Ginger Root is an interesting artist indeed. The man behind the root is Cameron Lew, Californian multi-instrumentalist and all around creative. The video for his single Loretta (which if you haven’t seen, you really should) propelled him to mid-level internet celebrity status. Few have capitalized on it the way he has, though. It brought a lot of attention to his work in general, and deserved attention.

Not only is he a talented musician and songwriter, he is a gifted visual storyteller and myth crafter. His interest in Japanese pop from the 70’s and 80’s led him to create a narrative thread through his music and videos tying him to Japan, eventually leading him to spend much of his time here in real life. Few artists have a fictitious backstory as fleshed out as his, and his Saturday night Red Marquee performance was like another chapter in this story where the line between fact and fiction is getting increasingly blurred.

The Showa-ness of the set started off strong, visuals an early 80’s Japanese TV pastiche, his trademark tinny vocal effects, it was clear we weren’t here for a concert, we were here for a show.

In the way that any self respecting ska group has a hype man, Ginger Root has a cameraman, an energetic overall wearing imp frantically shooting the band with a bit ol’ camera with a perfectly dated feeling live feed to the screen. It truly completed the immersion that this is TV, and we have slipped back a few decades.

As the set unfolds, drama with his manager and the idol singer he is set to duet with erupts. The whole this is, as Cameron himself put it, a cinematic universes but don’t worry to much about the plot, just sit back and enjoy.

The music from start to finish was a perfect mix of the contemporary and the nostalgic. His songs are catchy, compelling and immaculately orchestrated. Certainly not just hopping on the City Pop bandwagon, but drawing a little inspiration and creating his own mode of conveyance.

What more could you want? The guy has chops, charisma, artistry, creativity, just about everything you might want in an entertainer. Japan is lucky that this is the country Cameron decided to become infatuated with.