The Convention Fans Blog

Minneapolis, MN – September 27, 2013 – Anime Midwest in Chicago is excited to announce two more guests will be joining them in 2014: steampunk musicians Frenchy and the Punk and voice actor Chris Patton. Frenchy at the Punk will be part of Anime Midwest’s epic concert series headlined by Steam Powered Giraffe. Convention attendees can see both FnP and Chris Patton in numerous panels, autograph sessions, and events throughout the weekend convention.

Chris Patton is an exceptionally well-known voice actor, particularly for roles such as Sousuke Sagara in Full Metal Panic!. He has has been acting professionally for well over fifteen years, with over twelve of those years dedicated to voice acting and anime, including work for ADV Films, FUNimation Entertainment, Sentai Filmworks, and OkraTron 5000. Some of his other more well-known roles are Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood, Asura in Soul Eater, Akuto Sai in Demon King Daimao, Keima in The World God Only Knows, Ikki in Air Gear, Sho in Guyver, Fakir in Princess Tutu, Nishi in Gantz, and Turles in Dagonball Z: The Tree of Might. Other Anime credits include: Inu x Boku S.S., Phi-Brain – Puzzle of God, Hajime in Ghost Stories, Ayato in RahXephon, Daley Wong in Bubblegum Crisis 2040, Ranmaru in The Wallflower, Eiji in Gravion and Gravion Zwei, Haruka in Tactics, Graham Spector in Baccano!, Komyo Sanzo in Saiyuki, Gintoki in the Gintama movie, Hiroki in The Place Promised in Our Early Days, and tons and tons more! Chris is also a stage performer, a music freak, a horror film nerd, a roller coaster guru, and a huge fan of Sharon Needles, Freddie Mercury, and Aleister Crowley.

When trying to picture Frenchy and the Punk, imagine Django Reinhardt, The White Stripes, Johnny Ramone, Siouxsie Sioux and Edith Piaf jamming together at an event hosted by Deepak Chopra. This is what it might sound like. A sultry French-born singer, percussionist and a fiery punk rock guitarist from the golden days of the hardcore scene blended their diverse talents to form Frenchy and the Punk in 2005. The unlikely pairing has since released 6 full-length CDs and have performed all across the U.S. and in Europe. In May 2012, Yahoo Music called them one of the top 25 duos in the US. Their show is a carnival of two that will take you from Paris to CBGBs and back again. A rollicking flapper folk punk cabaret with cleverly crafted songs, Taiko meets Rio de Janeiro pounding drum instrumentals and true DIY attitude.

The duo’s music, magnetic stage presence, charm and exhilarating performances have attracted a consistently growing and loyal fan base around the world. The new CD Elephant Uproar released in March 2013 highlights the duo’s rabid drumming instrumentals. Be sure to check out their earlier releases, the frenzied fun of the Hey Hey Cabaret CD (2012), and their breakthrough 2010 CD release, Happy Madness.

The duo’s extended bio can be found at http://www.frenchyandthepunk.com/about.html

The full guest list can be found at http://animemidwest.com/guests

Anime Midwest is happening July 4-6, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, in the Chicago suburbs. The convention brings some of the biggest voice actors, concerts, and events together with nearly 10,000 fans to celebrate Japanese animation and nerdy culture. Attendees can buy tickets to attend now at http://animemidwest.com/register