S.S. HANAMI

Greetings and salutations! We hope that the month of May has found all of you well~

This upcoming weekend (May 10-12), we will be making our first appearance at BelleCON, Jacksonville’s newest Anime and Japanese Cultural Convention. There will be a “Meet S.S. HANAMI” panel at 5:00pm on Friday in Panel Room 1 (Anchor) and a live performance the following day (Saturday, May 11) at 9:00pm in Main Events. Be sure to get there a few minutes early to get a good seat. For additional information, directions, and to purchase tickets, visit BelleCON’s official website, http://belleconventions.com/

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Also, later this month, on May 31st, S.S. HANAMI will be appearing with My Dearest Friend and Killing Gypsies at Hangover in Melbourne, so mark your calendars! More details forthcoming, so stay tuned~

-Robbi

Heya, Robbi here! This Saturday, April 20, I’m going to be making a solo appearance playing some traditional Japanese koto songs at 2:00pm in Melbourne, Florida @ Vinyl Request Records. I’ll be performing for about 20 minutes total. Visit the FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE for more details.

Check out the list of bands and spread the word to any friends you think might be interested — the whole event will run from noon to 7pm.

Hope to seeya there~

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Greetings S.S. HANAMI fans!!! This is Robbi, with your April edition of SAKURA ZENSEN. First off, Thank You to everyone who watched our performance(s) at the Japanese Culture Festival, whether you specifically went out of your way to see us, or just happened to be there.
Now, before we get into show announcements and other band-related business, I have an important announcement to make:

I really, really love Science! And I say this not only because I grew up wanting to be Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory, but also because Science has given me the gift of being able to see one of my lifelong dreams come to fruition. Thanks to the A-list nanotechnology researchers at ISIS (and their *cough* moral flexibility *cough cough* when it comes to pushing the boundaries of the human genome) I am thrilled beyond belief to report that yours truly has become the first recorded instance of splicing genuine, fully functional bunny ears onto a human being! And if that weren’t cool enough, they also gave me my very own fluffy rabbit tail… for FREE (well, for “some unspecified future favor,” but I can’t imagine that it’ll be too much trouble).
Because the bunny ears are fully integrated into my central nervous system, they actually have feeling in them and are surprisingly sensitive. Therefore, I’ll have to ask that you *please* don’t sneak up behind me and pull them. (The same goes for my tail~) Thank you in advance! :3

Thank you ISIS

In other news, we’ve just updated the SHOWS section of sshanami.com with several new events. For starters, we will be appearing with My Dearest Friend this Saturday, April 6, at Taco & Tequila in Downtown Cocoa. Check out the FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE or the SHOWS section for details and directions. That show is FREE and starts at 8:00pm.

In conclusion, I hope that you all have a fantastic April. Oh, but before I go… part of the deal for the ears & tail was that I’d regularly plug ISIS in our newsletters. So, if there are any persons in good health who’d be willing to waive some of their human rights and subject themselves to a small modicum of danger in exchange for the exciting possibility of having their very own fully functional <<insert cute animal here>> ears and tail, contact the ISIS Applied Research Department at ┓┏ 凵 =╱⊿┌┬┐
Trust me, it’s really a small price to pay in exchange for being a part of such groundbreaking research. (And I still haven’t gotten tired of watching my ears twitch in the mirror when I dry my hair…)

-Robbi

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Hello, Earth!!! Robbi here, and I’ve got a few treats for you all in this month’s SAKURA ZENSEN.

Photo by Novack Clay

First off, Skylab Recording Studios, where we recorded most of our album, has a REALLY cool new feature where you can take a virtual tour of their facility through google+ street view. Click HERE to check it out!!! Can you spot our CD plaque on the wall? ;3 It’s like Where’s Waldo. Look carefully…

As far as shows this month go, S.S. HANAMI and My Dearest Friend are *back* at Taco & Tequila on St. Patrick’s Day (Sunday, March 17) at 9:00pm sharp. Grab a bite to eat and listen as two of Brevard’s finest bands bring the feels and the festivities!!!
Wearing green is cool… wearing green *costumes* is cooler! =D Prizes will be given to the best St. Patrick’s Day themed outfits.

Click HERE to go to the Facebook event page

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By the way, if you haven’t heard My Dearest Friend yet, then make doubly sure to attend this show. They describe themselves as “Progressive indie rock that combines sweet melodies, driving rhythms, catchy riffs, and dramatic changes to convey… feeling” (which they certainly succeed at.) Additionally, our very own Andrew Wiggins plays drums in MDF, while James Brinkle Jr. is on vocals and guitar. Please visit their FACEBOOK and WEBSITE.
And did we mention the food? If you’re too young to toast St. Patty’s with us, then grab a few of your friends and sit down for some Mexican food. =D

Lastly, check out our GALLERY for some photographs from our Masquerade earlier this month, taken by Dave Good. We owe an unbelievably HUUUGE thanks to Taco & Tequila… We found out mere hours before the Masquerade was scheduled to begin that we couldn’t hold it where we’d originally planned. Our managers just walked into Taco & Tequila and asked if we could have our Masquerade there — the owners said yes, and within a few hours, My Dearest Friend was taking the stage (er, I mean balcony) followed by yours truly. The owners were even cool enough to let us drop countless balloons onto the first floor from the second floor balcony at one point during the show.

S.S. HANAMI would like to extend a special invitation to each and every one of you — we are hosting a MASQUERADE on February 13, the night before Valentine’s Day.
You are cordially invited to enter a dimly-lit world of white lace and crushed velvet… don your mask and dance to the sound of three of Brevard’s finest bands (including yours truly ^_~)

FREE ENTRY WITH A MASK, $5 for a mask at the door
DOORS @ 8:30PM
Located at The Hippodrome – 9 Stone St, Cocoa, Florida 32922

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Costumes aren’t required, but there will be random prize giveaways for the best outfits.

We will be joined by the bands My Dearest Friend (whose lineup includes Andrew and James from S.S. HANAMI) and Trash City Rockers.

MY DEAREST FRIEND
Progressive indie rock that combines sweet melodies, driving rhythms, catchy riffs, and dramatic changes to convey… feeling.
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK

TRASH CITY ROCKERS
Birthed by a lack of motivation for anything but the raw driving force that is Rock and Roll, they have created a sound that defines electric charge! A fast-paced, neo-punk noise that will undoubtedly turn heads.
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK

All are welcome, so tell your friends!!!
JOIN THE EVENT ON FACEBOOK

Always yours,

~Robbi, Andrew, James, and Nat

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