Julily

🎤 (8/25 @ 4:30 PM EST) PATH PERFORMS & MORE SUMMER SHOWS! 🎹

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be joining forces with Jalisha once again... this time accompanied by live instruments! We’re partnering with The Port Authority of NY & NJ for a live performance at Journal Square PATH Station on Tuesday, August 25th at 4:30 PM EST. We’ll be featuring original music, American Pop Rock renditions, and Japanese Pop covers! For those unable to attend in person, I’ll be livestreaming right here on Instagram—so make sure to set a reminder to get notified when we go live~ 👀

As for our lineup...
🎹 Main vocals & piano: your healing angel idol Jalisha Paz
🤓 Also on main vocals & dancing: me, Julily!
💃 Joining us on vocals & dancing: the lovely Luna (Luna) from 🌊🖥EvaWave🖥 🌊
🎸 On guitar: Jalisha's husband Tim Nguyen
🥁 On drums: our Canadian neighbor Tim Xu
🎻 On violin: our groovy penguin George Victoria
🌟 And finally, our special guest: Richard Lu from Anjelia with more guitar!

Support these shows from our friends...
👼🏻 (8/11 at 4:30 PM) Anjelia 🪽 is also partnering with PATH Performs to bring you a great selection of Anime Songs & Japanese Rock~
🌿 (8/11 at 8:00 PM) Afterwards, Khem will be rocking out at The Bitter End
🌃 (8/22 at 6:00 PM) Later on, Ruco Nishino Valente will be gracing the stage again with Tokyo Downtown at The Red Pavilion for some Citypop 80s vibes
🎷 And finally, Patrick Bartley will be touring Austrailia for the rest of the summer (or winter... for those who live down under)

I can't wait to see you at PATH Performs! またね～ 💕

⏪ SWIPE FOR KARAOKE CLIPS & OTHER FUN STUFF ⏪

As the year comes to an end, I wanted to wrap things up by sharing a few moments from Kawaii Holiday Market and some tidbits I never got around to posting. Despite all the pain and turmoil this country has endured, I’m grateful for the fleeting moments that allowed me to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones.

I haven’t been very active on Instagram, and social media only offers a small glimpse of my life. Much of what you see here is curated to highlight my “best moments,” but it’s never the full picture of who I am (and it never will be). Behind every smile lies a mix of struggle and sorrow—something we all carry in our own ways.

As we celebrate and find comfort in distraction for the next hour or so (in Eastern Standard Time), it’s worth remembering that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. What we truly have is this moment and the memories that come with it, so let’s cherish them while we can.

I won’t tell anyone how to feel about the new year or offer false optimism, but I do sincerely wish you find a bit of calm and serenity as it begins. Peace.

🔗 Donate Here: https://tentennyc.betterworld.org/campaigns/karen-iwata-produces-dear-you-fu

🕊 Supporting "Dear You in the Future" by Karen Iwata 🏡

"There's no place like home," Dorothy said, clicking her heels together three times. This iconic line from the classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" inspires my post, which explores the concept of home as its central theme.

Lately, I've been laying low and I haven't been posting often to protect my privacy. My chaotic upbringing transferred over into my adulthood, making me constantly on guard and looking over my shoulder for potential threats. Usually, when people think of "home," they think of "safety," but to me, the concept of it feels foreign.

After living in New York City for so long, I can't imagine being anywhere else. Despite that, I often feel like I don't have a true place to belong, which frustrates me. Through those circumstances, I encountered people with different struggles, yet I recognized something familiar in their pain. One of them is Karen Iwata, who traveled from Japan to pursue acting in NYC.

As I learned more about her, I asked how she endured it all. She said she didn't have a choice. Combating the need for survival and the tenacity to fulfill a dream meant living in constant tension between what was necessary and what was possible. Everything gets swept up in a storm, and there's no way to control it—the only thing to do is to move with it.

In the aftermath, a stagnation sets in that only lifts as grief fades, leaving one to wonder if stability can ever be restored. When I hear about her overcoming tragedies, such as the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, it reminds me of 2012's Hurricane Sandy, which hit my area on the East Coast. Though the two differ in severity, the devastating toll of such events can stay with someone for a lifetime.

In her upcoming production "Dear You in the Future," Karen unearths the impact of natural disasters, drawing from experiences in her hometown of Sendai, connecting them with U.S. audiences. As she works towards Broadway, Karen is crowdfunding for this production and has almost reached halfway to her goal. Every contribution helps bring this to life and reach those who would resonate. Perhaps, we'll both find our way back home, whatever form it takes.

🔟 .NYC IDOL NIGHT RECAP & SURVEY
📝 https://forms.gle/3Z6TnDuDij4qY6oAA

For those who attended or watched our TEN TEN IDOL NIGHT, please take a moment to fill out our survey so we can improve next time!

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It's been almost a year since I made a formal post on Instagram, but here "Eye" am! I've been so preoccupied with recovering from chronic pain and moving around, so I haven't had the chance to settle fully. Despite that, if you haven't got a chance to see it, I've been working alongside our incredible team to create a Kaigai Idol Taiban here in NYC! This is also my first time hosting and organizing a Kaigai Idol Taiban, too. I'm very honored to partner up with Karen Iwata for this project, and we've been learning a lot from each other along the way!

While I am not an "idol" anymore, we are hoping that with our roots in J-Pop Idol culture, a brand-new kind of idol performer can be established. In my vision, I want to support individuals and groups alike who promote well-being, humanitarianism, and genuine care for others. Maybe in the future, we won't really need to use the "idol" label either and call it something entirely different? We'll see.

Looking back, last weekend left me with a lot of mixed emotions. It was hard for me to react properly since my mind was racing. There was so much to process all at once, and everything felt so surreal. Regardless, I'm incredibly proud of all the performers who pulled through and poured their hearts out on stage. I couldn't pick a favorite act, everyone was so good in their way! Even though my confidence wavered and I fought my doubts, the idols and staff alike were very reassuring, and I couldn't be more grateful. The fact that we were able to collaborate in such a capacity gives me motivation to work even harder for you all.

The future is uncertain, but I am excited for what is coming next. I haven't been able to feel that kind of anticipation for years, given that I've been struggling with intense apathy and depression. At this point, I can truly say that I am content and feel safe. Thank you everyone, and cheers! 🥂

📸 Photography Credit:

🔗URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-f7y5tP4iO/

I've been recovering for a few days after my last performance as an "idol" for Geek Out At Staten Island. If you missed the show, you can see our livestream above and if I ever get the chance, I would like to upload footage onto YouTube but we'll have to see if I'm able to get around editing it. Just like last year, I'll be sharing pictures that our friend Brian Camp took for us along with some of his commentary below!

"On Saturday, I went to Snug Harbor in Staten Island to attend the annual GOASI (Geek Out at Staten Island) and see a delightful half-hour set by two friends of mine, Juliane Infantino and Anna Halverson, performing as Julily Infinite and Anna Banana. Anna flew in from Germany with her husband for the event. They did seven songs, six of them J-pop. Anna even wrote two of them, “Seishun Sengen” and “Chulip”—in Japanese!—and performed them solo. They covered one of the earliest Hello! Project songs I ever heard, “First Kiss,” and a recent single, “Ding Dong,” from former Morning Musume member Masaki Sato. The one English song was the touching “Teddy Bear Heart,” a solo by Juliane. Thanks to my J-pop circles, I've made so many wildly talented friends.

I last saw Juliane perform at last year’s GOASI and I last saw Anna when we did Kararoke back in November 2018 following Anime NYC where we saw Morning Musume perform."

🚇 (8/10 @ 1PM EST) LIVE AT Geek Out At Staten Island 🚉
🔗 URL: https://beacons.ai/julilyinfinite

All aboard the Apple & Banana Express! If you don't want to miss our train, please set a reminder for 1:00 PM EST this Saturday and catch us on our performance livestream on my Instagram profile. For those who would like to watch (on IG) and I in person, I included a link up top of this post for FREE GOASI Con tickets and MTA Instructions on how to get there.

You can also check in with Dean P. H. Aquino for MTA Updates and see him at his panel "Con Survival: How to Navigate A Healthy Con Experience". His panel will start at 12:30 PM in Building P before our performance on the South Meadow Stage.

Eye can't wait to see you. ♾️

🍌 (8/10) LIVE @ Geek Out At Staten Island - FREE TIX IN LINK 🍎
🔗 URL: https://www.eventeny.com/events/goasicon-2024-7941/

As you may or may not know, I will return to GOASI Con for another collaborative performance with my lovely friend (on IG)! She is coming from Germany to cover a duet with me and showcase her new original music, so please support us fruity tooties! It's incredible to see how this event has evolved — it's certainly one of my local favorites and I'm crossing my fingers for no rain next Saturday.

The only downside is that this is my only performance of the year and probably my last performance in a long while. Traumatic life circumstances took hold of me and have knocked my stability. As much as I want to continue going, I have to prioritize other personal matters first.

That said, I will also be dropping the "idol" (or "eyedol") title permanently and if I ever do re-emerge as a performer, ideally I like to be referred to solely as a singer or artist instead. J-Pop Idols were a long-time passion of mine and I still honor my Overseas Idol roots to this day. However, as times change, so do people. I kept telling myself that I always wanted to be an "idol forever" hence my stage name but I guess you can call this performance "~the end of infinity~".

My eyedol journey is over and I have seen enough. Then again who knows if there is a possibility whether Eye will reawaken again or if I stay asleep forever... only God can decide.

Finally, to cele-BEAR-ate my Build-A-Bears (the plushies in the 3rd slide): Princess Cocoa and Prince Vanilla will be holding a WEDDING CEREMONY ON STAGE?!😱 YES! You heard that right! They will both get married and be retitled as ♛Queen Cocoa and ♔King Vanilla! We love Teddy Bear LOVE 🧸💕

Now... enjoy some "winter wish in summer" vibes with some footage of me flailing around the ice skating rink in the next slide. Thank you Ice Qream for teaching me how to (kinda) skate on ice 😂