Anime Weekend Atlanta 11 Cosplay 2005

As a special unscheduled treat, Lisa Furukawa Ray, who I had mentioned earlier, performed for the crowd before the start of the cosplay contest.

As she played one of her original compositions, the audience joined in, a la Freebird, waving glow-sticks and, as a true sign of this technological decade, their cell phones.

In a way, her music reminded me of Sarah Brightman and really put one in a reflective frame of mind. It was just one more reason that AWA really rocked this year.

As was the case last year, Lauren Goodnight was the host and introduced the contestants. She has such a great stage presence that I would not mind in the least if she hosted every AWA show.

First up was the youth competition.