April is becoming a little crowded. We have SiM and Crystal Lake on tour, Babymetal with two dates in San Francisco, and now, YOASOBI.
The Nippon Budokan is one of Japan's storied venues. Originally built for the 1964 summer Olympics, it has also functioned as a concert hall for many famous names. The Beatles, KISS, X Japan, Mariah Carey, and many others have played upon its stage. And now? Nemophila.
NEMOPHILA's third album, EVOLVE, has arrived, and just in time for their Budokan show next month. Cram it into your head because at the very least we'll be hearing "Night Flight," if not other songs.
It's been a good last two days. I've just returned from Los Angeles after catching NEMOPHILA's show at the Echoplex for their Seize the Fate tour. The day prior, I also attended the San Francisco show at the Great American Music Hall. I spent just over a day in Los Angeles before heading home, and here I am, typing away. I very rarely do a back-to-back sprint during the same tour but in my opinion, NEMOPHILA is worth it.
Ren Nagase, a member of the Jpop duo King & Prince, will star in his first Netflix Original film, titled Drawing Closer (余命一年の僕が、余命半年の君と出会った話). The film, directed by Takahiro Miki, follows the story of aspiring artist Akito Hayasaka (Nagase), who is diagnosed with a cardiac tumor and has less than a year to live. During his difficult time, he meets Haruna Sakurai (Natsuki Deguchi), who also has a limited lifespan. Together, they find solace and color in each other's presence.
I just came back from LisAni this past weekend and I'm going back to Japan for more.
I find a lot of music through the YouTube algorithm. KILLT MELT LAND came on my radar a few months ago and I have been waiting for an opportunity to see the band live. When I found that some of their upcoming shows were going to be on favorable dates for me, I decided to make the dive.
And thus, the Babyklok Tour has ended.
After almost two months and over two dozen shows later, BABYMETAL and Dethklok have gone from coast to coast and then some.
We are finally at the long-awaited tail-end of the BABYMETAL/Dethklok Tour. The US-based tour began at the end of August and runs through mid-October.
HANABIE is a band that you've probably not heard of before, but that's okay. Let's fix that right now.
Xandria, Battle Beast, and Kamelot. What a show. If I have to say something, it's that it's been too damn long. I had forgotten just how good these bands are, especially live. Kamelot and Battle Beast were last in San Francisco back in 2019. For Xandria, 2017, and for this current lineup, it is the first time ever.
In just a few days time, PassCode will begin their first US tour. PassCode, as a whole, has been around for a good ten years and was founded back in 2013. They will now make the jump to American shores.
If you know me, you know I love metal, no matter what country it comes from. It's time for another one of the genre cross-over posts. Previous posts have featured bands like Nightwish, Beast in Black, Sabaton, and Epica, all of which in some way or form have a connection to Japan.
Kamelot is a band I haven't brought up before, but I'm going to take the opportunity to do so now. I've been listening to them for a solid two decades, ever since their 2001 album "Karma," which is one of the albums that cemented them as one of the power metal greats and has contributed songs that they play even now.
In honor of World Tetris Day, K-Pop sensation aespa has officially released their latest music video, "Hold On Tight," which serves as part of the official soundtrack for the acclaimed Apple Original Film, Tetris.
The catchy tune is a modernized rendition of the iconic Tetris theme song, "Korobeiniki." Comprised of members Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, aespa is a girl group under the management of SM Entertainment, hailing from South Korea.