of the evening. On the right and left flanks lay vintage TVs, large strips of yellow fluorescent light bulbs, while in the center an ironing board held a MacBook.
As the audience filled the pit and balcony, the opener, Amaiwana, came from the wings resplendent. In an almost Red riding Hood cloak and a flared silvery sequined dress, finishing the look with a light red bob and blue sunglasses. Opening with “I’m Crazy” from her sophomore album, the room had a feel much closer to the Harajuku district of Japan than downtown San Antonio..
Running through a set complete with telephone vocals, a light-up toy sword and ridiculously voracious synth playing, the opener had successfully primed the room for the main act.Amaiwana had one more trick up her sleeve, as Cameron Lew, better known as Ginger Root, came from stage right with a bass in hand — joining the fun. Whoops and hollers echoed through the venue, with an “I LOVE YOU” being shouted from the balcony. Eventually heading backstage, Lew put down his bass while Amaiwana rounded out her set with two more songs, thanking the crowd for making her first time in the United States so special.
After a short intermission, Lew returned. This time with his old high school friends joining the fray: Matt Carney on drums and Dylan Davis on guitar.
Ginger Root had finally taken the stage.
Self-described as “Aggressive Elevator Soul,” the Huntington Beach-based project began producing music in 2017. His debut album, “Spotlight People,” was only the beginning, as the Los Angeles native has since produced an impressively wide discography and equally impressive range of music videos, eventually landing his first hits with the songs “Juban District” and “Lorreta.” Since then, he has continued creating his signature funky bedroom pop fusion and producing odd yet interesting media, which culminated in his most recent album and name of the tour, SHINGBANGUMI.
It was with his latest album that he began, as lights dimmed once more revealing a video of “Juban TV’s” CEO providing a warm welcome with the line “Hello Peasants.” Informing the audience that Ginger Root Productions had been taken over, he began to drone until the band took the stage and opened with its newest hit, “Better Than Monday.” With such an odd start, it was clear that the group had a rather special night planned, more akin to a full-scale production than a measly concert.
Running through the first song with both precision and improvisation, the room transformed into an ‘80s Japanese TV set, one of the group’s favorite gimmicks. Fuzzy depictions of Lew and the group appeared on the giant screen behind them and on the tiny televisions littering the stage, creating a technicolor fever dream complete with a double bass solo.
Breezing past the seamlessly blended “All Night” and “Out of State” psychedelic combo, Ginger Root moved on to ‘Karaoke,” leaving his synth set up and breaking out into a metal pipe solo. During all of this he wore a bowl on his head and a 70’s ruffled pink button-up to complete the fit. With each moment between songs, he greeted San Antonio with different city names, much to the joking chagrin of the concertgoers, first playfully mistaking SA for New York and then for Toronto. As the laughter subsided, the projector screen began playing his video “Overdrive Academy,” leading into the SHINGBANGUMI song, “There Was a Time.”
Once again misnaming the city, this time using Fresno California, he moved into “City Slicker,” but the synesthetic wonderland reached new heights as he got ready to play the ever-popular and irresistibly danceable “Juban District.” Finally getting it right and yelling “Hello San Antonio,” the crowd went wild, with deafening applause thundering throughout the Aztec, unmatched until “Juban District” began with its signature dreamy electronic percussion. Through the haze and awash in purple and green, the audience danced along and sang their hearts out while the heavy bass shook the ground beneath their feet. The band had finally reached their peak, but rather than descend, they stayed on this musical mountaintop until the very end.
“Over the Hill” and “Loneliness” were no exception, with the “Loneliness Intro Video” providing a framework that built up to the opener Amaiwana entering from stage left to sing along to the Ginger root staple. Clad in the same yellow dress seen in the video, the move bridged the gap between the music video and the live performance, showing a level of thoughtful craftsmanship and storytelling that elevated the whole experience. This level is only heightened when the band pauses to play their “Anime Video” while performing “Everything’s Alright,” creating an almost surreal sound that can only be described as an epic symphonic anime soundtrack.
After taking a short water break, Ginger Root moved on to their new and endlessly relatable song, “No Problems,” eventually moving on to “Only You” which had some fun audience involvement and had Lew singing in an obscenely high falsetto. “Giddy up” followed this, but in a surprise twist, the band broke out into a rendition of the Beatles’ “Day Tripper” and “Helter Skelter,” showing that the instrumental sensation can scream just as well as he can sing. The audience’s joy had reached a frenzy at this point, with the crowd sounding like a stadium, yet there was still room for more as Ginger Root began playing the long-awaited “Loretta,” marking the true highlight of the night.
Rounding out the set with “Show 10,” the group bid the crowd adieu and left. Immediately shouts for one more went up, and the band relented — providing an encore and finishing the night with an MJ room medley and “Weather.” Exhausted but happy, the audience slowly emptied out of the room, a sea of grins spilling out into Travis Street. Each of them assured that Ginger Root had put on a truly stellar performance that was both faithful to their records and still uniquely intimate, creating an unforgettable night down in the Juban District.
