British Pop-Rock Artist Kieran Strange to Perform at Otakon Matsuri

Baltimore, MD (May 11, 2015) – British pop-rock artist Kieran Strange, whose songs focus on topics ranging from zombies, D&D and video gaming to serious issues, will perform at this year's Matsuri, to be held before Otakon 2015.

Raised on a variety of music genres above her grandmother's pub in a small fishing village in southern England, Strange left home at 17 to follow her heart. Her music blends pop sensibilities, edgy guitars, and extremely high-energy live shows into her personal brand of British pop-rock. Firmly grounded in the geek community, she describes herself as a "cosplayer, LARPer, Slytherin, Firebender, Half-Elf Rogue, and crazy cat mum."

Hot on the heels of her debut EP "Adamintine Heart," Kieran will be unveiling her sophomore EP "Last Hero Standing" in the spring of 2015. She also worked with the cast and crew of transgender television sitcom "The Switch" to compose a theme song for the show. Amidst multiple convention appearances, art work releases, and costume crafting, Strange is currently working on a project with Japanese-inspired apparel and accessories company Tasty Peach Studios, which will feature J-pop-influenced tunes written by Strange, along with cute animations and designs in collaboration with TPS's talented graphic artist, Ryan Zanfei, who is responsible for the extremely popular characters currently featured on TPS's products.

Strange's die-hard fans call themselves the #Strangers, and many of them connect with the causes she fights to support, such as feminism and equal rights, autism awareness, cancer research, eating disorder and mental health awareness, and anti-bullying.

The Otakon Matsuri is an outdoor street festival that will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 23 at Baltimore's beautiful West Shore Park at the Inner Harbor. Admission is free to both the Otakorp membership as well as to the general public. The event features many attractions to keep attendees well-occupied: games, contests, prizes, live entertainment, great food, and even Otakon guests, who have been known to stop by and take part in the festivities.

Otakon 2015 will be held July 24-26 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. Otakon artwork, and guests with connections to our theme.

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its twenty-second year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 34,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 100,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.