Samuel's Live Report

Ozzy & Black Sabbath Live Film "Back to the Beginning" – Diary of a Madman 45th Anniversary Nationwide Screening

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sat 7 Nov 2026 evening, I went to watch Ozzy & Black Sabbath Live Film "Back to the Beginning" – Diary of a Madman 45th Anniversary Nationwide Screening. Ozzy Osbourne's final performance as solo and an original member of Black Sabbath took place just days before his death in July last year. The live film screening of the footage was held for five days only: Oct 28(Wed), Oct 31(Sat), Nov 7(Sat), Nov 8(Sun), and Nov 13(Fri). I went to the screening on the middle day of the nationwide run. This day also marked the 45th anniversary of the release of Ozzy Osbourne's second solo album, "Diary of a Madman." As for me, I first learned about Ozzy Osbourne through a shortwave radio program commemorating guitarist Randy Rhoads, who died in an accident during a US tour following the release of "Diary of a Madman." I have a strong attachment to the album "Diary of a Madman," having listened to it repeatedly on cassette tape and CD, so I decided to go see the screening on this day.

It had been four months since I last visited Namba Parks Cinema. Personally, I've been to this cinema many times for live concert screenings. I arrived a little early in the 8th-floor lobby by elevator and managed to get a flyer that I couldn't find at another cinema in Umeda. The electronic display board showing the screening schedule indicated that admission would begin 10 minutes before the 5:30pm start time, but admission began 17 minutes earlier than scheduled. I had my ticket stub, which I had reserved online and picked up at a convenience store, checked at the gate, received an Ozzy Osbourne mask as a visitor's gift, and went down to the lower floor to Theater 1, which has a capacity of 133 seats. Trailers for upcoming films were shown starting 12 minutes before the scheduled start time. As the start time approached, the theater became full. At 5:30pm, the scheduled start time, after 3 minutes of commercials, requests, and etiquette information, the movie began.

This theatrical version condensed a 10-hour concert, held from midday until just before midnight in front of a packed outdoor stadium in Birmingham, England, into a 2.5-hour film. The song order was not the same as the actual performance order; instead, the film progressed by showing Ozzy Osbourne's performance one song at a time, interspersed with footage of cover versions of songs by Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath from several songs performed by each of younger heavy metal bands that appeared before Ozzy that day, such as Anthrax, Pantera, Slayer, Guns N' Roses, and Metallica.

Ozzy sat on his throne, encouraging the audience to clap, sing along, and raise their arms, singing in his signature high-note voice, picking up and putting down the microphone on the stand. The stadium performance was projected onto a giant screen in the movie theater, creating an immersive atmosphere with the crowd's cheers in the film heard in surround sound. Footage of his younger performances was also interspersed throughout. The audience in the movie theater remained seated to watch the performance. (Some other theaters apparently allowed standing.)

In addition to performances by each band, special guests such as Chad Smith, Jake E. Lee, Nuno Bettencourt, Ronnie Wood, Rudy Salzo, Sammy Hagar, Steven Tyler, and Vernon Reid came together as an all-star band led by music director and curator Tom Morello to sing and play.

After sunset, the original Black Sabbath members, including Ozzy, gave the final performance. The last song in the film is from Ozzy Osbourne's solo performance, which took place before sunset. After finishing the song, Ozzy expressed his gratitude and prayers to the people and concluded the performance footage with the words, "I have no regrets in life."

As the narration announced that he had passed away a few days after the performance, sobs of grief over Ozzy's death could be heard from the audience in the movie theater, and some people were seen wiping away tears.

As the end credits rolled and the two-and-a-half-hour screening came to an end, applause erupted from the audience in the movie theater.

This film documents the legendary performance that Ozzy Osbourne, the members of Black Sabbath, and musicians and bands who respect Ozzy delivered in front of fans filling the stadium. I was glad to be able to see Ozzy Osbourne's final heroic performance.

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Ozzy & Black Sabbath Live Film "Back to the Beginning"
Diary of a Madman 45th Anniversary Nationwide Screening
Sat 7 Nov 2026
@Namba Parks Cinema, Osaka

Title; "Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning"
Exclusively in cinemas worldwide: October 28, 2026

[Film Data]
2026 Production / 148 minutes / UK / 5.1ch or Dolby Atmos / Japanese Subtitles
Distributor: Trafalgar Releasing
Distributor (Japan): Sony Music Solutions, KUUUSOOO_BELL
Production: Mercury Studios

[Staff]
Directors: Tim Van Someren, Ben Wainwright-Pearce
Producers: Jim Parsons, Daniel Seliger, Jamie Silk
Musical Director: Tom Morello

[Cast]
Host: Jason Momoa (Actor)
Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (Vocal), Tony Iommi (Guitar), Geezer Butler (Bass), Bill Ward (Drums)

Performing Bands: Mastodon, Rival Sons, Anthrax, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Tom Morello Allstars, Jack Black, Alice in Chains, Godzilla, Pantera, Tool, Slayer, Guns N' Roses, Metallica

Special guests: Adam Wakeman, Andrew Watt, Billy Corgan, Chad Smith, David Draiman, David Ellefson, Jake E. Lee, KK Downing, Mike Bordin, Nuno Bettencourt, Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Ronnie Wood, Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Sleep Token II, Steven Tyler, Travis Barker, Vernon Reid, Whitfield Crane, and Yungblu

[Tracklist]
Opening: Diary of a Madman intro
Ozzy Osborne - I Don’t Know
MASTODON - Supernaut (BLACK SABBATH cover)
RIVAL SONS - Electric Funeral (BLACK SABBATH cover)
ANTHRAX - Into The Void (BLACK SABBATH cover)
HALESTORM - Perry Mason (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
TOOL - Hand of Doom (BLACK SABBATH cover)
Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Crowley
Tom Morello's All Stars - Shot In The Dark (Ozzy Osbourne cover) (with David Draiman, Jake E Lee, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman)
Tom Morello's All Stars - Believer (Ozzy Osbourne cover) (with Whitfield Crane, Nuno Bettencourt, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, II [Sleep Token] and Adam Wakeman)
Tom Morello's All Stars - Changes (Ozzy Osbourne cover) (with YUNGBLUD, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, II and Adam Wakeman)
LAMB OF GOD - Children Of The Grave (BLACK SABBATH cover)
ALICE IN CHAINS - Fairies Wear Boots (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
GOJIRA - Under The Sun (BLACK SABBATH cover)
PANTERA - Electric Funeral (BLACK SABBATH cover)
SLAYER - Wicked World (BLACK SABBATH cover)
Ozzy Osbourne - Suicide Solution
Tom Morello's All Stars - Symptom Of The Universe (BLACK SABBATH cover) (with Chad Smith, Travis Barker and Danny Carey, plus Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt and Rudy Sarzo)
Tom Morello's All Stars - Snowblind (BLACK SABBATH cover) (with Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Rudy Sarzo and Danny Carey)
Tom Morello's All Stars - Flying High Again (Ozzy Osbourne cover) (with Sammy Hagar, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, Chad Smith and Vernon Reid)
Tom Morello's All Stars - Bark At The Moon (Ozzy Osbourne cover) (with Papa V Perpetua, Vernon Reid, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo and Travis Barker)
Tom Morello's All Stars - The Train Kept A-Rollin' (standard) (with Steven Tyler, Ron Wood, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo and Travis Barker)
Tom Morello's All Stars - Walk This Way (AEROSMITH cover) (with Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo and Chad Smith)
GUNS N' ROSES - Never Say Die (BLACK SABBATH cover)
METALLICA - Hole In The Sky (BLACK SABBATH cover)
Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
BLACK SABBATH - War Pigs
BLACK SABBATH - N.I.B.
BLACK SABBATH - Iron Man
BLACK SABBATH - Paranoid
Ozzy Osbourne - Mama, I'm Coming Home

Yurika Nakamura 1st Full Album "PiNK MOON" Release Commemorative Event at Seven Park Amami, Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Sat 7 Nov 2026, around noon, I went to Yurika Nakamura 1st Full Album "PiNK MOON" Release Commemorative Event held at Seven Park Amami in Osaka, Japan. Yurika Nakamura is a Japanese actress who is active since 2011 and also debuted as a singer in 2022. To commemorate the release of Yurika Nakamura's 1st Full Album "PiNK MOON," which was released on Sep 23 this year, release events are to be held in Osaka and Funabashi in November, following those in Maihama and Tachikawa in October. I attended the event in Osaka. There were two shows that day, one starting at 1:30pm and another at 4:30pm, and I saw the first one. As for me, I first learned about Yurika Nakamura from watching her on TV dramas, and I found out she was also active as a singer after watching the movie "Shiranai Kanojo" (My Beloved Stranger) last year. I couldn't go to the previous event, but I was able to see her as a singer at this event in Osaka.

It had been two and a half months since my last visit to Seven Park Amami, a large shopping mall located about 5 minutes by bus or 18 minutes on foot from Kawachi-Amami Station on the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line. The venue was AMAMI STADIUM, an event space with an atrium that extends up to the 3rd floor, located right inside the entrance on the 1st floor of the mall.

I arrived at the venue before noon. At 12:15pm, a female staff member announced that "a public rehearsal will be held," and Yurika Nakamura appeared on stage. She sang four songs briefly during the 8-minute rehearsal. Those who had purchased CDs sold from 11:00am at the venue that day and received numbered priority area entry tickets were called in by staff in numerical order starting at 1:18pm and entered the standing area surrounded by red belt partitions in front of the stage. After the people with 1 to 200 ticket numbers had entered, the free spectators without tickets entered from behind. As the start time approached, the number of free spectators on the second and third floors also increased to over 100, and I think there were more than 300 people in total.

When the scheduled start time 1:30pm came, a female staff member reappeared to act as MC. It was announced that this event was being held as part of the Seven Park Amami 5th Anniversary Festival. After a three-minute introduction of Yurika Nakamura as an actress and singer, Yurika Nakamura appeared on stage. She sang songs from her album "PiNK MOON" to the sound of the backing tracks. She sang with a slightly coquettish vocal style, accompanied by a hip-hop/R&B sound. Her fans in the front row on the first floor were excited, clapping along with paper fans and light sticks, and participating in call-and-response.

During the talk between songs, Yurika Nakamura greeted the audience with "Thank you all for coming," and then asked, "Who here knows me?" Many raised their hands, so she said, "I'm so happy to be in Osaka."

She sang songs from dramas she stars in, incorporating hand gestures and poses. The audience joined in, creating a lively atmosphere. She also sang a ballad.

During the talk between songs, the microphone volume became low, and a sound staff had to adjust it. Perhaps that was a premonition, because while singing the last song of the first set, the microphone cut out completely. However, she replaced the microphone and started singing it again from the beginning. She sang along to a bouncy beat, and the lyrics, including the memorable refrain in the chorus, were captivating.

After finishing her songs, she announced, "My nationwide concert tour currently taking place has only three more shows left. Everyone is welcome," and then added, "This event has also a second part, so please come. This was Yurika Nakamura," concluding the 23-minute first part of her mini-live performance.

The female staff member informed us that "the latter half was scheduled to be a gift-handover event, but the postcards for the gifts aren't ready yet, so we'll ask for your mailing address and send them later," and it was suddenly changed to only a one-to-one talk.
After an 18-minute stage change, Yurika Nakamura reappeared. Those who had purchased CDs that day and received tickets to the event lined up and were guided one by one to the partition where she was standing. Yurika Nakamura smiled and talked with each participant across the table.

It was a release event that attracted many fans and was a great success. It was nice to see another side of Yurika Nakamura, as a singer, different from her role as an actress.

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Yurika Nakamura × TOWER RECORDS
Yurika Nakamura 1st Full Album "PiNK MOON" Release Commemorative Event: LIVE & Special Gift Handover
Sat 7 Nov 2026, 1st show from 1:30pm
@ Seven Park Amami, Osaka 1F AMAMISTADIUM

[Performers]
Yurika Nakamura - Vocal
(sound: Backing tracks)

Yuki First Solo Album "Blue Rose" Release Commemorative Event at Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Fri 6 Nov 2026, I went to Yuki First Solo Album "Blue Rose" Release Commemorative Event held at Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi in Osaka, Japan. Yuki is a Japanese female guitarist who is active as a member of D_Drive since 2009 and also joins in East Of Eden since 2023. This was an in-store event celebrating the release of Yuki's first solo album, "Blue Rose," scheduled for release on Dec 2. As for me, this was the first time I'd seen Yuki perform live at an event since seeing D_Drive Seiji & Yuki's demo performance at Sound Messe in Osaka in 2019.

It had been a month since my last visit to an event at Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi store. I took the escalator up the NU Chayamachi building and arrived at Tower Records on the 6th floor. When I arrived there just before 5:00pm, the event space doors were closed, and I could hear the sounds of the rehearsal taking place inside.

Those who had reserved the album at the reception desk, which opened at 5:00pm that day and received priority entry tickets with serial numbers, gathered in front of the event space. At 6:25pm, the doors to the event space opened, and priority entry began at 6:30pm as a staff member called out the serial numbers. People with serial numbers from 1 to around 90 entered the event space. The floor was standing room only. Starting 10 minutes before the event began, about a dozen people without tickets entered behind the priority entrants. Perhaps because the solo album is scheduled to be released next month and there is no disk of the new album yet, instead of that, songs by East Of Eden, one of the bands in which Yuki plays guitar, were playing as background music.

When the scheduled start time of 7:00pm came, introduced by a female staff member, Yuki appeared, wearing a dress in a similar color to her guitar. The event proceeded in the following order: talk, mini-live performance, and special event.

It began with a talk. Speaking in Kansai dialect, she said, "Thank you for coming to the release event despite it being a weekday. I live in Kobe, so I'm happy that Osaka is my first stop." She then talked about appearing on radio stations in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area with East Of Eden the previous day and holding an event at another venue in Umeda. She then answered questions from staff members, sharing her current feelings and explaining how she came to debut as a solo artist. She also talked about meeting the musicians she collaborated with on the album and the songs included.

Next up was a mini-live performance. Two instrumental pieces were played. Yuki played guitar over a rhythm track, showcasing melodic phrases with alternate picking and sweep picking on the sustained electric guitar tone, along with technical skills like bending, whammy bar use, and tapping. The audience clapped along to the rhythm and her play, creating a lively atmosphere. I was at the back, so the view of the guitar was somewhat obstructed by the people in front, but I could catch glimpses of the performance when their heads occasionally shifted to the side. It was great to see Yuki's refreshing guitar playing again after so long.

Yuki announced upcoming events, including release events at Tower Records in Shinjuku on Nov 15, Shibuya on Nov 21, and at Tower Records in Kinshicho on Dec 6, which is her birthday, as well as a release commemorative talk and live performance at the live music restaurant BLUE MOOD in Tokyo on Dec 13. When someone in the audience asked if she could do one in Kobe, Yuki replied, "I'll let you know when something is decided," and then finished her 33-minute talk and mini-live performance, and went backstage for a moment.

After a five-minute stage change, a table was set up on the stage, and the event moved on to the final special event. Depending on the number of bonus tickets given for each album purchased, attendees received postcards or posters as a gift handover session, and there was also a photo session. Yuki interacted with each participant in a friendly manner across the tables.

The first stop of the release events for her first solo album took place in her hometown of Kansai, and attracted a large crowd of fans and was a great success. I thoroughly enjoyed the event.

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Yuki First Solo Album "Blue Rose" Release Commemorative Event
Fri 6 Nov 2026
@Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi Store, Osaka, 6th Floor Event Space

[Performer]
Yuki, Guitarist

[Program]
･ Talk
･ Mini Live Performance
･ Special Event (Gift Handover or Photo session)

miwa "61st Koyama Festival GUEST LIVE 2026" at Kyoto Sangyo University

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Tue 3 Nov 2026, I went to Kyoto Sangyo University to see miwa perform at the "61st Koyama Festival GUEST LIVE 2026." miwa is a female Japanese-pop singer-songwriter who made her nationwide debut in 2010. This was miwa's first university festival live performance since Keio University in 2020 and Asia University in 2021, but those were streamed online due to the pandemic, so this was the first time I'd seen her perform in person at a university venue since the Mita Festival eve event at Keio's Hiyoshi Campus in 2016. The most recent time I'd seen miwa in person was at an event at Namba CITY in September of this year.

It was my first visit at Kyoto Sangyo University. It's a private university located 1km from Nikenchaya Station on the Eizan Railway. I arrived in the mid-afternoon by shuttle bus. The venue, Koyama Hall, was immediately to the right after getting off the bus. Since I had some time before the live performance, I took the escalator up to the campus on the hill and looked around at the stalls and events of the school festival. As the meeting time approached, I took the escalator down. In the lobby on the first floor of Koyama Hall, they were also selling merchandise such as Accogissimo 6 tour towels. I had won a ticket for the general admission second floor through a pre-event online lottery, so when it was time to meet, I lined up at the designated location around the venue, guided by a committee member wearing a red happi coat. While waiting in line on the stairs to go up to the second floor, I showed my QR ticket and received a sticker-type ticket. When it was time to open, the students of the university started entering on the first floor, and a little later, the general admission second-floor seats began to be admitted. I showed my sticker ticket at the second-floor entrance, went through a baggage check, and entered the venue. The first-row seats on the second floor was not allowed to take a seat, so we sat in order of arrival, starting from the left end of the second row. I was about the 20th person in line, so I was able to get a seat slightly to the right of the center of the stage, and I had an unobstructed view of the stage from the second floor. There were no instruments on the stage, only monitor speakers and microphone stands. The sevral row seats near the stage on the first floor were for students in this university, and the back of the first floor and the second floor were for general ticket holders. We waited for the show to begin with miwa's songs playing as the background music.

When the scheduled start time of 5:00pm came, the lights dimmed, sound effects played, and miwa appeared on stage, twirling a red towel. She was wearing a beige long-sleeved top and blue flared pants underneath. When miwa said, "Let's stand up and have fun together," the audience rose to their feet, and the live show began with the first song, "Miracle." To the upbeat sound of the backing tracks, miwa held a handheld microphone and sang with a clear, high-pitched voice. The audience clapped along to the rhythm, and during the chorus, those with towels twirled them along with miwa, while those without towels twirled their arms or clapped, getting excited.

During the talk between songs, she greeted the audience with, "Hello, I'm miwa. Thank you for having me at the Koyama Festival." When she asked, "Are there a lot of students here?", almost everyone raised their hands, suggesting that there were many young students among the general public, both male and female. When she asked, "Is this your first time seeing miwa?", about the same number of hands went up. Then she said, "I'd like to sing songs that I think everyone knows," and moved on to the next song.

The second song was "Kimi ni Deaeta Kara" (Because I Met You). The audience raised their arms in unison and swayed their arms from side to side and jumped along with miwa's movements, creating a lively atmosphere. For "360°", miwa put down her towel and sang while doing the choreography. The audience clapped along to the rhythm.

She said, "'Miracle' was the commercial song for the Sea Breeze in 2013-2014, and '360°' was the theme song for the movie 'Doraemon: Nobita's Space Heroes'." According to the students, these were songs released when they were around second grade of elementary school. "It's been 16 years since I debuted at 19 years-old when I was a university student, and I've all grown up now," she said. Reflecting on her university days, she said, "I paid the membership fee to join the tennis club, but a staff member from the record company told me to quit after only attending one practice session." "I did a disk jockey at All Night Nippon when I was a university student, but I was just talking on impulse," she added.

She rhythmically sang her new song "Atsusugite Waracchau ne" (It's So Hot It Makes Me Laugh), and then sang "Haru ni Nattara" (When Spring Comes) while jumping and walking from side to side. The audience clapped and raised their arms, getting excited. She apologized, saying, "This time, I sang the part that the audience usually sings at my (usual) solo concerts myself, but I sang the wrong lyrics."

"Next, I'll do a song with just my guitar," she said, switching from a handheld microphone to a stand-up microphone and picking up a red acoustic guitar. She then performed two songs with just her guitar and vocals. "This is a spring song I released this year," she said, and then performed "Sakura Mitai na Koi Nanda" (It's a Love Like a Cherry Blossom). She played arpeggios while singing with a clear and soaring voice. She began singing "Kataomoi" (Unrequited Love) in a soft voice while playing slow arpeggios, then switched to strumming halfway through and sang with a soaring voice.

Putting down her acoustic guitar and switching to a handheld microphone, she asked the audience, "Can we get excited in the second half?" and then, with an all-and-response, she hyped up the crowd with "Boys!", "Girls!", and "Everyone!" and then launched into upbeat rock songs. Riding on the strong beat of backing tracks, she sang "Reboot" while the audience shouted along and raised their arms. For "again×again" and "chAngE," she again sang while twirling a towel. The audience clapped along or twirled towels and arms with miwa, creating a unified and exciting atmosphere.

When miwa announced, "Next will be the last song," the audience responded with disappointed "Ugh..." Then miwa said, "I'll sing this with all my heart so that my feelings reach you," and performed "Hikari e" for the final song of the main set. She sang with expressive gestures and movements. The audience clapped along to the rhythm, creating a lively atmosphere.

In response to the applause and miwa calls by the audience asking for an encore, miwa reappeared on stage. "Thank you for the encore. I'm happy that all of you enjoyed the show," she said, and then promoted her merchandise, saying, "I've brought some goods, so please buy some." "I think I'll sing one more song with just my guitar. It's a song I debuted with on March 3rd, 16 years ago, and it's a song that I've sung repeatedly during tough times and that has supported me," she said, and performed the encore song "don't cry anymore." She began singing from the chorus and then strummed her acoustic guitar, belting out powerful high notes.

After finishing the song, she asked, "May I take a photo with all of you?" and a commemorative photo was taken with the audience behind her. She then announced her upcoming live performances, saying, "After the Animmersive Live in Tokyo this month, I'll be coming to Kansai for the Billboard Live tour, and next year I'll be coming to Osaka for the guitarium reenactment tour." She waved goodbye and left the stage, saying, "See you again. This was miwa. It was fun. Thank you so much." The announcement was made that the show was over and the 1-hour and 20-minute live performance came to an end.

It felt refreshing to see miwa perform live at a university festival after such a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, which was a unified experience with the students.

While waiting for the regulated exit, I completed a web survey and then headed towards the exit. I boarded the shuttle bus that arrived just then, leaving the venue while still basking in the afterglow.

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Kyoto Sangyo University "61st Koyama Festival GUEST LIVE 2026" miwa
Tue 3 Nov 2026
@Kyoto Sangyo University Kamiyama Hall Main Hall

[Performer]
miwa - Vocal, Acoustic guitar (M6, M7 & Encore only)
(sound: Backing tracks)

[Setlist]
Miracle
Kimi ni Deaeta Kara
360°
Atsusugite Waracchau ne
Haru ni Nattara
Sakura Mitai na Koi Nanda
Kataomoi
Reboot
again×again
chAngE
Hikari e
=Encore=
don't cry anymore

ANNA TAKEUCHI RELEASE TOUR -MIXTAPE- at Banana Hall, Umeda, Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sun 1 Nov 2026, I went to a concert of ANNA TAKEUCHI RELEASE TOUR -MIXTAPE- held at Banana Hall, Umeda, Osaka in Japan. Anna Takeuchi is a Japanese female singer-songwriter who made her nationwide debut in 2018 from Kyoto. In support of her 8-track digital EP "MIXTAPE", Anna Takeuchi, who celebrated her 8th anniversary since her debut on August 8th, 2026, is currently on a release tour featuring a band in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka this past weekend and on Culture Day, I attended the Osaka performance, which was the middle day of the tour. As for me, this was the first time I'd seen Anna Takeuchi perform live since the atELIER cafe tour which took place by singing with her own single guitar in Osaka in April this year.

This was my first visit to Banana Hall in Umeda, Osaka, since it reopened at its current location. Anna Takeuchi's band-style tour used to be held at Umeda TRAD, which was located where Banana Hall originally opened, but it closed at the end of October 2024, so the tour was moved to the current Banana Hall, which is in the same neighborhood.

I arrived at the venue via Hankyu Higashi-dori. When I came around the venue last month, it was working on the exterior, but it had been renovated and looked beautiful. A staff member said that we couldn't line up on the street and directed those with ticket numbers 90 and above to line up on the stairs inside the premises, so I joined the line at the top of the stairs to wait for the doors to open. The calling of ticket numbers began 17 minutes later than scheduled, and the doors opened. At the entrance, we had our electronic tickets checked and paid for drinks, then went down the stairs to the basement floor. Inside, there were a few chairs at the back, but the floor in front of the stage was standing room only. I managed to secure a spot on the left side, about four rows back. We waited for the show to begin with songs by the support members and K-POP numbers playing as background music.

When thirteen minutes past the scheduled start time of 5:00pm, the lights dimmed, and as sound effects played, Anna Takeuchi appeared following the support members, and the live performance began. The members were almost the same as those from last year's band tour. They included Masanori Tanigawa, the bandleader and guitarist of UNCHAIN, a band also from Kyoto Prefecture, who had been supporting her since her first album; Joe Nagaike, the bassist of SCOOBIE DO, who had supported her on bass with Masanori Tanigawa on FIRST TAKE; Masato Mori, who has been in charge of drums since the DRAMAS tour and has also supported various artists such as Little Glee Monster; and Ryota Ogawa, the keyboardist of Karakoram YAMAYAMA, who was participating for the first time, replacing Sara Wakui, who was unable to participate due to illness. The setlist included songs from the E.P. "MIXTAPE," as well as a mix of old and new songs, from her debut single to her most recent tracks.

With the band playing a groovy rhythm, Anna Takeuchi stood in front of a stand-up microphone, playing her guitar and singing in a cute voice, mixing fluent English with smooth Japanese. The audience swayed to the groovy music and singing. The stage was low, so I felt like I was peeking at each member playing through the gaps between the heads of the people standing in front of me.

During the talk between songs, Anna Takeuchi greeted the audience with, "It's the second day of the tour, and I've returned to my hometown of Kansai. I'm home!" to which the audience warmly responded with, "Welcome back!"

She spoke about her feelings about this tour and the EP, and sang songs from the EP, as well as some early originals and cover songs. She mainly played a Martin acoustic guitar, but also played an ES-335 and a Les Paul while singing depending on the song.

She sang ballads with her sweet voice and also performed acoustic sets. Anna and Tanigawa played while seated, so I couldn't see them very well because of the heads of the people standing in front of me, but I could clearly hear the guitar interplay between them, and the venue was filled with excitement as the two of them played with passion.

The excitement continued as the band returned, and the second half featured more up-tempo songs. She sang a mix of old and new songs with a groovy band performance. Tanigawa and Anna Takeuchi respectively stood on step stools on either side of the stage to play their guitars, so we could get a good look at them playing. The audience clapped along, raised their arms, and sang along, creating a lively atmosphere.

Anna Takeuchi said, "Osaka audience is perfect, isn't it? I want to speak more in Kansai dialect, but when I'm in Tokyo I end up speaking standard Japanese. But I hope you don't think that I've abandoned Kansai." She continued, "I ate 551 today, and the memory is still in my mouth," and when she asked the audience, "What did everyone eat?", they gave various answers such as "udon."

Towards the end of the show, she sang upbeat songs. She climbed onto a step stool to sing together with the audience, engaged in call-and-response, and waved her arms from side to side with them, creating a unified and exciting atmosphere, and then the main set concluded.

In response to the audience's applause asking for encores, Anna Takeuchi reappeared on stage. She began playing a difficult song, then said "I had made a lot of mistakes," and switched to a different song. In addition to talking about her future aspirations, each of her support members announced own upcoming live shows. It was announced that SCOOBIE DO will be performing at Shinsaibashi Pangea on Nov 29 in Osaka, and that Karakoram YAMAYAMA will be performing a joint live show at Shinsaibashi ANIMA on Jan 28 next year. Anna Takeuchi also introduced the tour merchandise.

After singing encores and the support members had left, Anna Takeuchi remained alone and, with a hint of sadness, told the audience, "I'm sad to leave because I've got to go back to Tokyo immediately." Finally, she expressed her gratitude with a "Thank you so much," and after climbing onto the step stools on either side of the stage to wave goodbye to the audience and acknowledge their cheers, she left the stage.

It was a fantastic live performance in her hometown of Kansai, where she sang and played songs from her new EP "MIXTAPE" with her band, creating a truly exciting atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

------------------------------------------------------------
ANNA TAKEUCHI RELEASE TOUR -MIXTAPE-
Sun 1 Nov 2026
@Banana Hall, Umeda, Osaka

[Members]
Anna Takeuchi - Vocal & Guitar
Masanori Tanigawa - Guitar & Chorus (from UNCHAIN)
Masato Mori - Drums
Joe Nagaike – Bass (from SCOOBIE DO)
Ryota Ogawa – Keyboard (from Karakoram Mountains)

[Setlist]
adabana midnight
ok, love song
SUNKISSed GIRL
That's my name
BREAK MY CASE
Free! Free! Free!
No Scrubs
TOKYO NITE
Happy End no Tsuzuki wo
P.S. I LOVE YOU (Acoustic set)
WILD & FREE (Acoustic set)
Sayonara
Mahiru no Rendezvous
PARADISE
I My Me Myself
My secret plum
ALRIGHT
=Encore=
20 -TWENTY- (sang with her own single guitar)
RIDE ON WEEKEND

Ayaka 20th ANNIVERSARY LIVE TOUR at Osaka-jo Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sun 25 Oct 2026, I went to a concert of Ayaka 20th ANNIVERSARY LIVE TOUR held at Osaka-jo Hall in Japan. Ayaka (aka Ayaka Iida) is a female Japanese singer-songwriter from Osaka, who made her nationwide debut in 2006. To commemorate Ayaka's 20th debut anniversary, she embarked on a nationwide tour that began in Tokyo in September, traveling from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south, and culminating at the Nippon Budokan at the end of November. This was the 12th performance of the tour, and it was held in Ayaka's hometown of Osaka. Eighteen of the tour's performances were in hall venues, making this the only arena performance outside of the Nippon Budokan. For me, my first time seeing Ayaka live was at a showcase live performance held in Shibuya the year before her debut, and since then I've seen her every year at tours and events. My most recent viewing was at the PREMIUM LIVE held at Nakanoshima Park in Osaka this past May.

It had been four months since my last visit to Osaka-jo Hall. I had previously seen Ayaka perform there at MTV Unplugged in 2009 and her FM802 30th Anniversary concert in 2019.

I arrived at the venue under a cloudy sky after the rain. I lined up in front of the entrance, but the doors opened about 14 minutes later than scheduled due to final adjustments inside the venue. I had my electronic ticket checked at the entrance, received a flyer from a staff member, and went inside. My seat was in the middle row of the arena, on the left side. I took my seat and waited for the show to begin while Ayaka's music videos were shown on the huge screens upper right and upper left of the stage

When five minutes past the scheduled start time 5:00pm, the screen went blank, and after about a minute of background music, a sound effect played, Ayaka appeared on stage, and the show began. Ayaka's voice resonated throughout the venue. The support band was formed by the same members as last year's tour, led by keyboardist Kei Kawano, with the addition of guitarist Shuta Nishida, creating a twin-guitar setup with Daijob Takagi. The setlist mainly consisted of songs from her 20th-anniversary greatest hits album, "20 Lights - The Collection -". Under the ever-changing lighting, Ayaka showcased her powerful vocals backed by the band's solid performance. When the songs became more upbeat, the audience stood up and clapped along, creating a lively atmosphere.

In response to the audience's cheers of "Welcome back!" between songs, Ayaka expressed her gratitude to those who attended her 20th-anniversary tour, and shared her joy, saying, "I was looking forward to coming back to my hometown of Osaka and performing at my beloved Osaka-jo Hall." She spoke of her feelings towards the venue, saying, "The first concert I ever saw was Janet Jackson's performance at Osaka-jo Hall, and that's when I decided I wanted to become a singer, so this is where it all began for me."

Corresponding to the cheers, she sang an upbeat song while walking from side to side across the stage, then moved on to ballads. From soft, breathy tones to deep, resonant low notes and high falsetto, her rich, powerful, and clear voice filled the venue. The audience sat down and listened intently to her warm, embracing voice.

She performed nostalgic songs one after another in the medley, including some not from her greatest hits album. The audience stood up and clapped along to the upbeat songs, singing "la la la" in unison, creating a lively atmosphere.

She sang a song accompanied only by single piano, and her signature song not only with the piano but joining a band halfway through. Her voice resonated throughout the high-ceilinged venue created a deeply moving experience. She then sang a medley of nostalgic songs, and when she performed an up-tempo song, the audience stood up and clapped along, creating a lively atmosphere. After singing alone with the band sonorously, she spoke about "En," the third disc including duet songs on her greatest hits album. She said "I can't sing the songs alone," and then called out Daichi Miura as a surprise guest, eliciting screams and cheers from the crowd. The two then sang a duet of a couple of their collaboration songs. Daichi Miura told Ayaka, "You are wonderful. It was an honor to sing with you. Congratulations on your 20th anniversary," before leaving the stage.

Once again, she sang alone with the band, performing everything from her latest hits to her biggest hits. The audience clapped along, or swung their arms from side to side singing "la la la" in chorus, creating a lively atmosphere. Ayaka praised "Everyone's singing is wonderful. Osaka, you all sing well," and also responded to the cheers between songs. She finished the main part of the show with a powerful, heartfelt performance.

In response to the audience's applause asking for encores, Ayaka and her support musicians reappeared on stage. She expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you for the encore! Osaka is the best!" and sang a song filled with thanks. Finally, she sang an upbeat song, walking from side to side across the stage. The audience clapped along, or raising their arms singing the title in unison, creating an incredibly exciting atmosphere.

After finishing the songs, a standing ovation erupted as all the performers lined up side by side and took a bow. Ayaka said, "Osaka was the best! See you again! This was Ayaka," and waved goodbye to the audience, and then left the stage. Finally, the announcement was made that the show was over, bringing the two-and-a-half-hour concert to a close.

It was a triumphant return performance in her hometown of Osaka, where she sang a mix of old and new songs from her 20-year career, and even enchanted us with a duet with a surprise guest. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert.

------------------------------------------------------------
Ayaka 20th ANNIVERSARY LIVE TOUR
Sun 25 Oct 2026
@Osaka-jo Hall

[Members]
Ayaka - Vocal
Kei Kawano - Keyboard
Daijob Takagi - Guitars
Shuta Nishida - Guitars
Shunsuke Ochi - Bass
Yoshihiro Kawamura - Drums

2026 EXSEE’S FRIENDSHIP AUTUMNNIGHT at CLAPPER

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Wed 21 Oct 2026, I went to "2026 EXSEE’S FRIENDSHIP AUTUMNNIGHT at CLAPPER" held at Shinsaibashi CLAPPER in Osaka, Japan. This was a live music event hosted by drummer Iku Masutani, who is celebrating his 52nd anniversary as a professional. The performers, in order of appearance, were Kotaro Inoue, Lay, Dual Drive, KISUMI. As for me, it had been two years since I last attended this event. Aside from Lay and KISUMI, whom I'd seen at the event two years ago, this was my first time seeing any of the other performers.

The venue, Shinsaibashi CLAPPER, is a live music venue located in the basement of a Chinese restaurant building on the corner of the intersection with Kasayacho-suji, halfway between Unagidani Kita-dori, which connects Shinsaibashi Station and Nagahoribashi Station. I visited it for the first time since I last attended this event two years ago.

I arrived at the venue in the evening, lined up in front of the entrance on the first basement floor. The doors opened at 6:00pm, and I had my name checked against the reservation lists by artists I had booked, and I paid for my admission ticket and drink ticket to a staff member and then entered the venue. I exchanged my drink ticket to drink at the bar counter and headed to the audience floor. Chairs were lined up inside, and I secured a seat that seemed to offer a good view and was close to the stage. I waited for the show to begin with Jamiroquai's music playing in the background.

The curtain opened precisely at 6:30pm, and the live performance began. The first performer was Kotaro Inoue, a drummer residing in Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture. He said he had previously performed solo, but this time he appeared with the band m_log, centered around vocalist masa, whom he said " we met at a bar and hit it off with." The setlist was mainly covers, with the first two songs being Suchmos covers. The first song was "Miree." Masa sang into a stand-up microphone, accompanied by the band's crisp drumming and groovy sound. The second song was "Ame" (Rain). He sang along with a wah-wah guitar played with a thumb pick. Masa sang KUWATA BAND's "Skip Beat," forgetting some of the lyrics, "because he was nervous" he said, but he managed to finish the song. Masa then performed an original song that he said "he wrote with just a guitar and a microphone." He began singing a ballad that started with a piano intro, then the band's rhythm joined in, and he sang lyrics that blended Japanese and English, and a crying guitar solo was also delivered. The last song was a cover of Kazuyoshi Saito's "Utautai no Ballad." He started singing with a stand-up microphone accompanied by guitar and keyboard arpeggios, then switched to a handheld microphone as the band's rhythm joined in, and delivered a powerful singing performance, and a keyboard solo was also featured.

The second performer was Lay, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from Hyogo Prefecture. She was dressed in a red and white striped three-quarter sleeve top and jeans. The first half of her set consisted of her singing with single Martin acoustic guitar. The first song was "Mary Mary." Standing in front of the stand-up microphone, she strummed the acoustic guitar with a thumb pick and sang, mixing English and Japanese. She then sang "Dining Table" in fluent English. She said, "Recently, I've been doing a lot of live shows in Tokyo with my two sisters, so I'm happy to be doing a solo show in Osaka for the first time in a while." She then sang "17 Year Old Girl Who Fell in Autumn," a song with English lyrics, saying, "I wrote this when I was 17 and felt sad as autumn was coming." She also sang "Home Video," a song she said she wrote when she took an iPhone video at her sister's birthday party and thought, "This was the best birthday party ever, I'll look back on this fondly." The second half of her set was a collaboration with drummer Iku Masutani, who organized the event. She said, "Iku-san has been treating me like family ever since we performed together at a live show when I was 10 years old." She then performed her first single, "Wanna be Breakin'." She began by softly singing the English lyrics while strumming her acoustic guitar along with the drums, and in the latter half, as the drum beat intensified, she sang with a strong voice, incorporating Japanese lyrics as well. She then performed "Marble Dance" with a lively rhythm, strumming her acoustic guitar along with a strong drum beat. The final song was "Sundaylia." She sang the English lyrics while strumming her acoustic guitar on this fast-paced, up-tempo song with a strong drum beat, and in the final chorus, she sang with a strong voice, incorporating Japanese lyrics, and then concluded with a jam session with the drums.

From this point on, the background music changed to songs by Keito Blow, a female vocalist.

The third act was Dual Drive, a duo by veteran drummer Ryo Fujii, who is based in Kansai, and his student Momoko Morimoto. The first half consisted of drum performances. Following Ryo Fujii's drum solo, Momoko Morimoto gave a drum solo. Next, they performed with twin drums. When one person served as the main drummer, the other kept the rhythm, then they switched roles and played together, hitting hard together, then each taking a solo, and then they played together again. Momoko Morimoto said "I have only been learning drums for three months," but she gave a magnificent performance. The second half consisted of vocal numbers by each of them. Ryo Fujii said "I lost my job during the pandemic so started singing with guitar, and released digitaly or a CD and it reached number 39 on Apple Music in the Netherlands." He then sang the song "Use Your Life As You Like" (Inochi Tsukaitaihodai) with his acoustic guitar and Momoko Morimoto on drums. The audience clapped along and got excited. For the final song, Ryo Fujii returned to drums, Momoko Morimoto sang "Hiyo Nobore" by Atsuki Kimura & Junji Ariyama while playing the ukulele, and Ryo Fujii played drums and also provided backing vocals. He then sang the song "Use Your Life As You Like" (Inochi Tsukaitaihodai) while playing his acoustic guitar and Momoko Morimoto on drums. The audience clapped along and got excited. For the final song, Ryo Fujii returned to drums, Momoko Morimoto sang "Hiyo Nobore" by Atsuki Kimura & Junji Ariyama while playing the ukulele, and Ryo Fujii played drums and also provided backing vocals.

The headliner was KISUMI, a male singer from Mie Prefecture. He performed with a band. While the last time I saw him perform live, he mainly sang covers, this time all the songs were originals. The first song was a new one. He began singing with a stand-up microphone, accompanied by the band's strong rhythm, then switched to a handheld microphone midway through. After two up-tempo songs, he moved on to ballads. He introduced "Momoiro no Kimi e." (To You in Pink,) saying "it is a song I sing for someone special," followed by "Ikiru Akashi" (Proof of Living), which began softly with a piano intro. As the band's rhythm joined in, he sang with a soaring, echoing voice. He returned to an up-tempo number, singing a new, hard rock song with a handheld microphone at the front of the stage, delivering powerful high notes. The final song of the main set was "Futari de Tsukuru Monogatari" (A Story Created by Two of Us). He sang this melodic rock song with a handheld microphone at the front of the stage, ending with a soaring, kneeling performance.
In response to the audience's applause asking for an encore, KISUMI and his band members reappeared on stage. He sang an upbeat song. The audience, who had been seated until then, were prompted to stand up, clap their hands, wave their arms from side to side, and sing along to "Wow wow yeah yeah," creating an incredibly exciting atmosphere. Then, the 3-hours and 10-minute live show had concluded.

Each performer showcased a variety of musical styles, and the live show also featured impressive collaborations. I thoroughly enjoyed the event.

------------------------------------------------------------
2026 EXSEE’S FRIENDSHIP AUTUMNNIGHT at CLAPPER
Wed 21 Oct 2026
@Shinsaibashi CLAPPER

Performers: Kotaro Inoue, Lay, Dual Drive, KISUMI

Kotaro Inoue & m_log (6:30pm-7:00pm)
[Performers] Kotaro Inoue (Drums) / masa (Vocal) / Shintaro (Guitar) / Takuto (Bass) / Miyu (Keyboard)
[Setlist] Miree (Suchmos) / Ame (Suchmos) / Skip Beat (KUWATA BAND) / Original Song / Utautai no Ballad (Kazuyoshi Saito)

Lay (7:15pm-7:53pm)
[Performers] Lay (Vocal & Guitar) / <Guest> Iku Masutani (Drums: M5-7)
[Setlist] Mary Mary / Dining Table / 17 Year Old Girl Who Fell in Autumn / Home Video / Wanna be Breakin' / Marble Dance / Sundaylia

Dual Drive (8:04pm-8:35pm)
[Members] Ryo Fujii (Drums, Guitar, Vocal) / Momoko Morimoto (Drums, Ukulele, Vocal)
[Setlist] Drum solos / Two Drums session / Use Your Life As You Like / Hiyo Nobore (Atsuki Kimura & Junji Ariyama)

KISUMI (8:50pm-9:40pm)
[Members] KISUMI (Vocal) / Kassan (Bass) / Fujimaki (Keyboard) / Taisei Uesugi (Drums) / Shiun (Guitar)
[Setlist] New song / Momoiro no Kimi e. / Ikiru Akashi / Beat Up(New song) / Futari de Tsukuru Monogatari / Encore (1 song)

NakamuraEmi "PATCHWORK LIFE" Release Commemorative Event at Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Sun 18 Oct 2026, I went to NakamuraEmi "PATCHWORK LIFE" Release Commemorative Event held at Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi Store in Osaka, Japan. NakamuraEmi is a female Japanese pop singer-songwriter who began performing in 2007 and made her major debut in 2016. In commemoration of the release of NakamuraEmi's 8th major album, "PATCHWORK LIFE," which was released on Oct 7, the release events took place in Tokyo earlier this month and in Nagoya the day before, This was the final stop of the release events held in Osaka. As for me, this was the first time I'd seen NakamuraEmi perform live since the Acoustic Festival in April of last year.

It had been a month since my last visit to an event at Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi. Under the bright sunshine with a high of 29℃, I headed to NU Chayamachi. I took the escalator to the 6th floor where Tower Records is located. When I arrived just before 1pm, the event space doors were closed, and I could hear the sounds of the rehearsal taking place inside. Those who had purchased a CD or LP at the store and received an event admission ticket were able to exchange it for a numbered admission ticket from a staff member standing in front of the event space doors starting at 1:00pm. At 1:40pm, the event space doors opened, and priority entry began as a staff member called out the ticket numbers. Those with ticket numbers 1 to 100 entered the event space. The venue was standing room only. Six minutes later, those without admission tickets were allowed in. Album tracks played as background music while we waited for the show to begin. Eight minutes before the show started, Following her support musician Hiroshi Kawamura, NakamuraEmi appeared on stage, wearing a purple bandana on her head, a navy long-sleeved shirt under a light brown polo shirt, and dark brown pants.

As a sound check, NakamuraEmi, with a handheld microphone, sang a medley of choruses, mainly from J-POP songs, accompanied by Hiroshi Kawamura on acoustic guitar. Starting with KREVA's "Neiro," she continued singing songs with both male and female vocals, including Osaka-born aiko's "Hanabi" and Ulfuls' "Guts da ze!!," and concluded with Ozawa Kenji's "Konya wa Boogie Back." After the sound check, the venue floor was packed to the back.

When the scheduled start time of 2:00pm came, she proceeded to the main performance. She greeted the audience by saying, "Welcome to the in-store live event celebrating the release of my 8th major album, 'PATCHWORK LIFE'," and then launched into the mini-live performance for the first half of the event. She introduced her support musician, Hiroshi Kawamura, and said, "This album contains songs about 'life'," and then launched into the first song, "Kokyu" (Breath). As Hiroshi Kawamura generated the sound of the rhythm tracks and strummed his acoustic guitar, NakamuraEmi sang with a rich voice with a handheld microphone. She sang in the middle of the stage, as well as on platforms on the left and right sides. Since it was an all-standing event and the stage wasn't very high, when she sang in the middle of the stage, I could only occasionally see her face through the gaps between the heads of the people in front of me, but when she went up onto the platforms, I could see her upper body clearly.
The second song was "Konya Cruise" (Tonight Cruise). Hiroshi Kawamura switched to electric guitar and strummed along to the rhythm tracks, while NakamuraEmi sang, incorporating rap.
She expressed her delight at being able to perform an in-store live show at NU Chayamachi, and said, "Thanks to many people, this album has become a precious work about 'life', like a patchwork. There's a part where we can all sing along, so please sing along," and then performed the title track, "PATCHWORK LIFE." With a hip-hop beat, Hiroshi Kawamura played acoustic guitar while NakamuraEmi sang, incorporating rap. The audience joined in singing the title, creating a lively atmosphere. After the song, NakamuraEmi asked the fans, "I want to sing the final English line together on the tour, so please practice!"
This concluded the songs with backing tracks; the second half consisted of songs with only acoustic guitar accompaniment.
NakamuraEmi reminisced about the time her father passed away in 2019, and performed an acoustic version of "Este Mitai da na," a song about that time. Accompanied by Hiroshi Kawamura 's acoustic guitar, she delivered the verses in a talking style and sang the chorus with soaring voice. Some in the audience were seen shedding tears.
Expressing her gratitude, she said, "I'm able to sing like this thanks to so many people, as I celebrate my 10th anniversary since my major debut," and then launched into the song "UBU." Starting with an acoustic guitar arpeggio intro by Hiroshi Kawamura, NakamuraEmi sang, incorporating talking-style rap, and while he built up the climax with powerful acoustic guitar strumming, she delivered an emotional singing performance.
She thanked the audience for coming, saying, "Thank you for coming," and announced, "I'll be doing lots of live shows in Osaka." She then announced upcoming appearances at the BAYCREW'S FESTIVAL at Grand Green Osaka on Oct 24, an event live at Shinsaibashi JANUS on Nov 30, and tour dates including Kyoto FANJ on Nov 6 and a band-format live at Umeda CLUB QUATTRO on Jan 9 of the new year.
The final song was her signature track, "YAMABIKO." As Hiroshi Kawamura strummed his acoustic guitar with a light touch, NakamuraEmi sang rhythmically, incorporating rap, and rose onto platforms on the left and right sides of the stage. The audience raised their arms and sang along during the chorus, creating an incredibly exciting atmosphere. After finishing the song, she waved goodbye to the audience and left the stage, concluding her 36-minute mini-live performance.

After a six-minute stage changeover where tables were set up in front of the stage, NakamuraEmi reappeared for the autograph session in the second half of the event. Those who had purchased a CD or LP and received a special ticket lined up and were guided one by one to a table in front of the stage, where NakamuraEmi signed autographs for each participant.

At the in-store event, where she conveyed the feelings she poured into the album through her live singing, she created a lively and unified atmosphere with the assembled fans. I thoroughly enjoyed the event.

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NakamuraEmi "PATCHWORK LIFE" Release Commemorative Event
Sun 18 Oct 2026
@Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi Store, Osaka, 6th Floor Event Space

[Performer]
NakamuraEmi - Vocal
Hiroshi Kawamura - Guitars, Manipulator

[Setlist]
<Soundcheck>
Cover Medley: Neiro (KREVA) ~ Matsuri (Fujii Kaze) ~ Kimi ni Muchu (Utada Hikaru) ~ Jonetsu (UA) ~ SOULS (bird) ~ Kuchibashi ni Cherry (EGO-WRAPPIN') ~ Guts da ze!! (Ulfuls) ~ WOW WAR TONIGHT - Toki ni wa Okose yo Movement - (H Jungle with t) ~ Rodeo13 (Umeda Cypher) ~ Hanabi (aiko) ~ Englishman in New York (Sting) ~ Ringo Oiwake (Hibari Misora) ~ Tsumi to Batsu (Ringo Sheena) ~ Konya wa Boogie Back (Kenji Ozawa featuring Scha Dara Parr)
<Main Performance>
Kokyu
Konya Cruise
PATCHWORK LIFE
Este Mitee da na
UBU
YAMABIKO

MASA ITO’S TALKING COLOSSEUM BATTLE OF ROCK at Osaka Tenmangu Shrine

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Thu 15 Oct 2026, I went to see the event "MASA ITO’S TALKING COLOSSEUM BATTLE OF ROCK supported by Ikuno Kinzoku" held at Osaka Tenmangu Shrine in Japan. Masa Ito aka Seisoku Ito or Masanori Ito is a Japanese music critic and radio personality specialized in hard rock and heavy metal. This special talk battle event was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Masa Ito's DJ debut. The event was hosted by FM802 and FM COCOLO, which broadcast Masa Ito's hard rock and heavy metal radio program "ROCK ON," and was held as a public recording of the 50th anniversary special program "MASA ITO’S TALKING COLOSSEUM BATTLE OF ROCK." As for me, I first learn about Masa Ito in the 1980s when I started listening to Western music, and it started with reading magazine articles and liner notes about hard rock and heavy metal, and listening to his radio programs. After moving to Tokyo in 1990, I watched him on TV and saw an in-store event.

The venue was Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, which is close to the studios of FM802 and FM COCOLO. The main hall served as the stage, and an outdoor viewing area was set up within the shrine grounds. The front portion was fenced off as a priority viewing area for 250 pairs (500 people) who had won a lottery which was conducted in advance on the FM802 website. Inside the fence, there were about 360 seats in the front and standing area in the back, with the area outside the fence being the free viewing area. I had applied for the priority area on the website but was unsuccessful, so I headed to the venue early to secure a spot in the free viewing area at the further back of the priority viewing area.

I arrived at Tenmangu Shrine around 4:30pm when the merchandise sales began, and entered the grounds through the main gate. The grounds were being set up for the event. As I was in the area at the back where the free spectators were gathered, from 4:42pm, FM802 DJ Kentaro Ochiai (aka Ochiken) had conducted sound checks for about 20 minutes. From 5:41pm, Masa Ito gave a rehearsal for about 4 minutes.

As opening time 6pm approached, those who had won tickets to the priority viewing area lined up in the temple grounds. After 6:00pm, when Kentaro Ochiai (Ochiken) began his opening DJ set, a staff member called out the ticket numbers, and the winners began to enter. Hard rock songs played as they entered the seats within the priority viewing area's fence and the standing area. Perhaps because there weren't that many people standing, the back fence was moved forward, bringing the free viewing area a little closer to the stage. Based on the audience's reaction to Ochiken's questions, it seemed that a wide generation of rock fans had gathered, from teenagers to people in their 70s.

After the 30-minute opening DJ set, the scheduled start time of 6:30pm came and an English opening message and title call were played, and Masa Ito appeared, marking the start of the event.
Round 1 featured a talk with two music directors/producers from Japanese record companies who had worked with classic hard rock/heavy metal groups. They shared behind-the-scenes stories about foreign hard rock groups from the 1980s and 1990s that could only be heard here, including some things that couldn't be broadcast. The guests also showed off some of their treasured possessions.

After the 35-minute Round 1 concluded, FM802 DJ Takuto Onuki moderated a 12-minute segment featuring congratulatory messages from domestic and international artists to Masa Ito for his 50th anniversary.

The gong sounded at 7:18pm, and Round 2 began. Following Masa Ito, the guest members of TMG (Tak Matsumoto Group) appeared. They were leader Tak Matsumoto, also known as B'z guitarist Takahiro Matsumoto, Night Ranger bassist and vocalist Jack Blades, and MR.BIG vocalist Eric Martin. (Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum was absent). As for me, I had seen TMG perform at the Nippon Budokan in 2004, as well as live performances by each member's band (excluding the drummer), and I also attended a live broadcast of a TV program featuring Eric Martin in 2009. They spoke with an interpreter about their tour in support of their third album, released on Oct 14, their impressions of each member, and the songwriting process. There were times when the conversation between Mr. Masa Ito and the guests became so heated and engaging that the interpreter had difficulty getting in.

After a 44-minute talk session of the Round 2, a commemorative photo was taken with the audience behind them. Once the photo session was finished, the performers waved goodbye to the assembled fans and left the main hall.

Parts of the event will be broadcast as a special program on FM802 on Oct 18 (Sun) from 9:00pm to 10:00pm, and on FM COCOLO on Oct 24 (Sat) from 9:00pm to 10:00pm.

The talk event celebrating Masa Ito's 50th anniversary as a DJ was really heated up, featuring lively discussions with guests. I thoroughly enjoyed the event.

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MASA ITO’S TALKING COLOSSEUM BATTLE OF ROCK supported by Ikuno Kinzoku
Thu 15 Oct 2026
@Osaka Tenmangu Shrine

Organizers: FM802, FM COCOLO

=Program=
<Pre-show>
Opening DJ: Kentaro Ochiai (FM802 DJ)
[Playlist]
Photograph / Def Leppard
Toys in the Attic / Aerosmith
Nutrocker / Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Aces High / Iron Maden
Children of the Earth / Praying Mantis
Gangland / Tygers Of Pan Tang
Sweet Child o' Mine / Guns N' Roses
Enter Sandman / Metallica
Tokyo Road / Bon Jovi
I CAN'T STAND SLEEPING ALONE / TMG

<Main show>
Round 1: ROCK-themed "Treasure" Appraisal
DJ: Masa Ito
Guests: Sam Nagashima (formerly of EastWest Japan), Toshio Kanehako (formerly of Nippon Phonogram)

Intermission DJ: Takuto Onuki
Congratulatory Messages for Masa Ito's 50th Anniversary as a DJ
･TAKUMA from 10-FEET
･Akihito Okano from Porno Graffitti
･Kazuya Yoshii
･Minoru Niihara from LOUDNESS
･Jon Bon Jovi from BON JOVI

Round 2: MASA's Talk Battle Royale (19:18-20:07)
DJ: Masanori Ito
Guests: TMG (Tak Matsumoto (B'z), Jack Blades (Night Ranger), Eric Martin (MR.BIG))

Photo Session

Ending DJ: Takuto Onuki (FM802 DJ)
Message
･Steve Harris from IRON MAIDEN

Kyoto Music Expo 2026 Day 2 at Kyoto Umekoji Park Lawn Square

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Sun 11 Oct 2026, I went to Kyoto Music Expo 2026 in Umekoji Park in Kyoto, Japan. It was the second day of the two-day outdoor music festival, which has been held annually since 2007 at Kyoto Umekoji Park Lawn Square by the Kyoto-born rock band Quruli, and this year marks its 20th anniversary. The performers, in order of appearance, were James Macaulay and The Ancient Highballs, milet, Hayato Sumino Solo & Trio, Hitsujibungaku, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Tamio Okuda, and Quruli. I had seen all the artists perform live before, except for James Macaulay and The Ancient Highballs and Hayato Sumino, which were my first time seeing them live.

It had been two years since I last visited the lawn area of Kyoto's Umekoji Park, when I came to see the Kyoto Music Expo aka shortly Onpaku. I arrived in Kyoto, walked west along Shichijo Street, went a little way down Omiya Street, and arrived at Umekoji Park. I joined in line, exchanged my ticket for a wristband with a staff member who came around, and received my Onpaku sheet. The venue opened at 10:00am, and I went through the entrance gate and into the stage area. I secured a spot on the left side of the Onpaku sheet area, just behind the standing area in front of the stage. I unfolded my Onpaku sheet and sat down. On stage, FM COCOLO DJ Masao Nomura, who served as the emcee in the event, was giving prior explanations.
The highest temperature in Kyoto that day was 29.7℃, and it was scorching hot in the sun, but humidity was not that high, so it didn't feel as uncomfortable as midsummer.
At 10:17am, when Masao Nomura finished his prior explanations, I went to the standing area and secured a good viewing spot. I watched the first group's rehearsal.

At 11:21, Masao Nomura appeared and spent about a minute introducing the performers and mentioning that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the music festival. Then, the two members of Quruli were called out and declared the festival open. After the three left the stage, a one-minute video of the two members of Quruli introducing the next performers was shown on the screens upper both sides of the stage, and the second day's live performances started two minutes earlier than scheduled at 11:30am.

At 11:21am, Masao Nomura appeared and spent about a minute introducing the performers and mentioning that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the music festival. Then, the two members of Quruli were called out and declared the festival open. After the three left the stage, a one-minute video of the two members of Quruli introducing the next performers was shown on the screens upper both sides of the stage, and the second day's live performances started two minutes earlier than scheduled at 11:30am.

The first act was James Macaulay and The Ancient Highballs. This unit consisted of James Macaulay on male vocal and trombone, ermhoi on female vocal and harp, and The Ancient Highballs, a band mainly composed of Japanese members including drummer Shun Ishiwaka. The first song was "a long train," in which James sang surreal lyrics in Japanese along with the band's performance. The second song, "Happy Sad (feat. ermhoi)," featured ermhoi singing lyrics that mixed English and Japanese. After an instrumental third tune, the fourth song, "Godzilla," was a duet, with James singing after ermhoi. The atmosphere of the performance and singing felt reminiscent of Frank Zappa's music. After James introduced the members, he greeted the audience in Japanese, saying, "Thank you for inviting us today. Please enjoy the music." Towards the end, James sang "Gyoumu" and "Handy Fan" in Japanese. The audience got excited, clapping along to the rhythm and waving their arms from side to side.

The second performer was milet. She was scheduled to perform two years ago, but had to cancel due to illness on the day of the event. She was on hiatus last year, so this year she made her comeback. During rehearsal, "I Still" was performed instrumentally twice with her tour members plus a string quartet. Then milet appeared in a light white outfit different from the one she's wearing on her current tour. Her first song was "inside you," starting with an a cappella chorus. Perhaps due to nervousness, she seemed a little stiffer than usual, but she showcased a wide dynamic range in her singing voice, from strong to soft. Switching from a handheld microphone to a stand-up microphone, her second song was the rock song "Hurricane," which is 90% in English. She strummed her white Flying V guitar and sang fluently with a languid vocal style. When milet said "Come on" in the chorus, the audience raised their arms and responded with "Hey," doing an exciting call and response. Between songs, milet said that she learned about Quruli from a close friend in college and has been attending the music festival every year ever since. She then began singing "Red Neon," a song expressing her feelings about the festival, while playing her light blue Stratocaster, and sang with a soaring voice as the band joined in. Putting down her guitar, she sang "Anytime Anywhere" with a handheld microphone, accompanied by the band and a string quartet, using both her natural voice and falsetto. She spoke of her feelings for Quruli and began playing her white Flying V guitar, singing a Quruli's cover song "BIRTHDAY," struggling to hold back tears at the beginning. She picked up the tempo and sang as the band and strings joined in. The audience clapped along to the rhythm, creating an exciting atmosphere. She said, "I got so emotional. I know I can sing better than this. I hope they'll invite me back," and finally returned to her original song, singing the medium-tempo rock song "Christmas Eve." The strings members had already left the stage, so she sang along with the band, strumming her Flying V guitar and singing lyrics that mixed English and Japanese, interspersed with her own guitar solos. After finishing the song, she waved goodbye and left the stage, saying, "Thank you so much. Please enjoy the music festival."

I was finally able to see the artist I had been waiting for two years at this festival, and I moved from the standing area in the front row back to the sheet area just behind it.

The third performer was Hayato Sumino Solo & Trio. It was a stage featuring both solo and trio performances by pianist Hayato Sumino. The first two pieces were solos. On a Steinway & Sons grand piano, Hayato Sumino played his original composition "Human Universe," muting the strings midway through, and then Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" with a soft and soul-cleansing tone. Hayato Sumino said, "I'm happy to be performing at this music festival again after three years. Three years ago I only performed solos, but this year I'll also be performing with a trio," and then called out drummer Shun Ishiwaka and bassist Marty Holoubek to play Bach's "Prelude in C minor (BWV 847)." As the piano played smoothly, Marty Holoubek sat on a chair and fingerpicked his 5-string electric bass, accompanied by drums that became more intense as the piece progressed. They then changed their tastes, performing Marty Holoubek's "Alas I Hear No Giant" with a slow, beautiful melody, followed by a rhythmic, jazzy rendition of Chopin's "Minute Waltz." The drummer and bassist left the stage, and Hayato Sumino announced, "I couldn't forget what happened three years ago, so we decided to play together again," and invited Shigeru Kishida to welcome as a special guest for a duet of Quruli's "Kiseki" (Miracle). While Hayato Sumino provided piano accompaniment, Shigeru Kishida sang while playing his brown Stratocaster. Kishida commented, "Of all the performances I've had at the 20th anniversary of the music festival, playing with Hayato Sumino was the best and most enjoyable." After Shigeru Kishida left the stage, the trio returned, and the final piece was Duke Ellington's jazz tune "Caravan." Their energetic performance, featuring dynamic bass and drum solos, earned them thunderous applause.

The fourth act was Hitsujibungaku. Originally a trio, their drummer left last year, leaving them as a duo consisting of vocalist and guitarist Moeka Shiotsuka and bassist Yurika Kawanishi. They performed with former CHAI drummer YUNA as support. After rehearsing "Henshin" and "Namida no Kawa," they moved on to te real performance. The first song was "1999." Moeka Shiotsuka sang in a soft voice while strumming her Fender Jaguar as the main instrument, switching guitars depending on the song. During "doll," bassist Yurika Kawanishi came to the front of the stage to play, while Moeka Shiotsuka played in front of the stand-up microphone when not singing. After singing "Koe," Moeka Shiotsuka said, "It's hot, isn't it? Let's play a new song," and sang "Keep Walking," the theme song for a streaming drama, accompanied by a lively rhythm. "We'll play our latest song," she announced, and welcomed the two members of Quruli and perform together "Namida no Kawa," a collaborative song written as the ending theme for a TV anime. After Quruli left the stage, they sang "more than words" with a groovy feel. Moeka Shiotsuka said, "Next is the last song. Everyone, please enjoy it to the very end," and performed the song "Dogs." She sang while strumming her guitar in a distortion sound along with the driving rhythm of the drums.

The fifth act was ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, aka shortly Ajikan. In a pre-show video, they were introduced as "Ajikan is also celebrating its 30th anniversary, just like Quruli," and then appeared on stage. The four members were joined by keyboardist George and female backing vocalist Achico for support. The first song was "Kimi to Iu Hana" (The Flower That Is You). Vocalist and guitarist Masafumi Goto sang along with a groovy band performance. Next, he sang "Rewrite" with a fast-paced band performance. The audience raised their arms in excitement during the chorus. Masafumi Goto said, "I'm happy the weather is nice today." He also shared a behind-the-scenes story, saying, "We built a studio in Shizuoka, and Hitsujibungaku and Quruli used it to create the collaborative song between them." Then, introducing it as "an answer song to Quruli's 'Highway'," they performed "Okaeri Johnny" (Welcome Home Johnny). The audience waved their arms from side to side during the chorus, creating a sense of unity in the venue. After singing "Skins," Masafumi Goto announced, "We'll sing two songs about Kyoto," and performed "Kouya wo Aruke" (Walk in the Wilderness) followed by Quruli's cover song "Aoi Sora" (Blue Sky), delivering a fast-paced band performance and shouted vocals. Returning to their original song, they finished with "MAKUAKE," and as Masafumi Goto put down his guitar, the guitar feedback rang out, and all the members lined up side by side, took a bow, and left the stage.

The sixth performer from 5pm was Tamio Okuda. He was supported by the familiar members: Rei Ohara on bass, Yuta Saito on keyboards, and Masashi Minato on drums. The first song was "Surudokusaina-ra." Along with a strong beat, Tamio Okuda sang while playing a white Les Paul guitar with a tremolo arm. He sang "Kaitai Show" with a distorted guitar rock sound. He sang "Lion wa Tora yori Utsukushii" while playing a bluesy guitar, and also included a guitar solo. When he first came out, the setting sun seemed to be dazzling, then he said, "The setting sun has gone down and the lights have come on." He switched guitars and sang the rock and roll song "Nan to Iu" while playing a sunburst Les Paul, and during "Speed," the audience waved their arms from side to side, creating a unified and exciting atmosphere. He performed "MTRY" with a honky-tonk-style piano accompaniment, featuring piano and guitar solos. Then, he sang "Sasura." The audience raised their arms and sang along to the chorus, creating a lively atmosphere. Finally, he performed "Ezu Rider," including a guitar solo. The audience clapped along to the rhythm and raised their arms during the chorus and climax, further increasing the excitement.

After 5:30pm, the sun set and it became completely dark.

The headliner was Quruli. The scheduled start time was 6:05pm, but they played "watituti" during rehearsal from 5:57pm, and perhaps because the audience reacted as if the main set had already begun, they continued on to play "Morning Paper" and then the main set began. The two members of Quruli were both Camel tops; vocalist and guitarist Shigeru Kishida was dressed in Camel vests, and bassist Masashi Sato in a Camel jacket, while support guitarist Daiki Matsumoto, keyboardist Yasuhiro Nozaki, and drummers Shun Ishiwaka and senoo ricky wore gray jackets. Kishida sang "Bremen" while playing his old Telecaster, and halfway through, he joined the audience in clapping, creating a sense of unity. With female backing vocalist Ayaka Tatamino joining in, Kishida put down his guitar and picked up a handheld microphone and sang "Amber Colored City, The Morning of The Shanghai Crab," incorporating rap into his performance. Shigeru Kishida strummed his acoustic guitar and sang "Baby I Love You." After seeing off Ayaka Tatamino, Kishida spoke with deep emotion, saying, "Looking back on the past 20 years, my heart is full. I've been able to come this far by taking one step at a time." Switching to a blue Telecaster, he sang "Rock 'n' Roll." The audience raised their arms during the chorus, getting excited. Kishida began singing the ballad "The Veranda" on his gut-string guitar, accompanied by the drummer's brushwork, and the band joined him partway through. After switching to an electric guitar and singing the medium-tempo song "Aria from the sea," Ayaka Tatamino rejoined him on female backing vocal, and Kishida strummed his acoustic guitar and sang "Highway." After introducing the band members, Shigeru Kishida sang "River" while playing acoustic guitar in a country-style arrangement featuring senoo ricky's banjo. The audience raised their arms, getting excited. After Ayaka Tatamino left the stage, Shigeru Kishida said, "Thank you everyone. Please be careful on your way home. We look forward to your continued support of Onpaku. This was Quruli," and performed the final song "Yado wa Nashi." Shigeru Kishida sang the medium-tempo song while playing his old Telecaster in a Japanese-style sound featuring Daiki Matsumoto's mandolin. After finishing the song, all the members lined up side by side and took a bow, and then left the stage.

The emcee, Masao Nomura, gave a closing address and announced various precautions for about 5 minutes, and the event ended at 7:03pm.

For seven and a half hours, from before noon until sunset under clear skies, various artists delivered singing and musical performances in diverse styles. I thoroughly enjoyed this outdoor music festival.

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Kyoto Music Expo in Umekoji Park 2026 Day 2
Sun 11 Oct 2026
@Kyoto Umekoji Park Lawn Square

Emcee: Masao Nomura (FM COCOLO DJ)

Performers: James Macaulay and The Ancient Highballs, milet, Hayato Sumino Solo & Trio, Hitsujibungaku, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Tamio Okuda, Quruli

James Macaulay and The Ancient Highballs (11:28am-11:58am)
[Performers] James Macaulay (Trombone, Vocal) / ermhoi (harp, Vocal) / Yusuke Sase (Trumpet) / Akane Nakajima (Alto sax) / Akihiro Nishiguchi (Tenor sax) / Akira Ishiguro (Guitar) / Kota Kaihori (Piano, Rhodes) / Marty Holoubek (Bass) / Taikimen (Percussion) / Shun Ishiwaka (Drums)
[Setlist] a long train / Happy Sad (feat. ermhoi) / Instrumental / Godzilla / Gyoumu / Handy Fan

milet (12:30pm-1:06pm)
[Performers] milet (Vocal, Guitar) / <Support> Yoichiro Nomura (Guitars) / Kota Hashimoto (Bass) / Masaki Hori (Drums) / Elley (Backing vocal) / Taku Kameda (Keyboard) / String Quartet (2Vn, Va, Vc)
[Setlist] inside you / Hurricane / Red Neon / Anytime Anywhere / BIRTHDAY (Quruli cover) / Christmas Eve

Hayato Sumino Solo & Trio (1:35pm-2:12pm)
[Performers] Hayato Sumino - Cateen (Piano) / Shun Ishiwaka (Drums) / Marty Holoubek (Bass)
[Setlist] Human Universe (Solo) / Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Solo) / Bach: Prelude in C minor BWV847 (Trio) / Alas I Hear No Giant (Trio) / Chopin: Waltz No. 6 in D-flat major, Op. 64-1 "Minute Waltz" / Kiseki (w/ Shigeru Kishida) / Caravan (Trio)

Hitsujibungaku (2:42pm-3:17pm)
[Performers] Moeka Shiotsuka (Vocal & Guitar) / Yurika Kawanishi (Bass & Backing vocal) / <Support> YUNA (Drums)
[Setlist] (Rehearsal) Henshin / Namida no Kawa / (Performance) 1999 / doll / Koe / Keep Walking / Namida no Kawa (w/ Quruli) / more than words / Dogs

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION (3:50pm-4:29pm)
[Performers] Masafumi Goto (Vocal & Guitar) / Kensuke Kita (Guitar & Vocal) / Takahiro Yamada (Bass & Vocal) / Kiyoshi Ijichi (Drums) / <Support> Achico (Backing vocal) / George (Keyboard)
[Setlist] Kimi to Iu Hana / Rewrite / Okaeri Johnny / Skins / Kouya wo Aruke / Aoi Sora (Quruli cover) / MAKUAKE

Tamio Okuda (5:00pm-5:35pm)
[Performers] Tamio Okuda (Vocal & Guitar) / <Support> Rei Ohara (Bass) / Yuta Saito (Keyboard) / Masashi Minato (Drums)
[Setlist] Surudokusainara / Kaitai Show / Lion wa Tora yori Utsukushii / Nan to Iu / Speed / MTRY / Sasurai / Ezu Rider

Quruli (5:57pm-6:58pm)
[Performers] Shigeru Kishida (Vocal, Guitar) / Masashi Sato (Bass, Backing vocal) / <Support> Daiki Matsumoto (Guitar) / Yasuhiro Nozaki (Keyboard) / Shun Ishiwaka (Drums) / senoo ricky(Drums,Banjo) / Ayaka Tatamino (Backing vocal)
[Setlist] watituti / Morning Paper / Bremen / Amber Colored City, The Morning of The Shanghai Crab / Baby I Love You / Rock 'n' Roll / The Veranda / Aria from the sea / Highway / River / Yado wa Nashi

Watched the live film "Queen Budapest" Global Theatrical Release

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Wed 7 Oct 2026, I went to watch the live film "Queen Budapest" Global Theatrical Release. Queen is a British rock band that debuted in four members in 1973 and has succeeded in the world even though its vocalist Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991. It was a special screening of Queen's legendary concert in July 1986 at the Nebstadion (People's Stadium) in Budapest, Hungary, which drew 80,000 people and was the first concert in Eastern Europe, revived by 4K restored footage and remastered sound. It was globally released in cinema from October 7, 2026 and I watched it on the premiere day.

As for me, this was the first time I'd seen a theatrical screening of a Queen live film from the Freddie Mercury era since the IMAX-only screening of "QUEEN ROCK MONTREAL" in February 2024. I've seen their Japan tours many times with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert on vocals, but I've never seen Queen live with Freddie Mercury, so this theatrical screening was a valuable opportunity.

It has been five months since I last visit to TOHO Cinemas Umeda in May of this year. I watched the movie on Screen 1 in the main building, which features a huge 6.3m x 15.0m TCX screen and Dolby Atmos sound system. This is the same place where I saw the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" in November 2018.

I arrived at the movie theater a little early and printed out my paper ticket for the seat I had reserved in advance on their website from the ticketing machine. The doors opened about 20 minutes before the showtime of 5:10pm. I showed my paper ticket to a staff member at the entrance and received a commemorative memorial card, a replica of a 1986 live concert ticket, as a first-come, first-served gift for attendees. My seat was in the middle row, slightly to the left. The theater room has a capacity of 724 seats, but I think it was only about 30% full, probably because it was a weekday evening. Movie information, commercials, trailers, and etiquette notices were shown on the screen until about 10 minutes after the scheduled start time and then the movie began.

First, recent interview footage of Brian May and Roger Taylor was shown individually, and afterwards the main live performance was screened.

The four members were vividly projected onto an extra-large screen, showcasing their youthful energic activities on stage. Freddie sang while actively moving around on the stage with his trademark stand microphone without leg. Roger, with his blonde hair, played powerful drums throughout, singing high notes in the chorus. Brian played guitar with great energy, mainly on his Red Special, and also sang in the chorus. In the middle of the set, he switched to an acoustic guitar and provided guitar accompaniment for Freddie in an acoustic set. John played bass lines, providing a groovy bottom end to the sound. A support member also appeared on stage in the latter half of the show and played along. The musical performance and vocals were delivered with surround sound and deep bass range that made the seats vibrate, making it feel as if we were actually sitting in a seat at a live concert.

This was a theatrical version of a live performance I'd seen on TV before, but I could clearly see the subtle changes in their costumes that I hadn't noticed on TV. Besides the live footage, there were also heartwarming off-stage filming shots of the band members that gave a glimpse into the atmosphere of the location.

Freddie sang a couple of songs while playing the piano, and halfway through he stood up, picked up a stand microphone without legs, and went to the front of the stage to sing. For the climax, he energized the venue with a performance that involved 80,000 audience members. Finally, as the British national anthem rang out, the end credits rolled, bringing the 1-hour and 36-minute screening to a close.

I was able to virtually experience Queen's live performance in their heyday, when the late Freddie Mercury was still in the band, through the extra-large screen and sound system of the movie theater. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

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Queen Budapest (2026)
Release dates: October 7, 2026

[Movie data]
Remastered in 2026
Countries: United States
Language: English (Japanese subtitles)
Running time: 96 minutes
Distributed by Trafalgar Releasing, Cultureville(Japan)

[Staff]
Director: János Zsombolyai
Producers (Original Version): Jim Beach, László Hegedüs, György Mihály
Producers (2026 Remastered Version): Rob Stringer, Tom Mackay, Richard Story, Charlie Stanford, Josh Cheuse

[Cast]
Freddie Mercury (Vocal, Piano, Guitar)
Brian May (Guitar, Backing vocal)
Roger Taylor (Drums, Backing vocal)
John Deacon (Bass)
Spike Edney (Keyboard, Piano, Guitar, Backing vocal)

SARD UNDERGROUND LIVE TOUR 2026 [YOU ARE FREEDOM] at HIGASHIOSAKA Cultural Creation Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sat 3 Oct 2026, I went to a concert of SARD UNDERGROUND LIVE TOUR 2026 [YOU ARE FREEDOM] held at HIGASHIOSAKA Cultural Creation Hall in Osaka, Japan. SARD UNDERGROUND is a young Japanese female rock act that debuted as a four-piece band in 2019 as a tribute to the late Izumi Sakai's rock band "ZARD," and had been a trio from 2021 to 2024, and is now active as a solo act of the vocalist Yua Shinno. Following its nationwide live house tour from Hokkaido to Kumamoto, held from May to August this year, SARD UNDERGROUND embarked on a hall tour that included Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, starting in Hikone, the hometown of vocalist Yua Shinno. I watched the final performance in Osaka. As for me, this was my first time seeing SARD UNDERGROUND live since its Osaka performance during the live house tour at the end of June and the Conan x J.League collaboration day a month ago.

The title of the live house tour was "TO MY FREEDOM," the title of a song from the album "Broken Car," which was released after last year's tour, but the title of the hall tour was slightly changed to "YOU ARE FREEDOM" (I guess it is named after Yua Shinno's own first name).

HIGASHIOSAKA Cultural Creation Hall is a comprehensive cultural facility that opened in September 2019, located about a 3-minute walk from Yaenosato Station on the Kintetsu Nara Line. It features large and small halls and music studios. I visited for the first time in about four years. The live performance took place in the Dream House Main Hall on the second floor, which has a capacity of 1500 seats.

I arrived at the venue in the middle afternoon under a pleasant autumn clear sky with a high of 26℃. Guided by the staff, I joined in the line formed in front of the entrance on the second floor, and the doors opened at 4:30pm. At the entrance, the stub of my paper ticket was torn off, and I entered the venue and went to the seating room. On the stage, in addition to the instruments set up, there was a higher stage at the back of the stage with stairs leading up to it on the left, right, and center sides, and a star-shaped set even further back in the center. My seat was on the left side of the middle section of the first floor. I took my seat and waited for the show to begin with SARD UNDERGROUND originals and ZARD tribute songs playing as background music. As the start time approached, the venue was filled with audience members, except for some empty seats in the balcony seats on the second and third floors. Before the show started, announcements were made regarding precautions such as the prohibition of photography and video recording.

When three minutes past the scheduled start time 5:30pm, the lights dimmed and sound effects played as the support members appeared on stage. The support members were the familiar guitarist Shiki Ezaki, bassist Hiroshi Asai, keyboardist U-zo Ohkusu, and drummer Keisuke Kurumatani. As they started musical performance, Yua Shinno appeared from a star-shaped set at the back of the stage, wearing an outfit with black lace sleeves, gray pants, and a vest, and the live show began. The first five songs were ZARD tribute songs. The first song was " Get U're Dream." Under the dazzling lights, and accompanied by the band's upbeat performance, Yua Shinno began singing in front of the star-shaped set with a handheld microphone in hand, and then came down the stairs to the front of the stage to sing the latter half. The audience stood up from the first song and clapped along, creating an exciting atmosphere. After singing " Ashita wo Yume Mite," she moved on to a talk segment.

Yua Shinno greeted the audience, saying, "It's the final show of YOU ARE FREEDOM tour. Is everybody ready to have fun? I'll be giving my all in my singing, so please accept it with all your might," which got the crowd excited.

She sang "Sukina Youni Odoritai no" (I Want to Dance as I Like) with a rich volume voice over a fast-paced sound. Sitting on the central staircase, she sang the medium-tempo song "Natsu wo Matsu Sail no You ni" (Like a Sail Waiting for Summer) with a soaring voice. Standing up again, she sang "Kokoro wo Hiraite" (Open Your Heart) with a light, groovy sound, as the star-shaped set was illuminated in seven colors.

She moved on to a talk segment again. She said, "This year I had a live house tour followed by a hall tour, and today is the final show. I'm a little sad to see it end, but please stick with us," and then gave the audience some dance lessons before performing two original songs. She sang "TO MY FREEDOM" while doing dance moves by arms and walked across the stage, went up the stairs on the left to sing on the high stage at the back, then came down the stairs on the right to return to the center of the front of the stage. The audience did the same dance move with her during the chorus, creating a sense of unity in the venue. With a fast-paced band performance, she sang "Sekai de Ichiban Tooi Hito" (The Farthest Person in the World), incorporating introductions of the band members in the middle, and as red lights flashed during the chorus, the audience raised their arms and got excited. Under the glittering mirror ball, she performed ZARD's "Kono Namida Hoshi ni Nare" (This Tear, Become a Star), a cover she performed for the first time on this tour, with a groovy band performance of which quick break in the latter half increased the tension.

The sound of an engine rumbled, and for the next two songs, she switched to a stand-up microphone and performed original songs. She sang "Biwako Ohashi" mixed with her car navigation narration in the middle. The audience did the same dance moves with her arms during the chorus, creating a lively atmosphere. Beneath the set that white curtain drapes descended from above, she sang the ballad "Kagayaku Tabibito yo" (Shining Traveler). As the support members other than keyboardist left the stage briefly, she announced, "For the next song, I'd like to present it with keyboardist Ohkusu," and sat on a chair high in the center of the stage, sang the ballad "Tsubasa wo Hirogete" (Spread Your Wings) with great feeling and expressiveness to the single piano accompaniment.

The other band members returned, and from this point on, the performance focused on original songs. Standing up from her chair, she sang the medium ballad "Natsu no Owari ni..." (At the End of Summer...) with a soaring voice. After descending the stairs, she sang "Shiawase" (Happiness) as she walked from side to side across the stage amidst a shower of star-shaped confetti. The audience waved their arms from side to side with her, creating a unified and lively atmosphere.

During the talk between songs, Yua Shinno said, "I tried incorporating a star-falling effect. ZARD's 'Kono Namida Hoshi ni Nare' was performed for the first time and hasn't been released on CD yet, so I'll do my best to release it at the next ZARD Tribute, so please wait for it." The drapes of the curtain that had been hanging above were pulled up and disappeared during the talk.

From this point on, the second half shifted to up-tempo songs. Saying that "next song is about the innocent thoughts I wrote when I was a teenager," she sang "Kuroi Bara" (Black Rose) to a strong, beat-driven rock sound. The audience clapped along to the rhythm, raising their arms during the chorus and getting excited. With the bassist and guitarist playing on a high platform at the back, she powerfully sang "Zenbu Jikosekinin" (Everything is My Own Responsibility) with a forward-leaning rhythm, incorporating rap. The audience clapped along and raised their index fingers getting excited. She sang the ZARD tribute song "DAN DAN Kokoro Hikareteku" (Gradually My Heart is Drawn to You) to a strong beat. The audience clapped along and raised their palms, creating an exciting atmosphere.

Yua Shinno said, "From now on, let's make this even more exciting! Can you go further, Osaka?" and led a call and response to energize the crowd. She then sang "Ichigo Jam" and also the members singing a parody version, receiving thunderous applause. She sang "Karappo no Kokoro" and "Namida Iro de" with a fast-paced band performance. The audience shouted out while raising their arms and got excited. She began singing the ZARD tribute song "My Friend" from the chorus, and sang it with a fast-paced band performance that included a keyboard solo. As the audience clapped along to the rhythm, Yua Shinno said, "Osaka is the best! Thank you," and left the stage, bringing the main part of the show to a close.

In response to the audience's applause and "Yua calls" asking for an encore, Yua Shinno and her support members reappeared, now wearing merchandise T-shirts. Merchandise was also introduced. Yua Shinno declared, "We can't end without this song," and the encore was ZARD's signature song, "Makenaide" (Please don't lose). She sang along to the bouncy music. The audience clapped along to the rhythm and raised their arms during the chorus, creating a unified and exhilarating atmosphere. After finishing the song, she said, "Let me see off the band members," and each member left the stage one by one to applause from the audience. Yua Shinno remained alone, walking from one end of the stage to the other, waving to the crowd. Finally, she put down the microphone and, in her own voice, said, "Osaka, thank you from the bottom of my heart," and waving goodbye and taking a bow, then leaving the stage. A female voice announcing the end of the show concluded the 1-hour and 55-minute live performance, bringing it to a grand finale.

With a setlist and staging different from the live house tour, she captivated the audience by singing a mix of original songs and ZARD tribute songs. I thoroughly enjoyed her powerful and expressive singing voice.

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SARD UNDERGROUND LIVE TOUR 2026 [YOU ARE FREEDOM]
Sat 3 Oct 2026
@HIGASHIOSAKA Cultural Creation Hall Dream House Main Hall

[Performers]
Yua Shinno – Vocal
=Support=
Keisuke Kurumatani – Drums
Shiki Ezaki - Guitar
Hiroshi Asai - Bass
U-zo Ohkusu - Keyboards

[Setlist]
Get U're Dream
Ashita wo Yume Mite
Sukina Youni Odoritai no
Natsu wo Matsu Sail no You ni
Kokoro wo Hiraite
TO MY FREEDOM
Sekai de Ichiban Tooi Hito
Kono Namida Hoshi ni Nare
Biwako Ohashi
Kagayaku Tabibito yo
Tsubasa wo Hirogete
Natsu no Owari ni...
Shiawase
Kuroi Bara
Zenbu Jikosekinin
DAN DAN Kokoro Hikareteku
Ichigo Jam
Karappo no Kokoro
Namida Iro de
My Friend
=Encore=
Makenaide

Leo Ieiri TOUR 2026 -Log:31- at Kobe International House International Hall, Hyogo

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sun 27 Sep 2026, I went to a concert of Leo Ieiri TOUR 2026 -Log:31- held at Kobe International House International Hall in Hyogo, Japan. Leo Ieiri is a female Japanese pop singer-songwriter who made her nationwide debut in 2012. In support of her 9th album, "31," her nationwide hall tour began on September 12 in Kanagawa and will continue for 11 shows until early November in Tokyo. This was the Kobe performance, the fourth stop on the tour. As for me, this was my first time seeing Leo Ieiri live tour since her Kobe performance on her nationwide tour last year, and my second time seeing her this year following the "31" release event last month.

Kobe International House International Hall is located a 2–3-minute walk from Kobe Sannomiya Station and is a large hall with a capacity of 2112 people, seated on three floors. It was the same venue as Ieiri Leo's tour last year. It had been five months since my last visit.

It was a rainy day, continuing from the previous day, so I went from the nearest Kobe Sannomiya Station through the basement of Hankyu Department Store, then up to the ground floor of Kobe International House to reach the venue. When I was on the second floor where the entrance was located, a staff member instructed us to line up along the building wall, and entry began at 4:00pm. After having my electronic ticket checked and receiving a flyer, I took the escalator up one floor to the seating area. My seat was on the right side, about halfway up the first floor. A set resembling a room was placed on the stage. I took my seat and waited for the show to begin with mellow Western music playing in the background. 20 minutes and 4 minutes before the show started, announcements were made prohibiting photography, recording, and the use of light sticks during the performance. As the showtime approached, although there were some empty seats such as balcony seats, about 90% of the seats were filled with fans who seemed to be around the same age as Leo Ieiri.

When three minutes past the scheduled start time 5:00pm, the lights dimmed, the curtain rose, and the live performance began. The support band members were almost the same as last year's tour, but the drummer was replaced by Yuta Shinohara. The bandmaster was Jun Matsumoto on piano, Kurosawa on guitar (who also supports Aimyon), Kyosuke Maeda on bass (from androp), and Yugo Maeda on manipulator. The setlist mainly consisted of songs from her new album "31," but also included a mix of old and new songs, from her debut single to her hit songs.

Surrounded by room lights, Leo Ieiri began singing in a soft voice, incorporating falsetto, accompanied by the band's groovy performance. As the set launched into upbeat songs, Leo Ieiri walked from side to side across the stage while singing. The audience rose to their feet, clapping along to the rhythm, raising their arms, and waving when Leo Ieiri came near their seats, creating a lively atmosphere.

During the talk between songs, Leo Ieiri greeted the audience who came to the Kobe concert, expressing her joy at performing in Kobe following her hometown Fukuoka concert the previous day, and sharing the thoughts behind the title and songs of her new album, "31."

She also performed her previously released singles with new arrangements, singing them with a free and expressive voice. She sang with a handheld microphone at times, and also used a stand-up microphone for a song, incorporating arm dance moves. Returning to the handheld microphone, she sang powerfully, almost as if possessed by a spirit, with the band's performance supporting her powerful vocals.

Leo Ieiri had the audience take their seats as she moved on to the ballad section. She sat down herself and interspersed her performance with talk, singing new and old original songs with her band, as well as cover songs accompanied by single piano or acoustic guitar. She sang with a rich range of expression, from soft to supple voices. The audience listened intently to her singing.

The second half returned to up-tempo songs. With call and response sections, she sang her early signature songs with new arrangements. The audience rose to their feet again, clapping along to the rhythm, and raising their arms during the choruses, creating an exciting atmosphere. Towards the end, she sang songs from her new album, sharing her thoughts behind the music, and the main set concluded amidst the band's energetic performance.

In response to the audience's applause and "Leo calls" asking for encores, Leo Ieiri and her support members reappeared on stage. Leo Ieiri introduced merchandise and announced that she will be holding a live concert in Tokyo on February 14 next year to commemorate her 15th debut anniversary, as well as a HOMECOMING concert in her hometown of Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, on March 14 the following month. For the encore, she sang upbeat songs from her old and new singles while walking from side to side across the stage. The audience clapped along, raised their arms during the choruses, and sang along, creating an incredibly exciting atmosphere.

After finishing her songs, she expressed her gratitude to the audience, lined up side by side with her support members and took a bow. Leo Ieiri remained alone until the very end, bowing and blowing kisses to the audience, waving goodbye and leaving the stage. Then the announcement was made that the show was over, bringing the 2-hour and 16-minute concert to a close.

It was a fascinating concert where she showcased her expressive singing voice with a mix of old and new original songs and cover songs. I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

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Leo Ieiri TOUR 2026 -Log:31-
Sun 27 Sep 2026
@Kobe International House International Hall, Hyogo

[Performers]
Leo Ieiri – Vocal
Jun Matsumoto - Piano/Bandmaster
Qurosawa - Guitar
Kyosuke Maeda - Bass
Yuta Shinohara - Drums
Yugo Maeda - Manipulator

[Setlist]
Overture (Log:31)
Echoes
We Could Be Something
Too Late
Adieu
Taiyo no Megami
Kimi ga Kureta Natsu
Melt
Mikansei
Rain Song
Remember
Koe wo Kikasete /SAKURA
Don't Know Why /Norah Jones
Silly
Shine
Sabrina
Walk
Muse
Mirror (Edition 31)
Love In Me
=Encore=
Mebius
Bokutachi no Mirai

milet live tour 2026 “Made of Glass” at ROHM Theatre Kyoto

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Sat 26 Sep 2026, I went to a concert of milet live tour 2026 “Made of Glass” held at ROHM Theatre Kyoto in Japan. milet (pronounce Mee-lei) is a Japanese female singer-songwriter debuted in 2019, and also served as an actress in 2024. In support of her fourth album, "Made of Glass," her first national tour in two years began on September 12 in Chiba and will continue until late November in Oita, with 19 performances in 18 locations. This was performance in Kyoto, the fifth stop. As for me, this was my first time seeing milet live since her performance at the Nippon Budokan in February of this year.

I visited Rohm Theatre Kyoto again this month, following my visit last month. Just like last time, it was drizzling. I arrived at the venue from the nearest station with my umbrella. I had already purchased the merchandise online beforehand, so I attended other events; I got my Goshuin - red ink stamp and calligraphy - stamped, participated in the fan club's digital stamp and digital lottery, and received a participation prize.

As the opening time approached, I lined up at the main hall entrance. The doors opened at 4:00pm, and after having my electronic ticket checked, I entered the venue. Once inside the seating floor, I could see a huge set being constructed on the stage. My seat was towards the back of the first floor, offering a panoramic view. I settled into my seat and waited for the show to begin, with J-POP and Western music playing in the background. As the showtime approached, the venue filled to capacity.

When one minute past the scheduled start time 5:00pm, the lights dimmed, and familiar support members, including guitarist Yoichiro Nomura, appeared on stage. Then milet took the stage, and the live performance began. The setlist mainly consisted of songs from her new album "Made of Glass," but also included lead tracks and other tracks from the songs she previously released.

Under ever-changing lighting, along to the upbeat band sound, milet hyped up the audience, walking from side to side on stage with a handheld microphone in hand, changing her position as she sang. From the first song, the audience was on their feet, raising their arms and singing along, waving when milet came close, and the atmosphere heated up in no time. She continued to sing fast-paced songs. The audience clapped along, raised their arms, sang in rounds, or sang together, filling the venue with incredible energy.

During the talk between songs, milet greeted the audience and expressed her surprise at the energy of the venue, saying, "Everybody's voltage is already high and it's incredibly hot."

She sang upbeat songs with effortless grace, and the audience joined in with clapping and singing along to the choruses, creating a sense of unity in the venue. Then, she completely changed the atmosphere, singing songs that showcased her unique worldview. She sang ballads with a soaring voice, mixing her natural voice with falsetto. Depending on the song, she played the guitar while singing. The audience held their breath, captivated by her resonant voice that filled the venue.

"You guys are so amazing, it brought tears to my eyes. This is the best show of the five!" she said, then spoke about her feelings about the new album and tour, introduced the band members, and responded to the audience's cheers.

After singing the tie-in songs with a groovy feel, the second half returned to up-tempo songs. She sang while moving around with a handheld microphone under lighting that matched the atmosphere of each song, and for some songs, she sang while playing guitar at a stand-up microphone. The audience clapped along and raised their arms, getting excited. "Kyoto today is the best!" she said, and sang songs from the new album while strumming her guitar. The audience clapped along, getting excited. After finishing the songs, all the members lined up side by side and took a bow, bringing the main part of the show to a close.

In response to the audience's applause and "milet calls" asking for an encore, milet reappeared on stage. She said, "I was so hyped up I only slept for two hours, but I'm glad I made it here safely," and spoke about her feelings about Kyoto and her new album. For the encore, she sang a song from her new album again, strumming her guitar. After finishing the song, she took a bow and blew a kiss, saying, "Thank you so much. This was milet. See you next time at Kyoto Music Expo," and left the stage. Then the announcement made that the show was over, bringing the 2-hour and 15-minute live show to a close.

She captivated the audience with her singing and playing, along with the stage sets and lighting themed around the new album. I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

At the exit, I made a donation to support victims of the Kumamoto earthquake and other disasters, took some photos of the exhibited artworks. Then, while still basking in the afterglow of the experience, I left the venue in the light rain.

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milet live tour 2026 “Made of Glass”
Sat 26 Sep 2026
@ROHM Theatre Kyoto Main Hall

[Performers]
milet - Vocal, Guitar
Yoichiro Nomura – Guitars
Kota Hashimoto – Bass
Masaki Hori – Drums
Elley - Backing vocal
Taku Kameda – Keyboard

Aimyon "Marigold" Costume/Skateboard Exhibition at Umeda Tsutaya Books, Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Fri 25 Sep 2026, I went to Aimyon "Marigold" Costume/Skateboard Exhibition held at Umeda Tsutaya Books in Osaka, Japan. Aimyon is a Japanese female singer-songwriter who made her nationwide debut in 2016 from Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. In commemoration of the release of a self-homage video recreating the original music video for "Marigold," as part of the project to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Aimyon's major debut, a traveling exhibition has been taking place for five days each at three Tsutaya Books: Roppongi, Tokyo from September 9, Ropponmatsu, Fukuoka from September 16, and Umeda, Osaka from September 23. I went to the final stop, Tsutaya Books in Umeda, Osaka.

Umeda Tsutaya Books is located on the 9th floor of LUCUA 1100, a fashion building in the Osaka Station City North Gate Building inside JR Osaka Station. After going up to the 9th floor by escalator, the exhibition was being held in the same place where a special "refrigerator" exhibition commemorating the release of the single "Ai ni Iku no ni" was held two years ago, in front of the elevator on the atrium side facing south. During the period when this exhibition was touring, from September 9 to September 27, a fair commemorating the release of the best album "AIMYON BEST ALBUM -Kuchibiru wo Oe!-" was held concurrently, with the CD and album being sold and displayed on a special platform.

The costume/skateboard exhibition featured the actual items; the costume worn in the original 2018 music video, the costume worn in the [10th Anniversary short ver.], and the skateboard used in both music videos. Photography was permitted for these items.

Visitors, who appeared to be fans, were taking photos with their smartphones as they pleased. I also looked at the exhibits and took photos with my smartphone. I was a little surprised that the skateboard was smaller than I had expected. Afterwards, I had a coffee at Starbucks on the same floor and enjoyed a relaxing time.

Following the exhibition in Nishinomiya, I am glad I could see the exhibition celebrating Aimyon's 10th debut anniversary.

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"Marigold" Music Video Self-Homage Footage Release Commemoration
Aimyon "Marigold" Costume/Skateboard Exhibition
Venue: <Osaka> Umeda Tsutaya Books
Period: September 23 to September 27, 2026

[Exhibition Contents]
Marigold 2018 Original Music Video Costume
Marigold [10th Anniversary short ver.] Costume
Skateboard
Fair held concurrently (September 9th (Wed) - 27th (Sun))

Sweet Music Festival 2026 at Yodogawa Riverside Park - Hirakata Area, Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sun 20 Sep 2026, I went to Sweet Music Festival 2026 held at Yodogawa Riverside Park - Hirakata Area, Osaka Prefecture in Japan. The free outdoor rock festival, which began in 2011 based in Hirakata, Kitakawachi, to spread the charm of Osaka, the "City of Water," to the whole country, took place for the 14th time this year. Until 2014, it was held at Hirakata City Okahigashi Central Park, but since 2017 it has been held at the Hirakata area of Yodogawa River Park. The venue was a park on the Yodogawa riverbank, a 20-minute walk from Hirakata-shi Station on the Keihan Main Line. The live performance venue was in the area west of Hirakata Bridge, west of the Hirakata venue where the Suito Kurawanka Fireworks Festival is to be held that evening. As for me, it had been two years since I last attended the Sweet Music Festival.

The daytime high temperature in Hirakata City that day was 29℃, and there were sunny spells around noon, making it hot and humid. I arrived around noon on foot from Hirakata City Station. There was a group of students wearing yukata walking in the same direction from Hirakata City Station, and when I saw that the a cappella group members singing on the Chappel Stage at the Sweet Music Festival A Cappella Street within the same venue were also wearing yukata, I realized they were performers.

After the live performances began on the two adjacent main stages, L and R, the ACOUSTIC STAGE, closest to Hirakata Bridge, started its live shows at 12:30pm. Each performer played a 20–25-minute set. I watched the 2nd through 4th performances on the ACOUSTIC STAGE, which took place a little after 1:00pm.

After a rehearsal of one song, Ayumi Tateishi's live performance began at 1:05pm. She is a female singer-songwriter from Osaka who has been active since 2015. Standing in front of a stand-up microphone, she sang while playing an acoustic guitar. For her first song, she sang the fast-paced song "Matane." (See You Again) while strumming her acoustic guitar. She said, "I'm happy to be able to perform at the Sweet Music Festival again," and then sang "Setsuna ni" (In a Moment) with a powerful voice. She introduced the song "Kezureta Guitar" (A Scratched Guitar) by saying, "I wrote this song remembering the words that were said to me that hurt me when I started singing and doing street performances 11 years ago." It started in a talking blues style, and halfway through, she strummed her acoustic guitar and sang with great power. After singing "Shirase," she said, "There were times when I felt frustrated, but there were also words that made me happy," and her last song was "Koe" (Voice). She started the slow-paced song with a soft voice, and in the latter half, she sang it soaringly, incorporating falsetto.

The performer from 1:40pm was Kotone Maeda, a female singer-songwriter who has been active as an FM802-certified MUSIC BUSKER (street musician in Umeda) since January 2021. She sang while playing an acoustic guitar, supported by HIRO from →Pia-no-jaC← on cajon. After one song rehearsal, a jingle with the performers' names played, but her name was wrong, so they started over and went for the actual performance. For her first song, she sang "love me, hug me" while playing her acoustic guitar in a voice that wasn't particularly deep but had a strong high range. She said, "Are you enjoying the Sweet Music Festival? Everyone, please sing along," and then led the audience in a sing-along of "Ai live you," singing while strumming her acoustic guitar along with the driving rhythm of the cajon. She expressed her gratitude, saying "Thank you for having me at the Sweet Music Festival for the first time." She began with an a cappella rendition of "Ashita mo Ikiyou to Omoeru Kyou wo Sugoshitai" (I want to live today in a way that makes me want to live tomorrow), and then sang slow numbers accompanied by the rhythm of a cajon while playing an acoustic guitar. The last song was "Super Woman." She strummed her acoustic guitar and sang along to the fast-paced performance of the cajon. The audience clapped along to the rhythm and sang in chorus, creating a lively atmosphere.

The performer from 2:15pm was Charmant coco, a male-female duo consists of female vocalist Aika and guitarist Shoma, from the neighboring city of Katano. After rehearsal, they performed. Their first song was "Harujion." Aika sang with a handheld microphone, accompanied by Shoma's acoustic guitar. She mentioned, "This is a song we sang at the first Sweet Music Festival 15 years ago." Next, she sang "Sorairo Tail" with a fast-paced acoustic guitar accompaniment. The audience clapped along and raised their arms, creating a lively atmosphere. She introduced "This is a new song," and sang the medium-tempo song "Watashi ne." She sang "Kanpeki janakute Iiyo," incorporating falsetto. Their final song was "18BLUE." She sang with a light acoustic guitar accompaniment. The audience clapped along to the rhythm, creating a lively atmosphere.

Afterward, I moved to another location to eat and drink. As the sun began to set, the temperature cooled down and it felt much more comfortable.

As evening approached, I went to the L STAGE on the left side of the main stage to see Kayoko Kusano, who was scheduled to perform from 5:00pm. She did a rehearsal for one song, but I was too close to the stage and the sound of the instruments made it difficult to hear her voice, so I moved to a position further back where I could hear the sound from the PA system. Five minutes behind schedule, a jingle with the performers' names played, and the actual live performance began. Saying, "Let's enjoy the Sweet Music Festival," she launched into her first song, "Tamashii Drive." Accompanied by a twin-guitar band with a keyboardist, she sang while moving actively around on the stage with a handheld microphone. After singing the next song, "Rising Fish," with the audience doing dance moves along with her, she introduced herself as "I'm Kayoko Kusano, a singer-songwriter who writes and composes songs for others." This was her first appearance at the Sweet Music Festival, and she said, "This is the first time I've met Manabe-kun (the chairman of the Sweet Music Festival's organizing committee) since I moved to Tokyo 12 or 13 years ago." She mentioned that she was asked to perform without an audition this time, and added, "Next year, I'll participate from the audition stage."
"I'm going to perform the most famous song I've ever written," she said, and then launched into a self-cover of "Gurenge," the opening theme for the first season of the TV anime "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," which she wrote for LiSA and which became a huge hit. She sang powerfully with a fast-paced rock sound. The audience raised their arms and got excited.
She commented, "I usually write songs for anime with the assumption that other people will sing them, and when I released a self-cover album last year, I realized it's difficult to sing them myself," and then announced, "I'll be doing a band solo show at Umeda Zeela on Jan 23 next year." She then delivered a heartfelt rendition of the rock ballad "End Roll kara Hajimaru kara," which begins with a piano intro. "Next is the last song. Sweet Music Festival, can you come handle it!" she exclaimed, hyping up the crowd, and then performed the song "fire! fire! fire!". She sang while moving around on the stage. The audience raised their arms and clapped along, creating an exciting atmosphere. After finishing her song, she said, "See you again," and left the stage.

This outdoor music festival offered a variety of musical experiences, from a cappella and acoustic performances to full band styles. I thoroughly enjoyed the festival.

I headed towards the station, going against the flow of people coming to see the fireworks at night, and made my way home, still basking in the afterglow of the festival.

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Sweet Music Festival 2026
Sun 20 Sep 2026
@Yodogawa Riverside Park - Hirakata Area, Osaka Prefecture (Inside the Suito Kurawanka Fireworks Festival Venue)

Ayumi Tateishi (1:05pm-1:29pm ACOUSTIC STAGE)
[Performer] Ayumi Tateishi (Vocal)
[Setlist] (Rehearsal) flag / (Performance) Matane. / Setsuna ni / Kezureta Guitar / Shirase / Koe

Kotone Maeda (1:40pm-2:02pm ACOUSTIC STAGE)
[Performer] Kotone Maeda (Vocal & Acoustic guitar) / HIRO (Cjon from →Pia-no-jaC←) [Setlist] (Rehearsal) Donna Kotae mo Seikai Nanda / (Performance) love me, hug me / Ai live you / Ashita mo Ikiyou to Omoeru Kyou wo Sugoshitai / super woman

Charmant coco (2:15pm-2:39pm ACOUSTIC STAGE)
[Members] Aika (Vocal) / Shoma (Guitar)
[Setlist] (Rehearsal) Nanka, Iikanji / (Performance) Harujion / Sorairo Tail / Watashi ne, / Kanpeki janakute Iiyo / 18BLUE

Kayoko Kusano (5:05pm-5:32pm L STAGE)
[Performer] Kayoko Kusano (Vocal) / Hayato Isshiki (Guitar) / mvsvki (Guitar) / Yoshiyuki Fujioka (Bass) / Tomohiro Tanaka (Drums) / Chisato Yoshikawa (Keyboard)
[Setlist] (Performance) Tamashii Drive / Rising Fish / Gurenge / End Roll kara Hajimaru kara / fire! fire! fire!

Little Glee Monster "BREATH" / "Voice" Release Commemorative Event at Aeon Mall Rinku Sennan, Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Sat 19 Sep 2026, I went to Little Glee Monster New Album & Live Video "BREATH" / Little Glee Monster Live 2025 "Voice" Release Commemorative Event held at Aeon Mall Rinku Sennan in Osaka, Japan. Little Glee Monster aka Litoguri is a 6-member Japanese female vocal group debuted in 2014, half of which members are from Osaka. To commemorate the simultaneous release of their new CD album "BREATH" and Live Blu-ray & DVD "Little Glee Monster Live 2025 "Voice"" on Sep 16, a series of release events held in seven locations across Japan, starting in Osaka and continuing until October in Saitama. This was the first day of the events.
As for me, this was the first time I'd attended a Little Glee Monster release event since the "Ichirin/Page" release event three months ago.

Aeon Mall Rinku Sennan is a shopping mall located along the southern shore of Osaka Bay in Sennan City, Osaka Prefecture, close to Kansai International Airport, about an 11-minute walk from Tarui Station on the Nankai Main Line. I visited it for the first time in 1 year and 5 months. The event was held in the Center Court, an open event space at the southern end of the mall that extends from the first floor to the fourth floor.

It was a sunny day from the morning, with a high of 31℃, and I arrived at the venue on foot from the station. The event space on the first floor of the center court was enclosed by partitions, and CDs and BD/DVDs were sold in front of it. Purchasers were given priority viewing area admission tickets with serial numbers and tickets to participate in the autograph signing event. Some people had been already sitting around the railing of the second floor, which was open to the public as the free viewing area. I secured a spot on the second floor with a good view of the stage.
From before 12:00 noon, a microphone check was conducted for about 30 minutes inside the partitioned area on the first floor. From 1:00pm, people with priority viewing area admission tickets were guided inside the partitioned area and lined up in order of their ticket numbers, in groups of 100. From 1:30pm, a staff member called out the numbers in order and people entered the standing area in front of the stage. People with numbers up to 500 were called and entered the first floor. (The first floor, enclosed by partitions, seemed to be allowed for priority viewers only.)
As the start time approached, more than 300 people gathered around the railing of the second floor, which was open to free viewers, and I think there were about 800 people in total on the first and second floors.

Five minutes before the start, a female staff member made an announcement regarding the rules: "Photography, audio recording, and video recording by customers are strictly prohibited" and "Masks must be worn during the autograph session in the second half." One minute after the scheduled start time of 2:00pm, the female staff member livened up the atmosphere, and then, amidst applause from the audience, the members were called onto the stage. As previously announced on the website, Yumi is taking time off to recover from surgery, and the remaining five—Karen, MAYU, Mika, Asahi, and miyou—were dressed in bright, casual outfits in similar colors but in different styles.

The first half of the event, a mini-live show, began with an a cappella harmony greeting from "Little Glee Monster." Osaka native miyou greeted the attendees and expressed her gratitude, saying, "How is everyone doing? Thank you for coming during Silver Week." They then performed songs from their new album, singing ballads with the sound of the backing tracks. Despite only having five of the current six members, they took turns singing lead and harmonies, delivering a wonderful harmony and an emotional vocal performance.

During the talk between songs, Karen, who grew up in Osaka, took the lead in the conversation, while MAYU, also from Osaka, livened things up. Then, Karen introduced another song from their new album. They sang the R&B song with a lively, groovy sound.

Karen announced their upcoming tour, saying, "We'll be going on tour starting next month, so please come and see us!"
Asahi then said, "We're going to take a photo of ourselves, so please watch," and a staff member took a photo of the five members. The segment where the audience takes photos and videos, which used to be a regular feature, was not held this time, just as it wasn't last time. Finally, they all said in unison, "That's all from Little Glee Monster," and left the stage, concluding their 14-minute mini-live show.

The people on the first floor stepped out of the partitions for the stage change. Five tables were set up in front of the stage. Those with autograph session tickets were divided into five lines according to the member's name written on their tickets and were guided to the table of the corresponding member.

38 minutes later, the five members reappeared and sat at their respective tables for the second half of the event, the autograph session. Participants, each holding the package of the disc they had purchased, were guided to their tables, where each member happily signed their autographs.

The release event, which began in Osaka, the hometown of half the members, on the first weekend after the release, attracted a large crowd of fans and was a blast. I thoroughly enjoyed the event.

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Little Glee Monster CD Album "BREATH" and Live Blu-ray & DVD "Little Glee Monster Live 2025 "Voice"" Release Commemorative Event
Sat 19 Sep 2026
@Aeon Mall Rinku Sennan 1F Central Court, Osaka

[Members]
Karen - Vocal
MAYU - Vocal
Asahi - Vocal
Mika - Vocal
miyou - Vocal
(sound: Backing Tracks)
*Yumi is taking time off to recover

[Setlist]
Ichirin
CHERRY COKE

Aimyon 10th Anniversary of her Major Debut Special Event at Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Fri 18 Sep 2026, I went to AIMYON 10th ANNIVERSARY "From Nishinomiya, with Love. Congratulations, Aimyon!" Special Event held at Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens in Hyogo, Japan. Aimyon is a Japanese female singer-songwriter who made her nationwide debut in 2016 from Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of her major debut, a series of events included exhibitions, in-store broadcasts of her music, and screenings of music videos take place at one of the largest shopping centers in western Japan, located in her hometown of Nishinomiya, and this day was the first day of the event.
As for me, since the Kobe performance of the SIXTH SENSE tour in 2019, I've seen Aimyon perform live every year in either Hyogo or Osaka, and most recently, I went to see her 10th-anniversary concert at Hanshin Koshien Stadium this July.

I got off at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi station on the Hankyu Kobe Line. After exiting the ticket gate, I saw signs advertising the special event on the wall of the walkway leading directly to Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens. Entering the main entrance on the 2nd floor, I saw a giant LED panel displaying music videos, and beyond that, an art exhibition of her Greatest Hits Album's jacket design. A giant flag was hanging in the atrium area called the Welcome Garden on that floor. Taking the escalator down to the 1st floor and proceeding to the Crystal Garden at the back right, I found three of the purple benches that appear on the jacket of "Manatsu no Yoru no Nioi ga Suru" (The Scent of a Midsummer Night), which was only one in Dotonbori at the end of last month. On the in-store broadcast, an FM802 DJ announced a special event commemorating Aimyon's 10th anniversary of her major debut, and Aimyon's songs were playing. A giant screen in the Festival Garden at the back of the 1st floor showed a promotional video for her Greatest Hits Album, and taking the escalator up to the 3rd floor, another giant flag was hanging in the atrium.
Going to the Welcome Garden on the 3rd floor, I found promotional posters for her past CDs on display. At HMV in the back of the 4th floor, there were pop-up displays for her Greatest Hits Album released on Sep 9, promotional panels for her past CDs, and CD racks adorned with handwritten messages and signed autograph boards from around the time her first single and albums were released. I relaxed while sipping coffee I bought at the cafe on the 3rd floor and listening to Aimyon's music playing in the background.

I was able to relax and enjoy a peaceful time at a shopping center filled with decorations and music celebrating Aimyon's 10th debut anniversary.

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Aimyon 10th Anniversary of her Major Debut Special Event
AIMYON 10th ANNIVERSARY "From Nishinomiya, with Love. Congratulations, Aimyon!"
Venue: Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens
Period: September 18 to October 23, 2026 (10:00am to 8:00pm)

Ayasa Greatest Hits Album "Crystal" Release Commemorative Event at Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi, Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Sun 13 Sep 2026, I went to Ayasa Greatest Hits Album "Crystal" Release Commemorative Mini Live Show & Bonus Event held at Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi Store in Osaka, Japan. Ayasa is a Japanese female rock violinist who is active since 2011. To commemorate the release of her Greatest Hits Album "Crystal," which was released on CD on Jun 17, a mini-live show and bonus event was held at the Umeda NU Chayamachi store as part of her 2026 Summer Release Event Tour at Tower Records, which will visit Tower Records stores in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka in September, following her appearances at Yodobashi Camera stores last month. I went to the first of the two shows held that day, one at 1:00pm and the other at 3:30pm.

As for me, I came to Ayasa's release event again, following the last month event at Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Umeda Store. It was another sunny day, following the previous day's clear weather, with a high of 32°C and humid conditions. To avoid the sun, I walked through the underground shopping area and emerged onto the street at NU Chayamachi. I took the escalator to Tower Records on the 6th floor. When I arrived around 12:30pm, the doors of event space were closed, and I could faintly hear the sound check and rehearsal taking place inside.

Eight minutes before the show started, the doors opened, and those who had purchased CDs at the store and received priority viewing area tickets entered the event space as a staff member called out their ticket numbers. Numbers 1 through 60 entered. The venue was standing room only. Afterward, the staff member guided those without tickets to the back of the priority viewing area, and I think there were about 80 people in total. We waited for the show to begin with tunes from her Greatest Hits Album, 'Crystal,' playing as background music.

When the scheduled start time 1:00pm came, a female voice announced for about a minute saying, "No photography or recording allowed," and then Ayasa appeared on stage with a violin in hand. Using a stand-up microphone in the center of the stage, she greeted the audience by saying, "I've been to many release events in Osaka, but this is my first time playing in NU Chayamachi,'' and performed a tune from her Greatest Hits Album. Along with the sound of the backing tracks, Ayasa played the violin dashingly while changing her position on the stage. Captivated by the rhythmic and lustrous tones of the violin, the audience clapped along with the rhythm and got excited.

During the talk between tunes, Ayasa expressed her delight, saying, "I've been to Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi store before for talk events (under a different band name) and as a customer, but this is my first time performing live here, and I'm so happy to be able to play here." She also talked about how she had previously held release events at other stores and how this was her first time doing a release event tour at Tower Records, and mentioned that she had performed at the Nagoya store the day before.

In addition to the original tunes on the album, she also performed a cover tune, showcasing her dynamic violin playing alongside a rock sound.

She also mentioned that merchandise, as well as CDs, are being sold at the Umeda NU Chayamachi store. She added, "I'll be signing autographs at the bonus event later, and there's a second session starting at 3:30pm, so please come!"

Finally, she performed a new tune included on her Greatest Hits Album, delivering an energetic performance. The audience clapped their hands along to the fast rhythm, creating a lively atmosphere.

After finishing the performance, she said, "Thank you so much. This was violinist Ayasa," and left the stage.

After the 25-minute performance, there was a 6-minute preparation period during which a table and a chair were set up between the stage and the audience viewing area. Ayasa then reappeared and the bonus event in the second half took place. Those who had purchased CDs and received participation tickets were guided one by one to the table in front of the stage for an autograph session. Ayasa sat in a chair and carefully signed autographs for each person across the table.

The first-ever in-store live performance held at Tower Records attracted a large crowd of fans and was a huge success. I thoroughly enjoyed the event.

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Ayasa Greatest Hits Album "Crystal" Release Commemorative Mini Live Show＆ Bonus Event
Sun 13 Sep 2026, Part 1 from 1:00pm
@Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi Store, Osaka, 6th Floor Event Space

[Performer]
Ayasa - Violin
(Sound: Backing tracks)

Michael Kaneko / Super Climbing Club / SHEN in ITAMI GREENJAM '26

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Sat 12 Sep 2026, I went to ITAMI GREENJAM '26 held at Koyaike Park in Itami City, Hyogo prefecture, Japan. ITAMI GREENJAM is one of the largest local festivals in the Kansai region, having been held since 2014, and this year marks its 13th year. It was the first day of a two-day event held on Saturday and Sunday. As for me, I came to ITAMI GREENJAM again this year, just like last year. I watched the live performances by Michael Kaneko, Super Climbing Club, and SHEN, which took place around noon that day. It had been 11 years since I last saw SHEN perform live with Def Tech, and although I knew of Michael Kaneko and Super Climbing Club from seeing them online and on TV, this was my first time seeing them live.

On this day, the rain that had been falling continuously until the previous day stopped as if by magic, and the highest temperature in Itami City, Hyogo was 31℃. I walked from Hankyu Itami Station and arrived at Koyaike Park around 11:00am. I went through the gate and received a pamphlet. I walked along the side of the pond towards the live area, exchanged the supporter pass I had purchased in advance on my smartphone for a wristband at the entrance, and entered the supporter pass-only entry area. The stage on the right was STAGE OF JAM, and the stage on the left was STAGE OF GREEN.

As I entered the live area, the first act at STAGE OF JAM was just finishing their performance. The people who had been watching the STAGE OF JAM performance split into three groups: those who gathered in front of the STAGE OF JAM stage to wait for the further next band to perform on the STAGE OF JAM, those who left to buy food and drinks, and those who moved to the front of the adjacent STAGE OF GREEN stage.

At STAGE OF GREEN, the next performer, Michael Kaneko, rehearsed and sang a cover of "Just a Two of Us." He left the stage briefly, and at 11:30am, a jingle played as he reappeared on stage. Supported by Haruki Ishida on alto-saxophone and keyboard, Michael Kaneko played a dark brown Telecaster with f-holes and sang entirely in English. Accompanied by an electric piano, Michael Kaneko sang "Daydreams" in a soft voice while playing arpeggios, and also played his own guitar solo. He sang "Heartache" while playing chords in brisk rhythm and looping sounds layered with a sampler, and also performed a guitar solo with overdrive and an alto-saxophone solo by Haruki Ishida. Michael Kaneko performed his new song "break away," singing along to a loop of brisk guitar sounds created with a sampler, interspersed with Haruki Ishida's ethereal alto-saxophone solo and his own guitar solo.
During the talk between songs, Michael Kaneko commented, "Two years ago, it was pouring rain when I performed here, so I'm glad it doesn't rain this time."
He then performed "Alone," which begins with a piano intro, singing softly while playing a clear guitar. Midway through, he asked if the audience would sing along, and waved his arms from side to side. The audience responded him by waving their arms from side to side and singing "Papparappa" in unison.
He then asked if he could have some fun, singing along to a beat from a loop sampler and a guitar sequence, playing a guitar solo with overdrive, and Haruki Ishida's long alto-saxophone solo brought the house down. "Actually, there was one more song, but we had too much fun and ran out of time, so this was the last song," he said, concluding his 33-minute live performance.

After the STAGE OF GREEN performance ended, most of the audience moved to the adjacent STAGE OF JAM, and more people gathered from the back. After a minute, the members of Super Climbing Club appeared on stage and did a sound check, then rehearsed a cover of Motohiro Hata's "Uroko" and one other song. The members left the stage briefly, and one minute before the scheduled start time of 12:35pm, a jingle played, and the members of Super Climbing Club appeared on stage. The group consisted of five members: female vocalist hina, keyboardist and sub-vocalist Tomoyuki Oda, guitarist Yu Ishihama, bassist Shotaro Kaji, and drummer Yuichi Fukaya. Tomoyuki Oda said, "Videos and photos are OK, so please feel free to take pictures," and the live performance started on time. The first song was "Kaze wo Tadoru." To the shuffle beat of drums played with brushes, vocalist hina, holding a shoulder keyboard, sang with a clear voice into a stand microphone, and Tomoyuki Oda played a synthesizer solo. Starting with an arpeggio intro on keyboard and guitar, hina sang in a soaring voice along with the sound of brush drums, and Tomoyuki Oda played a piano solo. For "Highlight," hina strummed her brown Flying V guitar and sang along with the band's fast-paced sound, while Tomoyuki Oda played a flashy keyboard solo to liven things up, drawing cheers from the audience. hina put down her instrument and picked up a handheld microphone, singing "Ishihiroi" as a duet with Tomoyuki Oda. Midway through, Tomoyuki Oda called the audience "Let's Ishihiroi Challenge" and struck a cowbell at various beats. The audience engaged in a call and response by clapping or playing castanets, creating an exciting atmosphere. hina announced, "We're going to play a new song," and performed "Michikusa." She sang softly and smoothly over a bouncy rhythm. During the talk between songs, hina said, "Itami is the best! I'm so happy to be performing here for the second year in a row," and Tomoyuki Oda said, "We'll be performing at MINAMI WHEEL on Oct 11 in Osaka, and we'll be playing at BIGCAT, so please come and support us," to which hina announced, "In 2027, we'll be playing at Umeda Club Quattro on Feb 5."
She then performed the medium-tempo song "Itadaki," singing smoothly from soft to powerful high notes, with strong drumming providing the backdrop. hina then said, "How about we all go to a public bath together to finish off?" and the final song was "Super Sento." She sang along to a slow, reggae-style rhythm with echoing drum beats. The audience sang along, waving their arms from side to side, while the performance included guitar and keyboard solos. "That was the Super Climbing Club. Thank you so much," hina said, and they waved goodbye as they left, ending their 35-minute live performance.

The audience split into three groups again, and the next performer, SHEN, appeared on the adjacent STAGE OF GREEN for rehearsal. Def Tech's vocalist, Shen, with a ukulele in hand, sang one cover and two new songs during rehearsal, supported by female bassist Juna Serita and drummer & manipulator Willie Hirano. The rehearsal finished just one minute before the live show began, so he remained on stage.
At the scheduled start time of 1:25pm, the jingle sounded and SHEN's live performance began. The first song was "Coming Home." Shen strummed his ukulele and sang the English-language song along with a lively beat. In between songs, he responded to cheering fans, saying, "I have a policy of not talking during the first three songs," but then spoke to them. He then sang "Breathe Aloha Now," a song with mixed Japanese and English lyrics, with a lilting rhythm. The audience clapped along, creating an exciting atmosphere. "The clapping was in sync! Sometimes it's not, though. I started talking again," he said, before launching into the third song, "Cruz Li' Dat," with a groovy sound.

After the third song, he switched from a stand-up microphone to a handheld microphone and said, "Finally I can talk! How's everyone doing?!" to which the audience responded enthusiastically with "Yeah!" He introduced himself saying "My name is SHEN" as well as introducing the band members. "Does 'laid back' work in Japanese too?" he asked the audience, making a hand sign that's common in Hawaii, and explained, "This is the shaka. It's a signal that means 'don't rush through life.'" He then sang "Laid Back," an English-language song with a relaxed rhythm, while holding the handheld microphone. He then performed a self-cover of a song he produced for MIRAI DROPS, "Warau Shika Nai" (Nothing But Laugh), with Japanese lyrics and a bouncy rhythm.

He introduced "This is a song from his first album which he made after returning to Hawaii in 2007", and sang and rapped "Always Summer" with lyrics that mix English and Japanese, accompanied by a groovy sound. After finishing the song, she said, "It was cool in Tokyo this morning, but it's hot in Osaka, and everyone here is passionate. I'll come back to Osaka again." He then introduced the last song, saying, "It's a new song I released two weeks ago, which is about 'not becoming a victim of the environment'" and performed "Choose To Be Happy." He returned to the stand-up microphone and sang along to a groovy sound while strumming his ukulele. After finishing the song, the three performers put their arms around each other's shoulders, took a bow, waved goodbye, and left the stage, bringing the 35-minute live performance to an end.

After the performances I was looking forward to, I left the live performance area, still basking in the afterglow.

It was an exciting outdoor music festival where each artist showcased their unique singing and playing style. I thoroughly enjoyed the festival.

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ITAMI GREENJAM '26
Sat 12 Sep 2026, day 1
@Koyaike Park (Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture)

MC: Takuya Takeuchi

Michael Kaneko (11:30am-12:03pm STAGE OF GREEN)
[Members] Michael Kaneko (Vocal, Guitar) / Haruki Ishida (Alto-saxophone, Keyboard)
[Setlist] (Rehearsal) Just a two of us / (Performance) Daydreams / Heartache / break away / Alone / rebel

Super Climbing Club (12:35pm-1:10pm STAGE OF JAM)
[Members] hina (Vocal, Guitar) / Tomoyuki Oda (Sub vocal, Keyboard) / Yu Ishihama (Guitar) / Shotaro Kaji (Bass) / Yuichi Fukaya (Drums)
[Setlist] (Rehearsal) Uroko (Motohiro Hata cover) / ? / (Performance) Kaze wo Tadoru / Tsubame / Highlight / Ishi Hiroi / Michikusa / Itadaki / Super Sento

SHEN (1:25pm-2:00pm STAGE OF GREEN)
[Members] Shen (Vocal, Ukulele) / Juna Serita (Bass) / Willie Hirano (Drums, Manipulator)
[Setlist] (Rehearsal) Honey Baby / Choose To Be Happy / (Performance) Coming Home / Breathe Aloha Now / Cruz Li' Dat / Laid Back / Warau Shika Nai (MIRAI DROPS) / Always Summer / Choose To Be Happy

miwa as One-Day Railway Police Chief "Launch Ceremony for Train Safety Activities Enhancement Period" at Namba CITY in Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Tue 8 Sep 2026, I went to "Launch Ceremony for Train Safety Activities Enhancement Period" held at Namba CITY in Osaka Japan. miwa is a female Japanese-pop singer-songwriter who made her nationwide debut in 2010. To ensure safety and security on trains, railway operators and the police are working together to conduct joint patrol activities to eliminate crimes such as groping, voyeurism, and violence. A kickoff ceremony for this intensified activity period was held, and singer-songwriter miwa was inaugurated as the One-Day Railway Police Chief. In commemoration of miwa's inauguration as One-Day Railway Police Chief, a collaboration campaign with confection Tsukigesho was also held.

The connection to miwa and Tsukigesho in Osaka stems from last year, when, the month after miwa performed at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, she served as a one-day store manager at the Tsukigesho Factory in Hannan City, Osaka Prefecture. Unfortunately, I had a scheduling conflict and couldn't attend it. This time, since I won't be able to attend miwa's concert in Osaka later this year, I decided to go to this event, which is free to attend and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Amidst the rainy weather that had continued for several days, I got off at Namba subway station and walked through the underground passage to Namba CITY. When I went to the Galleria Court on the first basement floor of the main building, which is an event space within the station, I found that a stage had been set up that wasn't there last week.

On the day of the event, from 11:00am, the Tsukigesho Namba store, operated by Aoki Shofuan and located next to Namba CITY, began selling miwa-original packaged Tsukigesho, and I also purchased a box. After purchasing it, I returned to the event space at the venue, where a rehearsal was taking place. miwa wasn't there; a man was playing the role of miwa and holding a panel that read "言" (gen), but I didn't understand its reason at the time.

I found out a post on X that miwa would be making a live appearance on FM802's program "UPBEAT!" around noon, so I listened to it on radiko app. Her new song "Atsusugite Waracchau ne" was played, and miwa talked about summer episodes and upcoming live performances. She announced that she will be doing a tour next year to recreate her second album "guitarium," and after 21 minutes of talking, a song "441" from that album was played.

In front of the stage at the venue, there were 17 chairs, each bearing the names of the two guests, the Railway Police Force Captain, and 14 other railway companies including JR Central, JR West, Nankai, Keihan, Hankyu, and Hanshin, all displayed on the back. Behind them was a viewing area enclosed by red belt partitions, and fans began to gather around it after the radio broadcast ended.

As instructed by a staff member, about 40 people who were there formed a line with the person on the left side leading the way, and entered the viewing area at 1:00pm. The staff member instructed us to proceed to the back on the right side. He said it's because the miwa and Tsukigesho collaboration item was to be distributed by miwa herself as the audience was leaving, and it was to be handed out in order, starting with the person on the right side. When we went to the back on the right side, it was just diagonally behind a chair with "miwa" written on the back.

Thirteen minutes before the ceremony start, Fu-kun and Kei-chan, the symbolic mascots of the Osaka Prefectural Police, came in and went backstage. Ten minutes before the start, representatives from the railway company came in and took their own seats, and then we could see miwa going backstage in the railway police uniform. She looked so cute that some people cheered. Eight minutes before the start, the MC announced that photography was prohibited for anyone other than members of the press. As the start time approached, the number of people in the viewing area increased to about 200, and a considerable number of people who couldn't get in gathered around the perimeter.

The ceremony began at 2:00pm as scheduled. A representative from Nankai Electric Railway gave a speech. Next, miwa was introduced and appeared on stage. After her speech, the ceremony for her inauguration as the One-Day Railway Police Chief took place. Captain Kobayashi of the Osaka Prefectural Railway Police Force presented miwa with the Power of Attorney, and a commemorative photo was taken by members of the press. Then, miwa, as the One-Day Railway Police Chief, presented a Letter of appreciation to Aoki Shofuan for their contribution to crime prevention. Managing Director Aoki gave a speech after receiving the Letter of appreciation. She said that Aoki Shofuan's famous confection, Tsukigesho, was launched in 2010, the same year as miwa's debut, and that they want to become a company loved by the local community.

miwa and two members of the Community Safety Guidance Team took the stage for a crime prevention talk show, where three crime prevention quiz questions were asked. miwa answered two correctly, receiving applause from the audience. After an introduction to the Anmachi app, the "Safe and Secure Railway Declaration" took place. Captain Kobayashi, miwa (serving as a One-Day Chief), and representatives from 14 railway companies lined up in front of and on the stage, each holding up a panel with one of the Kanji letters of the "Safe and Secure Railway Declaration," and reciting the slogan. It was only when I saw miwa, on the far right, holding up the panel with the character for "言" (last letter of Declaration), that I finally understood its reason. It was heartwarming to see the symbol mascot dancing right next to miwa to the background music of miwa's songs.

miwa briefly went backstage for a stage change. A table and plastic bags were placed in front of the stage for the distribution of the miwa x Railway Police Force collaboration "Tsukigesho". miwa reappeared at the table and personally handed out plastic bags containing anti-groping leaflets, tissues, and Tsukigesho (steamed bun) featuring miwa's logo to each of the approximately 200 spectators who were leaving the viewing area. Once everyone in the viewing area within the belt partition had left, miwa and members of the Railway Police went up to the upper floor where Nankai Namba Station is located to patrol the station. Staff members distributed the remaining bags to people outside the viewing area.

As I stayed around there for a while, miwa returned to the venue with the Railway Police Force members about 8 minutes later and took commemorative photos with the members from each of the department. Finally, miwa answered questions from members of the press, and the ceremony concluded at 3:00pm.

Participating in the ceremony for miwa's inauguration as One-Day Railway Police Chief made me raise awareness of safety on trains. It was a very meaningful day.

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Osaka Prefecture "Launch Ceremony for Train Safety Activities Enhancement Period"
Tue 8 Sep 2026, 2:00pm-3:00pm
@Namba CITY Main Building, B1F Galleria Court, Osaka

Train Safety Activities Enhancement Period ~No Tolerance for Groping, Voyeurism, or Violence~
Osaka Prefectural Railway Police Liaison Council / Osaka Prefectural Police Railway Police Force
miwa: inaugurated as One-Day Railway Police Chief

[Program]
Greetings (Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.)
Inauguration Ceremony for miwa One-Day Railway Police Chief
Letter of Appreciation Presented to Aoki Shofuan
Crime Prevention Talk Show (miwa & Life Safety Guidance Team)
Safe and Secure Railway Declaration
miwa x Railway Police Force Collaboration Tsukigesho Limited Distribution
Patrol of Station Grounds
Commemorative Photo Session (with and for Staff Only)
Interview (by members of the press)

SARD UNDERGROUND / Rainy. Performed on "Detective Conan" x J.League Collaboration Day in Nagai, Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sun 6 Sep 2026, I went to a football match of 2026/27 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Matchday 6: Cerezo Osaka vs Tokyo Verdy held at YANMAR HANASAKA STADIUM in Nagai, Osaka, Japan. This day was designated as a "Detective Conan" x J.League Collaboration Day, and collaboration events were held before the match and during halftime. In addition to a talk show featuring Conan, we watched a special live performance by SARD UNDERGROUND and Rainy., who perform the amime's theme song.

YANMAR HANASAKA STADIUM is the nickname given to Nagai Ballgame Field, which is located in Nagai Park, a few minutes' walk from Nagai Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line or the JR Hanwa Line, and is adjacent to the east of Yanmar Stadium Nagai (Nagai Athletic Field). It is the home stadium of the football team, Cerezo Osaka. I had been to Nagai Park several times before the pandemic and had seen the stadium from the outside, but this was my first time actually going inside the stadium.

The weather that day was cloudy, with rain starting in the evening. The high temperature was 29℃, and with a breeze, it felt cool for this time of year. I arrived at the venue on foot from Nagai Station before the rain started in the evening. Around the venue, I saw fans wearing Cerezo Osaka uniforms, as well as groups that looked like celebrities taking commemorative photos.
As part of the Detective Conan collaboration day, there were photo spots and a mystery-solving challenge. I took photos of character panels and the collaboration visuals, but the mystery-solving challenge had a long line, and I wasn't confident I could solve it, so I skipped it.

The stadium opened, and I took my seat in the upper section of the main stadium, north side, next to the home team's goal. At 5:00pm, I saw the black bus carrying the Cerezo players arrive, and footage of the players entering the stadium was displayed on the electronic scoreboard on the south side of the stadium.

After requests and commercials from the J.League were displayed on the scoreboard, it was announced that this day was also Fujidera City Support Day, and Mayor Okada, along with the official Fujidera City mascot, gave a speech, which was also shown on screen.

After a one-minute announcement in Conan's voice, the first live guest, SARD UNDERGROUND, began their special performance for the Detective Conan Collaboration Day at 5:45pm with a mini-live show. Vocalist Yua Shinno appeared on the main stand side of the pitch wearing a pink Cerezo uniform with the number 12 and "Yua" written on the back, holding a handheld microphone. She sang three songs accompanied by the sound of the backing tracks. The first song was "Unmei no Roulette Mawashite," the opening theme song of the TV anime Detective Conan and a ZARD tribute song. She sang in a rich voice along to the upbeat sound. During the talk between songs, Yua Shinno said, "As a fan, I've also come here to cheer for Cerezo Osaka before," and introduced the song, saying, "This is the theme song for J.League broadcasts and later became the theme song for the Detective Conan movie." The song she sang was "Tsubasa wo Hirogete" (Wings Spread Out) (This song, originally written by Izumi Sakai of ZARD and sung by DEEN, was the theme song for Nippon Television's "J.League Broadcast" in 1993. ZARD's self-cover version was used as the theme song for the 2008 animated film "Detective Conan: Full Score of Fear," and SARD UNDERGROUND also covered it in 2023 as a ZARD tribute.). She sang the ballad with great expressiveness. There was quite a bit of wind, and her reverberating voice resonated throughout the venue. Saying, "If you remember, please sing along," she performed the final song, "Karappo no Kokoro" (Empty Heart), the ending theme for the TV anime Detective Conan. She sang powerfully to the upbeat sound. The fans cheered along and raised their arms in excitement. After finishing her songs, Yua Shinno waved goodbye and left the stage, saying, "If you liked SARD UNDERGROUND, please check it out. Let's continue to have fun!" and ended her 13-minute performance.

At 6:00pm, Cerezo Osaka's stadium DJs, Daisuke Nishikawa and Kurumi Hori, moderated a five-minute talk with special guest Conan-kun. It was announced that the 30th anniversary film, Detective Conan: The Murder Case No. 30, would be broadcast on Sep 25 from 9:00pm as a two-hour special TV program on Friday Road Show. After this time, a few raindrops began to fall on the pitch, and although there was a roof directly above the main stand, raindrops occasionally blew in from the side. As the match time approached, the seats were filled about 80%.

After the players warmed up and the cheering squads of both teams engaged in a cheering competition, Conan reappeared as the referee's escort. The players entered the field and the first half kicked off at 7:03pm. There were times when raindrops fell quite heavily, and people at the edge of the roof wore raincoats to protect themselves. The rain stopped when the first half ended at 7:50pm.

At 7:53pm, Rainy. appeared on the main stand side of the pitch for the halftime show. Wearing a pink Cerezo Osaka uniform with the number 12 and "Rainy." written on the back, she held a handheld microphone and performed one song. She introduced it as "the ending theme for the currently airing TV anime 'Detective Conan'," and sang "7 DAYS" to the upbeat sound of the backing tracks. She energized the crowd by waving her arms from side to side during the chorus, together with Conan-kun. After finishing the song, Rainy. announced, "I'll be performing in Osaka during a live tour scheduled in next spring. I'm happy I could perform today," and left the pitch after three-minute performance.
Immediately afterward, four of the celebrities seen before the entrance appeared on the pitch. They introduced themselves as being from Fuji TV's football program "Kerutomeru" and gave a two-minute greeting.

The second half began at 8:05pm and ended at 8:58pm. There were some close shots, but the match ended in a scoreless draw.

It was a fun day collaborating with the Detective Conan, where we could hear the Detective Conan theme songs perform live and livened up the match together with Conan-kun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Leaving the stadium from the north exit, I was told that JR Tsurugaoka Station was closer, so I followed the staff's directions towards the station and made a smooth transfer to head home.

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[TV Anime "Detective Conan" x J.League Collaboration Day] 2026/27 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Matchday 6: Cerezo Osaka vs Tokyo Verdy
Sun 6 Sep 2026, Open 4:30pm / Kick-off 7:00pm
@Osaka, Nagai YANMAR HANASAKA STADIUM

Special Performance (Main Stand Side)
- Before the Match (5:45pm-5:58pm): SARD UNDERGROUND
[Performer] Yua Shinno - Vocal / (sound: Backing Tracks)
[Setlist] Unmei no Roulette Mawashite / Tsubasa wo Hirogete / Karappo no Kokoro

- Halftime Performance (7:53pm-7:56pm): Rainy.
[Performer] Rainy. - Vocal / Conan-kun - Performer / (sound: Backing Tracks)
[Setlist] 7 DAYS

SERINA 10th Digital Single "Refrain feat. Shinnosuke" Release Commemorative Event at Kuzuha Mall, Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Sat 5 Sep 2026, I went to SERINA 10th Digital Single "Refrain feat. Shinnosuke" Release Commemorative Event held at KUZUHA MALL in Osaka, Japan. SERINA is a Japanese female singer, a former member of Little Glee Monster. After graduating from the vocal group in 2022, she took some time off to rest and began her solo career in 2024. To commemorate the release of SERINA's 10th Digital Single "Refrain feat. Shinnosuke," which was just released on Sep 4, the release events began in her hometown of Osaka and will continue in Shinjuku and Shiodome in Tokyo later this month. I watched the first of the two shows held on the first day, at 12:15pm and 4:15pm.
As for me, this was the first time I'd attended a SERINA event since the release event for her 9th Digital Single "WEEKENDS" held in Yao one and a half months ago.

Kuzuha Mall is a shopping mall located right outside the ticket gates of Kuzuha Station on the Keihan Main Line. It's been 1 year and 3 months since I last visited. The event was held at the SANZEN-HIROBA event space on the first floor of the South Building Hikarino Mall.

On this day, the weather was surprisingly sunny from the morning, a stark contrast to the rain of the previous days. The daytime high temperature was 30℃, not as high as last month, but I felt still hot and humid as we headed to the venue.
People who had purchased original photo cards at the SANZEN-HIROBA sales booth from 10:50am and received priority viewing area admission tickets began to gather as noon approached. At 12:00pm, a staff member called out the ticket's serial numbers in order, and those with numbers 1 through 100 entered the viewing area, which was cordoned off with ropes. Behind them, people who were free to watch gathered, bringing the total to about 120 people. The key visual was displayed on the screen on the stage at the back of SANZEN-HIROBA, and SERINA's music played as we waited for the show to begin.

After an announcement from a male staff member stating that photography was generally prohibited, SERINA appeared on stage six minutes before the show began. A public rehearsal was held, and she sang a medley for about a minute along with the sound of the backing tracks.

When the scheduled start time of 12:15pm came, the staff member hyped up the crowd by asking, "Are you ready to get excited?", and SERINA appeared on stage, starting the first half of the event, a mini-live show. SERINA moved around on the stage with a handheld microphone in hand, singing an upbeat song with English lyrics that had been released digitally so far. The audience clapped along to the rhythm, creating a lively atmosphere.
She said, "Everyone sing along," and sang the song from the previous single. The fans raised their arms and sang the chorus together, creating a lively, unified atmosphere.
"Everyone who came to Kuzuha Mall, it's nice to meet you. I'm SERINA," she introduced herself and said, "I came here for the release event of the digital single 'Refrain feat. Shinnosuke' which started streaming on Sep 4. I held events here many times when I was in a group, so I'm happy to be back,'' she said, expressing her joy in holding events at Kuzuha Mall again as a solo artist.
"It' okay for you to film the new song I'm about to sing," she said, performing her new single. With a handheld microphone in hand, she sang in a soaring voice along with the sound of the backing tracks featuring Shinnosuke’s Rap. The audience listened intently to her singing voice while pointing their smartphone cameras at her.

After finishing her songs, she said, "Thank you for coming to the first part, even though it was a short time. This was SERINA," and waved goodbye, and then left the stage.

After a 12-minute mini-live show, the stage was changed. Tables and chairs were placed in front of the stage, and a partition was erected between the stage and the waiting area for the participants on the floor. Those who had purchased original photo cards that day and received participation tickets formed a line in numerical order, starting on the left side of the stage.

With an 11-minute break in between, SERINA reappeared and the bonus event in the second half took place. Starting with the person at the front, each person was guided into a partitioned area for the autograph session. SERINA sat on a chair and carefully signed autographs for each person across the table, interacting with her fans.

Fans gathered at the release event in SERINA's hometown of Osaka, and had a great time. I thoroughly enjoyed the event.

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SERINA 10th Digital Single "Refrain feat. Shinnosuke" Release Commemorative Event
Sat 5 Sep 2026, Part 1 from 12:15pm
@Kuzuha Mall South building Hikarino Mall, 1st floor SANZEN-HIROBA, Osaka

[Performer]
SERINA - Vocal
(Sound: Backing tracks)

Shoko Nakagawa New Single “Twilight Magic” Release Commemorative Event at Aeon Omihachiman, Shiga

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Sat 29 Aug 2026, I went to Shoko Nakagawa New Single “Twilight Magic” Release Commemorative Event held at Aeon Omihachiman in Shiga, Japan. Shoko Nakagawa is a Japanese media personality, singer, actress, voice actress, illustrator, and YouTuber, also known as Shokotan. To commemorate the release of Shoko Nakagawa's new single "Twilight Magic" on Sep 9, a release event tour began in late June in Ibaraki and will continue until late Sep, visiting 12 locations nationwide, including Tohoku, Kanto, Koshin, Chubu, and Kansai. This event in Shiga was the fifth stop on that tour. As for me, it had been 2 years and 7 months since I last attended a Shoko Nakagawa event.

Aeon Omihachiman Shopping Center is a shopping center located about a 3-minute walk from the south exit of Omihachiman Station on the JR Tokaido Main Line (Biwako Line). This was my first time here. The event was held in the center court on the first floor of the second building, one of the two buildings in the facility.

Amidst unstable cloudy and occasional rainy weather, I went to the venue and I arrived there in the early afternoon, after the rain had stopped, Heading to the center court at the back of second building, I found a stage on the first floor of the event space, which had a three-story atrium, with 30 chairs lined up in front of it. Those who had reserved CDs at the venue that morning and received priority viewing area tickets formed a line. 30 minutes before the show began, a staff member called out the ticket numbers, and the attendees were guided into the priority viewing area in front of the first-floor stage. Up to number 150 people entered. A kids' space was set up in front of that, and children in sixth grade or younger who could watch the show alone were guided in. The area along the aisle outside the first-floor priority viewing area, enclosed by cones, and the second and third floors of the atrium were designated as free viewing areas, and I secured a spot at the back of the first floor where I could get a good view of the stage. I waited for the show to begin with the title track of the new single playing as background music. Since I was on the aisle side, I was able to see Shoko Nakagawa being guided by staff members to the anteroom six minutes before the show started. As the start time approached, the crowd grew larger, and I think there were roughly 400 to 500 people gathered.

When one minute passed the scheduled start time of 2:00pm, a female staff member had the audience practice calling out to her, and as the audience chanted "Shoko-tan," Shoko Nakagawa appeared on stage. She greeted the audience with "Hello everyone in Shiga," and the first half of the event, a mini-live show, began. To the upbeat sound of the backing tracks, she sang a song from her past releases. Her fans in the priority viewing area got excited, raising their arms and waving their light sticks.

During the talk between songs, Shoko Nakagawa said, "I was looking forward to seeing everyone. I'm so happy that so many of you have gathered," and interacted with fans in her unique "Shokotan" style, saying "Tutturu." She also sang a song a cappella from an animated film in which she provided voice acting.

She said, "Celebrating my 20th anniversary as a singer, I'm so happy to be able to sing new anime songs, another dream come true," and then performed the title track and coupling song from the single released as a 20th-anniversary commemorative edition. She sang along with the choreography to the sound of the backing tracks. The audience clapped along to the rhythm, sang the chorus together, and participated in call and response, creating a lively atmosphere.

During the talk between songs, she held a quiz, and when she asked the audience for their recommended food from Shiga Prefecture, many people answered "Omi beef."
When she said, "I've also become a mother of twins," the audience sent her applause. She then asked the children in the kids' area about their favorite foods and their dreams for the future, and she was impressed by how confidently they answered despite their young age.

For the final song, she brought the children from the kids' area onto the stage and performed one more anime song that she had worked on. To the upbeat sound, she sang the song while doing the choreography for the chorus along with the children. The audience joined in, raising their arms while shouting, clapping, and doing the choreography for the chorus, creating a lively and unified atmosphere in the venue.

After finishing her songs, she took a commemorative photo with the audience. Then, saying "See you again," she left the stage.

After the mini-live show, which lasted about 42 minutes, the audience in the priority viewing area was asked to leave for about 7 minutes for a stage change. After tables and chairs were set up on the stage, the second half of the event, the bonus event, began. Participants who had reserved a CD and received a ticket to the bonus event joined any line for their desired session (chat session, two-shot Instax session, two-shot selfie session, postcard signing session, or autograph signing on personal items) and were guided onto the stage. Shokotan smiled and interacted with each participant across the table.

At the release event held at the shopping center, Shokotan showcased her unique singing and talking style, attracting a large crowd of fans and creating a lively atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed the event.

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Shoko Nakagawa New Single “Twilight Magic” Release Commemorative Event
Sat 29 Aug 2026
@Aeon Omihachiman Shopping Center, Shiga

[Appearance]
Shoko Nakagawa - Vocal
(Sound: Backing tracks)

[Setlist]
Sorairo Days
When Will My Life Begin? (From "Tangled" / Japanese version: Jiyuu eno Tobira) by Acapela
Twilight Magic
Uchuu no Nanchara Nakama
DoriDori

Live Film "Eric Clapton: Live at the Staples Center 2001"

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Music Fan) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Fri 28 Aug 2026, I went to see the Live Film "Eric Clapton: Live at the Staples Center 2001." The Clapton Festival is a film festival which is to be screened three Eric Clapton live films on a weekly rotation over three weeks from Aug 14 to Sep 3 in cinemas across Japan. This was the third work of the film festival. This was live footage recorded at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug 18, 2001, the final day of Eric Clapton's North American performances on his world tour which took place in Europe, North America, South America, and Japan in support of his original album "Reptile," released in March 2001. As for me, I went to see the sixth day show at the Nippon Budokan, which took place on Dec 5, 2001 during his Japan tour.

I saw the first two works of this film festival at Kino Cinema Shinsaibashi, which had relatively early screening times among my nearest theaters. This week, however, I saw the film at Osaka Station City Cinema, which had even earlier screening times.
Osaka Station City Cinema is one of the largest cinema complexes in the Kansai region, located on the 11th floor of the North Gate Building adjacent to the north side of JR Osaka Station. It has 12 screens and approximately 2,500 seats. It had been 11 months since my last visit here.

The heavy rain that had fallen in the middle of the night stopped by morning, and I arrived at the venue building in humid weather. I took several escalators up to the 11th floor. I made a reservation on the website in advance and the QR code had been sent to me. I scanned the code at the ticket machine in the lobby and printed out my paper ticket.

Entry began 10 minutes before the scheduled start time of 10:50am. I showed my paper ticket at the gate, walked down the corridor, turned right at the end, and entered the seating area for Screen 12. The seating was tiered, and I took a seat in the middle section on the left side. After trailers, commercials, and announcements were shown until about 13 minutes past the scheduled start time, the title appeared on the screen and the screening of the film began.

The film captures the entire live performance from beginning to end, including the music and the talk segments in between, without any of the separately recorded interviews or other inserts found in the previous two works. However, this is the oldest of the three works, and perhaps due to outdated camera technology, the footage of the entire stage felt a little grainy. Nevertheless, the close-ups of Eric and the other members were clear and excellent.

The setlist included songs from the album "Reptile," as well as tracks from the 1960s to 2000, including the Cream era, and a mix of old and new hits from each decade. From the unplugged style that sparked the boom to a full band performance, the band featured familiar members Nathan East on bass and backing vocal, Steve Gadd on drums, and Billy Preston on keyboards, along with Andy Fairweather Low on guitar and backing vocal, and another keyboardist, David Sancious, showcasing their harmonious playing. After delivering heartfelt vocals on acoustic guitar, interspersed with hit songs from that era, Eric Clapton switched to a Stratocaster to play blues and other genres, with plenty of vocal harmony with the band members, guitar solos, and keyboard solos. As the show progressed, the performance became more intense, with Steve Gadd's powerful drumming adding to the energy. The main part of the show ended with the band performing their signature songs, and the audience in the video getting excited.
At Encore, they performed in the various styles; one of the members sang and danced, the other members took turns singing, and even changed their guitars to sing. The live performance ended with thunderous applause from the audience in the video, and the 2-hour and 10-minute screening ended with the end credits playing in fast forward.

I was able to thoroughly enjoy the live footage, which featured a wide range of singing and playing styles including blues, on the big screen and with the sound system at the movie theater. I was very satisfied with the experience.

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Clapton Festival Part 3
Eric Clapton: Live at the Staples Center
Theatrical release date: August 28, 2026 (Japan), November 5, 2002(US)

[Movie data]
Made in 2002
Countries: UK
Language: English (Japanese subtitles)
Running time: 2h 10m
Distributor: IAC MUSIC JAPAN、Santa Barbara Pictures
Genre: Music

[Staff]
Director: Danny O'Bryen

[Cast]
Eric Clapton (Guitar, Vocal), Nathan East (Bass, Backing vocal), Steve Gadd (Drums), Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar, Backing vocal), Billy Preston (Hammond Organ,Vocal,Dance), David Sancious (Keyboard, Guitar)