One of Korea's hottest solo female artist Hyuna will be making her first appearance in North America touring 8 cities. In addition, there will be 4 different tiers available for tickets which includes meet and greet opportunities such as high touch and a photo op.
Stop by the official tour website for more information and ticket sales:
Tour Stops Include:
Vancouver
Toronto
Montreal
Chicago
New York
Dallas
San Francisco
Los Angeles
The BLACKPINK 2019 WORLD TOUR with KIA [IN YOUR AREA], currently in Seoul is coming soon to North America, Europe and Australia. Making their way through Asia, the group will be visiting Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taiwan in the next two months. Tickets to see the South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé have been selling out quickly.
BlackPink was recently announced as part of the lineup for the 2019 Coachella tour.
For more information visit: http://www.ygfamily.com/artist/Concert_BLACKPINK.asp?LANGDIV=K&ATYPE=2&ARTIDX=70
On January 20, 2019 JYP Entertainment introduced their newest girl group, ITZY with members Yuna, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, Lia, and Yeji. The group’s name is comes from the Korean word that means “is there."
While more information on the group is currently sparse, the members are no strangers to the entertainment industry.
This is JYP Entertainment’s second girl group since TWICE which debuted in 2015.
ITZY Official Accounts:
Official Website: itzy.jype.com
Facebook: ITZY
Twitter: @ITZYOfficial
Youtube: ITZY
One Ok Rock's United States tour kicks off in a few days so why not have a listen to their new album, "Eye of the Storm?" This marks One Ok Rock's second album under Fueled by Ramen and their ninth album overall. It is my opinion that whether you enjoy this album hangs squarely if you enjoyed "35xxxv" and "Ambitions." If you liked those albums you'll probably like this one too. "Eye of the Storm" continues the refinement and evolution of the band to their newer sound.
If you are one of those who prefer the old days of Jinsei x Boku = and Zankyo Reference you'll likely be conflicted. My introduction to this band was "No Scared" as played for Black Rock Shooter and things have changed between now and then. The tempos are definitely slower and the sound is less energetic than in previous works. Perhaps it is a sign of Taka's growth; no longer is he the youth he once was and now a lot of things seem more about inspiring and encouraging the new generations. Last year they held a special concert called "18 Fes" and only those age 17-19 were eligible to attend. They put on a hell of a performance of the song "We Are" involving all of the fans present which you can check out below.
With the newer sound some things seem to have been sacrificed. If you're expecting high-speed shredding guitar work from Toru and Ryota or stellar drumming from Tomoya you might want to look to one of the earlier albums. "Eye of the Storm's" instrumentals are of a softer nature which do support the lyrics but contrast wildly with albums pre-2015. According to Taka all the band members do have input and do handle the live arrangements so it is not a one-man show. I do wonder how much influence the last few album's producers John Feldmann and Dan Lancaster have had on the process. They have worked with bands like 5 Seconds of Summer and Bring Me the Horizon album and "Eye of the Storm" definitely sounds like one of those albums.
The band announced that they would be the opening band for the Asian leg of Ed Sheeran's 2019 world tour so their new sound has led to commercial success. They've toured alongside bands like Sleeping With Sirens, All Time Low, Crown the Empire, and 5 Seconds of Summer. In 2017 they were set to play support for Linkin Park before that tour was cancelled due to unfortunate circumstances (we need not mention them). Linkin Park is another band whose sound changed over the years and the vigor of "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora" gave way to "One More Light."
OTAQUEST LIVE, a unique live summer concert event featuring a dynamic slate of J-Pop, dance and hip hop superstars headlines The Novo in L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, July 3rd.
Produced by OTAQUEST and LDH USA, this one-night-only live concert will feature live concert performances by J-Pop superstars who have helped to define the vibrant sound, styles, moves and images that drive Japanese pop culture.
Performers will include: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and m-flo, as well as the first North American live performances from CAPSULE, CrazyBoy, and Hiroomi Tosaka. Later that evening, OTAQUEST KICK OFF takes over and will showcase performances by some the hottest DJs from the bustling Tokyo EDM scene.
Catch groove inducing sets by Taku Takahashi, TeddyLoid and Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE) and experience the captivating culture of the real Japanese club scene in Los Angeles for one night at this special live dance and DJ event.
Tickets for OTAQUEST LIVE and OTAQUEST KICKOFF are available now:
OTAQUEST LIVE:http://axs.com/events/372261/powered-by-ldh-usa-tickets?skin=novo
OTAQUEST KICK OFF:http://axs.com/events/372262/powered-by-ldh-usa-tickets?skin=novo
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 5:00 pm (doors), 6:30 pm (show starts)
WHERE: The Novo by Microsoft L.A. Live -- 800 W. Olympic Blvd
ARTISTS: CAPSULE, CrazyBoy, Hiroomi Tosaka, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, m-flo
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 10:30 pm
WHERE: The Novo by Microsoft L.A. Live – 800 W. Olympic Blvd
ARTISTS: Taku Takahashi, TeddyLoid, Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE)
OTAQUEST events showcase what is “of-the-moment” in Japanese culture and celebrates the best in Japanese pop music and dance with some of today’s hottest artists. For additional information, visit: https://live.otaquest.com.
OTAQUEST LIVE ARTISTS:
m-flo
m-flo is a hip hop and dance group that has taken the Japanese music scene by storm and is captivating a widening international fanbase. Beginning with their 1988 breakout debut, the maxi-single titled, the tripod EP, which earned them an instant spot in the Top 10 of the Japanese Oricon charts, m-flo has gone on to chart 12 singles and 2 hit full-length albums, including Expo Expo, which sold over 800,000 copies in Japan. In 2017, m-flo celebrated its 20th anniversary and continues to inject vibrant sounds and moves into hip hop and pop music.
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is the most followed Japanese artist on Twitter and one of Japan’s most influential pop icons. She made her major J-Pop music debut with the Moshi Moshi Harajuku EP, which was notably produced by Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE). Kyary released her full-length solo debut Pamyu Pamyu Revolution in 2015 and it scored her first #1 spot on the Oricon charts, iTunes Japan charts and Worldwide Electro charts. Kyary has garnered accolades from Western artists such as Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and Charli XCX. Kyary also curated an exhibition, The World Goes Pop, for London’s Tate Modern Art Museum. Kyary’s style and originality as a Harajuku icon and her music and artistic activities continue to attract and inspire an international fanbase.
CAPSULE
CAPSULE is the live production unit of Yasutaka Nakata. Formed with Toshiko Koshijima in 1997, they debuted in 2001 as a dynamic all-in-one music group combining shared passions for music, fashion, and video media. Yasutaka Nakata writes, composes, and arranges all of CAPSULE’s music. CAPSULE has performed at many renowned international festivals and incorporates impressive audio/video stage elements to its live shows. CAPSULE also has produced music for Perfume, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and contributed to the Star Trek: Into Darkness, Liar Game and Apple Seed Alpha movie soundtracks.
CrazyBoy
CrazyBoy is the hip-hop project of ELLY, who made his debut as part of the J Soul Brothers III. His EPs NEOTOKYO and NEOTOKYO II have drawn wide international acclaim and debuted at #1 across multiple sales charts including on iTunes and mu-mo. CrazyBoy has collaborated with hip-hop legends Snoop Dogg and PKCZ® (VERBAL / DJ MAKIDAI / DJ DARUMA) on the track, “Bow Down ft. CrazyBoy from EXILE TRIBE.” The song was released by the Dutch dance music label, Spinnin’ Records/Trap City. CrazyBoy has also appeared on tracks by Shinichi Osawa, the hip-hop icon, ANARCHY, and the dance hall reggae masters, Mighty Crown.
Hiroomi Tosaka
Hiroomi Tosaka is an actor, solo artist, and vocalist and released his major label debut in the Japanese pop group J Soul Brothers III from EXILE TRIBE with their first single, “Best Friend’s Girl”. In 2017 he released his first solo single, WASTED LOVE and last year debuted his first full-length album, FULL MOON, which he supported with a 23-date international tour. His clothing brand, CLAIR DE LUNE, offers a distinct world view expressed through fashion and draws influences from a wide range of cultures. As an actor, Hiroomi Tosaka debuted in Hot Road (2014), directed by Miki Takahiro, and was bestowed the Newcomer Award in four Japanese film festival ceremonies including the Japan Academy Prize. He is also an accomplished photographer and has released a collection of photo essays, NOBODY KNOWS.
K-Pop group TWICE has released the highly anticipated music video for their latest song, "FANCY." The video has garnered roughly 40 million views in the span of 24 hours, breaking the group's previous 24 hour view record of 31.4 million views.
TWICE has also taken to releasing a special message in English on Spotify.
Turn it up! @JYPETWICE's new #FANCYYOU mini album is here. Get it stuck in your head ? https://t.co/ghP9EqQlOJ pic.twitter.com/14ef8tPsuy
— Spotify (@Spotify) April 24, 2019
The song features a departure from their traditional cute concept, opting for a slightly more mature, but still sweet, party theme.
Japanese hip-hop group HONEST BOYZ’ newest single “ELECTRICITY (featuring Lil Uzi Vert)” will be the original ending song for the Hollywood live action movie Detective Pikachu.
Detective Pikachu is an adaption from the 2016 game Detective Pikachu ~Birth of a New Combination where humans and Pokemon have adapted to live together in Lime City. The main character, Tim meets with Detective Pikachu, and they team up to rescue Tim’s father. The Japanese dubbed version will be voiced by Ryouma Takeuchi as Tim, and the rookie reporter, Lucy will be voiced by Marie Itouya.
“ELECTRICITY” is Pharrell Williams’ second collaboration with HONEST BOYZ, following “TOKYO DIP” which released in the latter part of 2018. The song has planned distribution by an overseas label giving the opportunity for HONEST BOYZ to have their first world-wide debut.
Detective Pikachu was released in American theaters on May 10th.
Korean pop group Davichi will be holding a concert in San Francisco at the Herbst Theatre on June 29th at 7:30PM. Ticket prices will start at $90 and upwards to $290 for box seats. Online tickets sales begin on Sunday June 2, 2019 at 12:01 AM PST at City Box Office.
Formed in 2008, Davichi is composed of vocalists Lee Hae-ri and Kang Min-kyung.
Davichi's music has been featured in several television dramas including their song, "This Love" featured in the internationally acclaimed 2016 Descendants of the Sun.
To learn more about this event:
Website
https://galasf.com/
Official Facebook Event Page
https://www.facebook.com/events/1208015386024830/
Anime Expo 2019 may not have had as many concerts as years past but what it did have was quality. Love Live's Aqours played to two sold-out crowds at The Novo on July 5th and 6th. The performances, titled "BRAND NEW WAVE," would leave concertgoers with memories for years to come and build upon Aqours' legacy in Los Angeles.
This is one of the smallest venues that Aqours has played in but you wouldn't be able to tell from the noise of the fans in the crowd. Anime Expo's usual venue of choice, Microsoft Theater, was markedly occupied by the preparations for ESPN's Espy awards. The nearby Staples Center was likewise booked with a Shawn Mendes two-day concert series. A contingent of dedicated individuals were up front in the pit and it seemed like every other person was holding the ubiquitous penlights that you see at idol concerts.
This is Aqours' fourth straight year attending Anime Expo and their third year of performances. The vast majority of tickets sold out in minutes. The Novo's capacity is roughly a third of Microsoft Theater's but two sold-out shows meant the overall tickets sold was comparable as last year's concert did not sell out the very back of the venue. I was able to secure tickets to both Day 1 and Day 2 (VIP Pit for Day 2) and had a lot of fun even though I've seen the group almost a dozen times by now with half of those being live. There was one noticeable absence in the form of Arisa Komiya (voice of Dia Kurosawa) who is on medical leave. The set list was 17 songs long and while it lacked the subunit songs (we are missing Dia after all) there was a lot of variety.
Last year I had said that a full Aqours concert in America would likely not be replicated. I was clearly wrong. I was also wrong in that Anime Expo did not have Anisong World Matsuri (oddly enough the VIP badges for 2019's Aqours concert had the AWM branding on them) but that's a story for another day.
Friday's evening show started off with "Boku no Hashittekita Michi" from the Love Live Sunshine movie "Over the Rainbow" which, ironically, has yet to be screened outside of Japan. On August 5th it will finally be shown in select theaters with assistance from Funimation Films. The second song of the opening set, "Thrilling One Way," helped push the tempo and was followed by Season 1's OP song "Aozora Jumping Heart."
As is tradition with all of Aqours' performances the girls introduced themselves one by one. Each has a call-response and everyone in the crowd seemed to know what to say and what color to switch their penlights to. For those of us who have attended every live viewing and Los Angeles performance this is second nature. I went as far as to take part at Aqours 4th Live in Japan last year.
What followed was a series of songs and costume changes. The girls would change a total of three times through the performance and sang songs like "Mattete Ai no Uta," "Daydream Warrior," and "Todokanai Hoshi Dato Shitemo." Midway through "Brightest Melody" something new happened. Los Angeles had been rocked the day prior by a 6.5 scale earthquake approximately 150 miles north of the city center. At 8PM a second, stronger quake hit. This one was eventually rated 6.9 and was right in the same area as the one the day before. At the time I wasn't sure if it was an earthquake or whether it was just people in the balcony going too hard; I've been in more than a few concerts where the audience was able to make the floor move. To the girls' credit they didn't miss a beat and continued through the rest of the song. Japan, much like California, is no stranger to earthquakes but for some of the travelers who had come from across the world to gather in LA this was a new experience.
A quick break was held as venue staff inspected the building and fixtures to see if anything was out of order before the show resumed. Anju asked if we were okay and if we were ready to go; the cheers from the crowd was an obvious answer that needed no translator. Aqours resumed activities with the fan-favorite "Koi ni Naritai AQUARIUM" and fans were able to recreate the classic "Yousoroad" of blue glowsticks and penlights. Day two's setlist diverged slightly with the Kanan-focused "HAPPY PARTY TRAIN" (which uses green) and "'MY LIST' to you!"
The encore would be a total of four songs and one of the most heartfelt is the song "No. 10." Concertgoers from last year probably remember the Aqourainbow which lit up Microsoft Theater to the song "Yuuki wa Doko ni? Kimi no Mune ni!" A more abbreviated version was performed from the front of the pit all the way to the top corners of the room and during the forming of the rainbow each girl calls out her number. The crowd subbed in for the number seven which is normally spoken by Arisa Koyama. No. 10 is the crowd themselves; "The 10th member is you, you're our friend too!" Aqours has always been about crowd participation and this is just one more element of that.
The final song for both performances was "Jump Up HIGH!!" also known as "the towel song" as during the chorus you take your official Love Live towel and spin it above your head. First introduced at Aqours 5th Live in early June this marks the second (and third) time it has been performed live. It was a great way to end the show. The song's lyrics about about having fun, being happy, and taking chances which are all things we should be doing every day. "Love life," so to speak. Anju (voice of Chika, Aqours' leader) asked if they could make four years of performances into five, and next time, at full strength. Hopefully her words are prophetic.
【AX】LOVE LIVE! SUNSHINE!! Aqours World LoveLive! in LA ～BRAND NEW WAVE～ has ended✨ Big thanks to everyone who came and cheered? We hope to come back to LA with all 9 members in near future! Please continue your support for us?#worldlovelive #AnimeExpo2019 pic.twitter.com/uPRHEOfN0M
— ラブライブ！シリーズ公式 (@LoveLive_staff) July 6, 2019
LOVE LIVE! SUNSHINE!!
— 伊波 杏樹 (@anju_inami) July 7, 2019
Aqours World LoveLive! in LA
～BRAND NEW WAVE～
@ THE NOVO by Microsoft
4年連続ロサンゼルスに
訪れることが出来て
とても嬉しく思います( ˙ ˙˵ )♪
最高な2DAYS LIVEでした❁
I hope to perform at LA
again with Chika.
Thank you so much everyone.? pic.twitter.com/nr9vVSLeF0
The best days ever in LA!
— 諏訪ななかofficial (@suwananaka) July 8, 2019
We had such a good time.
We want go to LA again next year in 9 members!
Thank you for coming to meet us?♡ #worldlovelive #AnimeExpo2019 pic.twitter.com/ZO60dIJHr1
Thankyou,LA！！！！！！！！！！
— 小林 愛香 (@Aikyan_) July 7, 2019
I Love Little demons?❤︎#lovelive #Aqours pic.twitter.com/PnOEHUa2EM
LOVE LIVE! SUNSHINE!!
— 降幡 愛 (@furihata_ai) July 8, 2019
Aqours World LoveLive! in LA
～BRAND NEW WAVE～ ??
Thank you for a wonderful time.
Thank you for the nice rainbow.#lovelive#losangeles pic.twitter.com/QIGjfBvShg
Aqours World LoveLive! in LA ～BRAND NEW WAVE～ set list
7/5/19-7/6/19 The Novo @ LA Live
Day 1 (7/5/19)
1. Bokura no Hashitte kita Michi wa...
2. Thrilling One Way
3. Aozora Jumping Heart
4. Mattete Ai no Uta
5. Shoujo ijou no Koi ga shitai
6. SKY JOURNEY
7. Daydream Warrior
8. Todokanai Hoshi dato shitemo
9. Brightest Melody
EARTHQUAKE
10. Koi ni Naritai AQUARIUM
11. Kimi no Hitomi o Meguru Bouken
12. Mirai no Bokura wa Shitteru yo
13. Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiterukai?
ENCORE
14. Hop? Stop? Nonstop!
15. No. 10
16. Thank you, FRIENDS!!
17. Jump up HIGH!!
Day 2 (7/6/19)
1. Bokura no Hashitte kita Michi wa...
2. Thrilling One Way
3. Aozora Jumping Heart
4. Mattete Ai no Uta
5. Shoujo ijou no Koi ga shitai
6. SKY JOURNEY
7. Daydream Warrior
8. Todokanai Hoshi dato shitemo
9. Brightest Melody
10. HAPPY PARTY TRAIN
11. "MY LIST" to you!
12. Mirai no Bokura wa Shitteru yo
13. Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiterukai?
ENCORE
14. Hop? Stop? Nonstop!
15. No. 10
16. Thank you, FRIENDS!!
17. Jump up HIGH!!
Back in 2008 there was an anime called Mnemosyne. It was a weird kind of anime full of blood, violence, and a little bit of ero, and was based off of a light novel of the same name. It wasn't the best anime but it did do one thing right and that's introducing me to a Japanese band called Galneryus who played both the OP and ED songs. In two weeks Galneryus is set to have their first American performance at a festival called ProgPower USA.
This will actually be my first time attending ProgPower. It's all the way over in Atlanta and while I've seen many bands that have played on its stage like Nightwish, Kamelot, and Sonata Arctica I've never made the journey myself. After learning that Galneryus would be making their US debut at ProgPower I decided, more on a whim than anything, to make the trip. If they aren't coming to me then I'll just have to come to them.
As mentioned I first learned of Galneryus back in 2008 but they've been active since 2001. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good power metal band (as if Nightwish and Kamelot weren't big enough indicators) and Galneryus fits that to a T. The double bass drum and speedy guitar shredding are stock-in-trade for power metal bands and Galneryus does not disappoint in that regard. You fighting game fans out there may have already listened to a lot of their work as they actually worked with Daisuke Ishiwatari (of Arc System Works/BlazBlue/Guilty Gear fame) to create the soundtrack of BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma and BlazBlue Central Fiction. Galneryus has released a total of eleven albums and as of June began work on the twelfth.
Galneryus will play on day two of ProgPower USA alongside the bands Tomorrow's Eve, MaYaN, and Evergrey and are listed for a 90 minute set. I've seen Evergrey a few times in concert so at the least there will be two bands I'll know when I hear them. Day one of ProgPower features Theocracy, While Heaven Wept, Sanctuary, and Insomnium.
The main days of ProgPower, days three and four, feature Paladin, Subsignal, Barren Earth, Psychotic Waltz, Orden Ogan, and Seventh Wonder on day three and Sorcerer, Jag Panzer, Caligula's Horse, Poets of the Fall, Threshold, and Demons and Wizards on day four. Unfortunately for anyone making late decision like myself day three and four have been long sold out. Perhaps that's for the better as Man With a Mission, another band I've seen more than a few times, will be playing back in San Francisco. I'm actually flying to Atlanta, seeing Galneryus, and plan to fly back the day after. I didn't execute planning for this trip until it was announced that Galneryus' visas were approved. We've seen events run afoul of visa troubles like Yuki Kajiura's solo LA concert a few years back. As of two days ago the bands Ancient Bards and Secret Sphere had to bow out of ProgPower and be replaced because of visa troubles.
For more information about ProgPower USA check out their website at www.progpowerusa.com. Tickets for day one and two are still available and are $95 each plus fees or $180 for both days. The festival takes place Wednesday, September 4, through Saturday, September 7 at Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
I'll see you in Atlanta. Stay tuned for photos and a writeup.
Everyone's favorite supercharged wolves will be returning to North America in September for their Chasing the Horizon World Tour. This is Man With a Mission's first standalone tour in five years. The tour kicks off in San Francisco before moving to Los Angeles, Dallas, Mexico, New York, Chicago, Toronto, and finally Vancouver.
It's been about two years since they last returned to America acting as support for Stone Sour and Jimmy Eat World so if you're looking for a full concert make time for the wolves. The San Francisco show will be at the Great American Music Hall in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood on Friday the 6th. Make sure to lock your doors and leave nothing visible lest your items disappear by the time you get back to your vehicle. I'm actually flying back from Atlanta for this show after seeing Galneryus' American debut if it gives you any indicator of whether it's worth it to see Man With a Mission live. 2500 miles is quite the distance to go for a band.
Man With a Mission is known for their many anime songs including Log Horizon, the Seven Deadly Sins, Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans, Shinjuku Swan, Inuyashiki, and others. Their Chasing the Horizon album, originally released in 2018, was the first of their albums to get a worldwide release. Earlier this year they released the single Left Alive and EP "Remember Me." They also released an updated version of their classic song "Fly Again."
Man WIth a Mission was formed in 2010 and are known for their wolf masks and hard rock musical stylings. They also dabble with a more dance rock sound on some of their songs like Dead End in Tokyo. Member Jean Ken Johnny helps expand their talents with rap and provides English vocals.
MAN WITH A MISSION - Chasing the Horizon World Tour 2019 - North America
9/6 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
9/8 Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theater
9/10 Dallas, TX - Canton Hall
9/13 Mexico City (MX) - Sala Puebla
9/16 New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
9/18 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
9/21 Toronto, ON (CA) - Adelaide Hall
9/23 Vancouver, BC (CA) -The Imperia
For more information please visit https://www.mwamjapan.info
Man With a Mission has an announcement right on the eve of the start of their Chasing the Horizon Tour - North American leg: their song "Dark Crow" will be featured as the second opening song for the anime adapter of Vinland Saga.
Vinland Saga as a whole has been serialized for 14 years. The anime adaptation of Vinland Saga has been running for about two months so far and the second season will start on September 29. As mentioned earlier the opening will be "Dark Crow" by Man With a Mission and it is paired with "Drown" by milet. Milet and Man With a Mission will also collaborate on the song "Reiwa." The single will be released on October 23 and also includes the tracks "86 Missed Calls" featuring Patrick Stump (who Man With a Mission worked with on "Dead End in Tokyo") and Man With a Missions' "My Hero" as remixed by EDM artist Slushii. If you've never read or watched Vinland Saga take a look. It's full of vikings, fighting, revenge, and... farms. Okay, not yet, but eventually. Longtime fans you know what I mean.
Read on for a few tidbits of info from the artists themselves:
<Comment from Jean-Ken Johnny>
WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF TAKING ON THE OPENING THEME OF Vinland Saga ANIME SERIES.
IT IS A VERY EPIC STORY OF VENGEANCE SET IN THE MEDIEVAL VIKING ERA; IT IS ALSO A HEROIC TALE THAT GOES BEYOND REVENGE. AS A GUY, IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE A PART OF SUCH A COOL WORK. I’D BE GLAD IF YOU COULD ENJOY “Dark Crow” ALONG WITH THE ANIME.
<Comment from Kamikaze Boy>
WHEN I FIRST HEARD milet’S VOICE, I KNEW THAT HERE WAS ANOTHER ARTIST WHO WOULD PERSONIFY AND LEAD THE NEW ERA. THIS TIME, UPON MAKING THE NEW SONG “Reiwa”, SOMEHOW I HAD milet’S VOICE OVERLAPPING THE IMAGE OF THE SONG WHILE COMPOSING THE MELODY. SO I TALKED ABOUT IT WITH EVERYONE AND TOOK THE COURAGE TO ASK HER.
AS SOON AS milet’S VOICE WAS IN THE SONG, I FELT THAT SOMETHING LIKE AN ENTHUSIASM OF A NEW ERA WAS BREATHED INTO THE SONG. I ALREADY LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY THAT WE PERFORM TOGETHER NOT ONLY ON AUDIO BUT ALSO ON STAGE AND DELIVER THE SONG DIRECTLY TO YOU ALL!!
<Comment from milet>
When I first heard “Reiwa”, my heart was swayed by the straightforward and tenderly enveloping voice and the epic and powerful sound that gave me an image of a bright and dazzling world opening up wide. I sang the song making the wish for peace and enjoying the happiness of living in the new era of Reiwa. And I am simply happy that I was able to blend into the sound of MAN WITH A MISSION, a band that have always been my big favorite. Please look forward to the fusion of MAN WITH A MISSION and milet.
On September 6, MAN WITH A MISSION kicked off the North American leg of their 2019 tour at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. The Japanese wolf band made their return with their first solo independent tour in five years. They will travel across the United States before making their way to Mexico and ending the tour in Canada. The tour is titled “Chasing the Horizon” which is also the name of their most recent album.
Photos: Daisuke Sakai (Instagram @imdaisukesakai)
If you’re unfamiliar with the band, the official backstory is that the wolves were created in the 1900s while the Earth was engulfed in war by Dr. Jimi. They participated in some of the most secret operations known toman before Dr. Jimi had them encased in ice. In 2010 thanks to global warming, they were woken from their slumber and have become the band you see today.
Originally hailing from Japan, they have now reached out to many countries around the world. The band members are Tokyo Tanaka (vocals), Jean-Ken Johnny (guitar, vocals, rap), Kamikaze Boy (bass, chorus), Spear Rib (drums), and DJ Santa Monica (DJ, sampling). They are always learning human language and we are lucky to have Jean-Ken Johnny master both Japanese and English so he can translate what the others are saying.
The setlist consisted of 16 songs including solos featuring Spear Rib and DJ Santa Monica plus an acoustic version of “Chasing the Horizon” sung by Jean-Ken Johnny. They incorporated many of their rock songs such as “Emotions” and “FLY AGAIN.” Something that really got the crowd going was when they sang a cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. I had expected them to sing some of their recently announced songs like “Dark Crow,” which will be the opening for season two of Vinland Saga, or “Remember Me,” which came out in June, but that was not to be.
The band ended the concert with two songs, “Seven Deadly Sins,” the opening of Nanatsu no Taizai, and “Raise Your Flag,” the opening of Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS. Anime is one of the contributing factors in their popularity and the fans’ energy brought the place down with many singing along with the band.
I personally enjoyed the fact they played video from the Japanese leg of the Chasing the Horizon tour. The video is a short introduction to their concerts from the past as well as short shots of the members themselves. This helps the audience, some of who have never seen the band before, remember the wolves' faces.
The venue was fairly small but that did not stop the audience from enjoying the concert. Some were on the second floor where they enjoyed food and drinks while watching the band from above. They also had a bar where fans could grab a beer or drink as well. At the end of the show, the lights turned on and the band allowed fans to take out of their cameras and phones for photos. That ended things for the night but it was just the beginning of the tour.
For the Mexican fans, the band will make their first appearance in Mexico City before making their way to Canada. No matter where you might be, you will not be disappointed and I highly recommend checking out their show.
Setlist
2045
Broken People
Database
Hey Now
Get Off of My Way
Left Alive
Emotions
-Instru- (Spear Rib and DJ Santa Monica)
Chasing the Horizon (acoustic)
My Hero
Smells Like Teen Spirit
FLY AGAIN
Winding Road
Dead End in Tokyo
Take Me Under
-Encore-
Seven Deadly Sins
Raise Your Flag
MAN WITH A MISSION - Chasing the Horizon World Tour 2019 - North America
9/6 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
9/8 Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theater
9/10 Dallas, TX - Canton Hall
9/13 Mexico City (MX) - Sala Puebla
9/16 New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
9/18 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
9/21 Toronto, ON (CA) - Adelaide Hall
9/23 Vancouver, BC (CA) -The Imperia
For more information please visit https://www.mwamjapan.info
Great night in San Francisco at @GAMH for the start of the ?????? tour! You guyz were awesome!
— MAN WITH A MISSION (@MWAMofficial) September 7, 2019
Next stop the @RegentTheaterLA on Sunday! Get your tickets here:https://t.co/5cZlr3dNsG#MWAMSanFran #MWAMLA #chasingthehorizon #greatamericanmusichall pic.twitter.com/ZSjOgidV12
Dance and vocal group MADKID is composed of five members who performed for the first time in the United States at Crunchyroll Expo on September 1st. The quintet features both singers and rappers and all of the members execute their dancing with a crispness second to none. They appeared twice during the expo and we were there for both.
Photography and writing: Ally McWilliams
MADKID might be better known to anime fans as the group behind the opening songs for the anime Rising of the Shield Hero and were featured as the opening act for The Rising of the Shield Hero's Special Stage Event at Crunchyroll Expo. They performed both of the songs "Rise" and "Faith" which were the first and the second opening themes for the anime. The group consists of three vocalists (YOU-TA, SHIN, and KAZUKI) and two rappers (LIN and YUKI). Both LIN and YUKI are bilingual which enhances the group's flexibility. The group incorporates trap and glitch hop giving them a new type of sound and visual experience.
They also performed a special program at Crunchyroll City's Nightclub. They first sang "Rise" on stage with the crowd going crazy, some singing together. This was followed by a short Q&A session inquiring how they are enjoying their first time in San Jose and their favorite foods. YOU-TA answered with Natto (fermented soy bean), and YUKI answered with cheese. There was a slight laugh when KAZUKI answered with inari sushi which is a bean curd sushi made out of fried tofu packets. After their Q&A they finished off with "Faith" and high-fived fans before leaving the stage.
MADKID's appearances might have been short and sweet but their impact on Crunchyroll Expo is way bigger than the time on stage might suggest. Expect more anime work from them in the future. In April they released their first album CIRCUS which includes English versions of "Rise" and "Faith." The group made their major record debut with Nippon Columbia Records in 2018.
Please check out their YouTube channel and website for more information about the group and to listen to some of their music!
FLOW took the stage and performed at Crunchyroll Expo in San Jose on August 30th. This was FLOW’s third time performing in San Jose with the first and second at Fanime Con in 2010 and 2011. It's been eight years since then. The concert was sold out with approximately 2,000 people in attendance.
The concert was held in one of the panel rooms at the convention center which was fairly new to me. The stage was facing straight to the back with chairs aligned. Seating was not assigned so it was first come first serve. For a rock concert having chairs still set up was very interesting.
FLOW came on stage and started the concert with “Sign”, the sixth opening song for anime Naruto Shippunden. The concert's setlist was based on the band's many famous anime songs such as “COLORS”, the opening for Code Geass, and "BURN," the opening for Tales of Berseria.
The band also added an intro where each of the members played solo pieces. For his guitar solo, TAKE (Gt) came on stage with light sticks and flashing glasses and danced with the crowd to the song “FROGS~Keronpa Teikoku no Gyakushu~”.
KEIGO (Vo) made sure that everyone in the crowd could understand and used English throughout most of his MC.
The fans went crazy when FLOW performed their cover of “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” which lead to one of their first anime songs, “GO!!!”
Even after the band had left the stage, the crowd called them back in for an encore. The encore was FLOW's cover of Siam Shade’s “⅓ no Junjou na Kanjou”, which was the anime theme song of Ruroni Kenshin.
Since FLOW has many other famous anime songs I would have like to hear their latest single “Neiro”. Of course we can not forget that they did come out with an album that was released earlier this year in April, called “TRIBALYTHM”.
Hopefully FLOW will return to California soon and play in an even bigger sold-out venue next time.
The full setlist:
Sign - Naruto Shippuden 6th OP
虹の空 （Niji no Sora）- Naruto Shippuden 34th OP
Re:member - Naruto 8th OP
WORLD END - Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 2nd OP
COLORS - Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion 1st OP
TRIBALYTHM Band Inst.
風ノ唄 （Kaze no Uta) - Tales of Zestiria the X 1st OP
光追いかけて （Hikari Oikakete) - Image song for Live Spectacle Naruto
BURN - Tales of Berseria OP
Introduce of FLOW
HERO〜希望の歌〜 （Kibou no Uta) - Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA - Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
GO!!! - Naruto 4th OP
１／３の純情な感情 （⅓ no Junjou na Kanjou) - Cover song of Siam Shade
It's been a while since DIR EN GREY was in America but they'll be making a tour of it in the usual places come December. The tour kicks off in Los Angeles at the Regent Theater followed by Sacramento's Ace of Spades before heading east to Colorado, Chicago, and beyond. After reaching New York they will loop back towards Texas before making a final stop in Mexico City, Mexico.
DIR EN GREY will take a break for about a month before heading to Europe with stops in Russia, Finland, Germany, Poland, the UK, and France.
It's been a while since their last album, 2018's "The Insulated World," but they did release the single The World of Mercy back in September. Their next album has yet to be announced.
We were there for their 2015 show in San Francisco (click here) and all signs point to another killer tour.
Tickets for the Los Angeles stop are already sold out (resale options are available) but if you happen to be in Northern California there's still some for Sacramento's Ace of Spades.
Here's the dates:
12/5 Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theater
12/6 Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
12/8 Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
12/10 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
12/11 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
12/13 New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
12/16 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
12/17 Houston, TX - House of Blues
12/19 Mexico City, MX - El Plaza Condesa
1/25 Moscow, RU - Glavclub
1/26 St Petersberg, RU - Aurora Club
1/28 Helskin, FI - The Circus
1/29 Munich, DE - Technikum
1/31 Dortmund, DE - FZW
2/1 Berlin, DE - Astra Kulturhaus
2/3 Wroclaw, PL - Concert Center A2
2/5 London, UK - Islington Assembly Hall
2/7 Cenon, FR - Le Rocher de Palmer
2/8 Paris, FR - Elysee Montmartre
If you're looking for more things to do that weekend here's a couple of suggestions: Mongolian band The Hu will play in Pomona on 12/6, the day after DIR EN GREY's Los Angeles show. For those of you who like Bushiroad their annual CharaExpo convention will take place on 12/7 and 12/8 in Anaheim.
Japanese band FLOW has just announced a world tour for 2020. Enterprising individuals had found the dates at their local venues early on Friday and just a few hours ago the band made an official announcement.
FLOW will start their journey in late May on Memorial Day at Atlanta's Center Stage before traveling west to Texas and our very own San Jose followed by Anaheim. The group heads north for two shows in Canada before looping over to New York and finally south to Mexico. The San Jose show will mark the fourth time the band has performed there. They previously played at FanimeCon 2010 and 2011 and CrunchyRoll Expo in 2019.
Their San Jose show will miss FanimeCon 2020 by three days but given that FanimeCon usually contracts out the City National Civic Auditorium every year that's just how it has to be. Hopefully there will still be enough congoers around that Thursday to help fill the venue to a respectable degree. I've been there in packed houses and not-so-packed houses and it is very noticeable. Here's a direct link to the San Jose ticketing page: https://sanjosetheaters.org/event/flow/?instance_id=11607. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 6.
Check out our coverage of their CrunchyRoll Expo concert (click here) and our exclusive interview (click here) from earlier this year!
Here's the dates:
5/25 Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
5/26 Dallas, TX - Canton Hall
5/28 San Jose, CA - City National Civic
5/29 Anaheim, CA - The Grove
5/31 Vancouver, BC (CA) - Vogue Theater
6/3 Toronto, ON (CA) - Phoenix Concert Theater
6/5 New York, NY - Sony Theater
6/7 Monterrey, MX - Foro Didi
6/9 Mexico City, MX - Sala Puebla
Multitalented Shoko Nakagawa is best known as a singer, voice actor, and television personality has released her 5th full album RGB~True Color~. Songs on the album include anime tie-ins from series including Pokemon, and Zoids Wild. The album also includes the song "Aruhi Dokokade" originally unfinished by Shoko's late father and album illustration drawn by Shoko herself.
Album Song List:
M-1 Dori dori (TV animation “Pokemon the series: XY” ending theme song)
M-2 RGB
M-3 LUCKY DIP (Game “Shironeko Project” CF song)
M-4 Heavy Girl
M-5 blue moon (TV animation “ZOIDS WILD” ending theme song)
M-6 Magical Circle (TECHNOBOYS PULCRAFT GREEN-FUND feat Shoko Nakagawa) ※only for Japan※
M-7 Mugen Blanc-noir （Shokotan❤Sacchan）
M-8 PUNCH LINE! （Shokotan❤Denpagumi）(TV animation “PUNCHLNE” Opening theme song)
M-9 Mister Darling (Chico with Honey Works meets Shoko Nakagawa)
M-10 Rokujyo-ma kara sekaie (Shoko Nakagawa meets Skypeace)
M-11 mrcl (Shoko Nakagawa feat. MikitoP)
M-12 Neko boogie (Shokotan❤Haruomi) (TV animation “Omakase! Mirakuru Cat Dan” main theme song.)
M-13 Kaze to Isshoni (Sachiko Kobayashi & Shoko Nakagawa) (Movie animation “Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution” theme song)
M-14 Type:Wild ※TV animation “Pokemon Sun & Moon” ending theme song
M-15 Aishiteru
M-16 Aruhi dokokade
First five photos courtesy AWR Music Productions
Last three photos, all photo editing: Brian Lee
As I write this article, I'm actually on a flight back home. It's been a wild two nights and I'm a far way from home. I had traded the pleasantly sunny skies of California for the snowy streets of Chicago for the weekend. "Why?" you might ask. A very good reason: the premiere of the Nier: Orchestra Concert re:12018 tour.
In October 2019, Chicago's
Nier (a spin-off of another series, Drakengard) began in 2010 with the releases of the games Nier: Replicant (the Japan version) and Nier: Gestalt (the international version). The only major difference between the two is that in Replicant you play as a young boy named Nier and in Gestalt you play as an older, fatherly Nier. The official reasoning is that western audiences would be more accepting of a gruff, muscular protagonist. Nier was, to be honest, a niche game, and never wildly popular. In early 2017 Square-Enix released a sequel, Nier: Automata, and that took off like a rocket. No one predicted how well it would perform or how popular it would be. It made sales records for the entire franchise stand alone to this day and helped open up opportunities for events like the orchestral concerts.
As mentioned, the re:12018 concerts
My seat for the first night of Chicago ended up being right in the middle of the front row: section 103, row C, seat 4. Rows A and B were
The first half of the concert
During intermission, I regretted not buying a ticket for the upcoming Los Angeles show. As of writing, there are perhaps two dozen resale tickets available for the Los Angeles date. If you're still sitting on the fence,
Emi Evans performed two songs: "Kaine," from Nier, and "Weight of the World," from Nier: Automata. Vocalist
Keiichi Okabe reappeared, followed by Square-Enix producer Yosuke Saito and director Yoko Taro. Yoko Taro had his trademark Emil mask on so he was following Saito very,
Throughout the night I talked to people around me while waiting for the show to begin. People had come from all across the eastern half of the US. North Carolina, Maryland, and Florida were a few of the states present. My
For some, the concert was a
An accurate depiction of what your emotions will be during the concert
The concert is best enjoyed by fans who have played the game. The visuals have a much greater impact if you recognize the characters and scenes (naturally that means there are lots of spoilers). Someone who enjoys listening to orchestras and desires to learn more about the games may also be interested if they have friends willing to explain things. I
Tips for anyone attending Los Angeles, London, or Thailand: if you want merchandise, either come two or more hours early or buy it from the Square-Enix website. Almost all the merchandise
The VIP meet-and-greet took place after the concert. The front center section and approximately half of the two front wings were all VIP ticket holders. That meant
I got the box for the Orchestral Special CD Set signed
Thank you to Square-Enix, Yoko Taro, AWR Music Productions, and the
For more
Nier: Orchestra Concert re:12018:
1/24 Chicago, IL -
1/25 Chicago, IL -
1/29 Los Angeles, CA - Microsoft Theater
2/2 London, UK - Royal Festival Hall (matinee)
2/2 London, UK - Royal Festival Hall
2/15 Bangkok, TH - Prince Mahidol Hall
2/16 Bangkok, TH - Prince Mahidol Hall
Snow in Summer
Song of the Ancients
Hills of Radiant Winds
Emil
Gods Bound by Rules
The Wretched Automatons
Grandma
Ashes of Dreams
Kaine (Emi Evans)
Intermission
City Ruins
Amusement Park
A Beautiful Song
Alien Manifestation
The Tower
Dependent Weakling
Bipolar Nightmare
Mourning
The Sound of the End
Weight of the World (Emi Evans)
The Dark Colossus Destroys All
Aina Suzuki, best known for her voice as Mari Ohara in Love Live! Sunshine!!, made her solo debut with the release of "Hikariiro no Uta". Written by singer and songwriter ZAQ, the song is also featured as the ending theme song for the anime, HATENA☆ILLUSION. Aina also voices the heroine of series as Kana Hoshisato. Additionally, Aina released her first solo album titled ring A ring on January 22, 2020.
Check out Aina's message regarding her new solo release.
"To debut as an artist has always been one of my “dreams”.
I have loved Anisong since I was small. No matter how hard time was, Anisongs have always been by my side, and I received power and courage from them! When I heard I was going to debut, I was really happy that now I could be the one to spread the joy!!
I hope I could spread my love through singing, which is what I like the most.
I will do my best so that Aina Suzuki’s songs will become one of the elements that cheer you up, and give you courage every day, and I hope you will support me!!"
Aina Suzuki made her voice actress debut back in 2014, and was chosen as the voice actor of Mari Ohara, a member of Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours in 2015. The school idol group Aqours has held concerts for 2 days in Tokyo Dome in 2018, which recorded 150,000 audiences including the worldwide Live Viewing. They even performed in the 69th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen the same year.
Her unique talent can also be proved by the fact that she has been selected as the best 3 in the 7th “Animax Anison Grand Prix”, and have won in many Japanese folk song contests.
