Japan Day Festival details / Bookstore autograph session!
Halcali are set to play at Japan Day in Central Park, New York on June 1st.
Official site
The festival is free and goes from 10am until 5pm, with Halcali performing as part of the 'cool Japan' segement from 3:15.
Unfortunately, they'll be sharing a bill with the utterly awful Gaijin a Go Go, who, oddly enough for a slot entitled 'cool Japan', are from Brooklyn.
As ever, we're relying on those who go for information for those who can't make it!
UPDATE:
I heard it through the grapevine (aka the Shibuya-kei yahoo group) that Halcali will be at Kinokunia bookstore in New York to record a radio show for Japanese TV on May 30th from 6pm.
This will be open to the public and an autograph session will follow. Take your t-shirts!
UPDATE 2:
JAPAN DAY FESTIVAL SETLIST: (thanks to novaforever!)
1. Twinkle Star
2. Tip Taps Tip
3. Sister Ship
4. Giri Giri Surf Rider
5. Halcali no Michi
PICTURES / VIDEO:
Check out major shaky-cam footage of the event here (quite good sound though)
Mamekura also blogged about the event and has pictures and videos to share.
Novaforever also has a write-up of the event and pictures!
What an incredible time Halcali have had recently! A million thanks to everyone who left comments, pictures, videos, reviews, audio and masses of Halcali love for the rest of us who couldn't make it! I can only hope that, should Halcali get out on the road in Japan, those of us fans over here will be able to return the favour.
And let's not forget that Halcali will be heading to France later this month too!
posted by jariten at 8:35 AM
39 Comments:
I'm definitely going to this, but most of the site seems to be in Japanese. I can't see any information about tickets in the English Language sections.
Is this a free event then? Do i even need a ticket to attend or can I just walk in day of?
4:55 PM
It's a free event. No ticket required. My only lament is that I'll have to persevere a couple brutally lame acts to secure a prime spot to watch Halca and Yucali. Note to self: bring your mp3 player to kill time. =)
3:55 AM
oh yeah, nova. Compared to ACEN there probably won't be too much in terms of an organized autograph/photo session (not that you need any more Halcali merch/items signed... sheesh! lol.)
But I'm hoping there'll be at least some opportunity to meet the dynamic duo +/- DJ Kimjun or it'll be a bit of a letdown. When i emailed the organizers their response didn't seem too promising but I'm optimistic nonetheless. After all, you're their #1 American fan and I'm likely their biggest Canadian one. hahaha.
Read your novel-esque ACEN review at JPHIP. lol at streak's comment.
Part of me feels that the experience in Chicago was perfect and that seeing them again in NY might be anticlimactic. I'm not talking about the live performance aspect but in Chicago I actually deferred getting stuff signed so I could chat with them a bit longer (with the line-ups so long, time was a precious commodity). I let them know as eloquently as I could in japanese: how sublimely talented they are; how amazingly creative and enjoyable their PVs are; that they need not rely on anime tie-ins --> instead, if they make music from the heart, concentrate on writing more of their own lyrics, and persevere with confidence (through the marketing slump they've been experiencing in Japan) they'll find their newfound success in France and America will carry over exponentially to even greater heights in Japan. I thanked them for putting on 2 unexplicably kickass performances and asked them to give props (otsukare!) to Non-chan (DJ) and yusuke@home since they couldn't make it stateside.
The performances were awesome but what i'll treasure most was the few mins I spent chatting/joking with Halca and Yucali and conveying to them from my heart how their talent, funkiness and wit transcends them above all others in the Jpop scene. (ok, I never once used the word funkiness but you know what i mean).
My interactions with Halcali ended on a perfect note so I'm reluctant to go see them again so soon (< 2weeks).
Having said that I know i'll end up in NY on June 1 giri giro surfriding my ass off. lol.
5:04 AM
And i guess that makes me the other big Canadian fan. Nova should know who I am as well. ;)
Being that I'm all the way on the West Coast, it'll be hard for me to catch this next show. You guys have a blast and share more stories.
6:01 AM
Why do I have a feeling ill end up in NYC with Doubledown n' Nova again =P ...Well see ^_~
Note to everyone : videos are being processed !!!
9:51 AM
I am sooooo there! I was super-excited until I realized they are going to have to share a 1:45 set with three other bands, so I guess we New Yorkers won't get the same experience as the fans in Chicago, but what a wonderful surprise nonetheless. Do hope I can get a T-shirt.
I'm 44 but a total Halcali fanboy. Mostly I listen to heavier stuff like Shiina Ringo and Cocco, but fell in love with our girls back in the Bacon days. See you in the front row!
3:34 PM
they will also be in concert in Paris on june 20 and 21 for french nationwide festival of music (http://www.mcjp.asso.fr/pavril2008/spect/halcali/index.html french only)
12:16 AM
I've got my bus tickets and i'm ready to go! I'm super excited for this. It'll definitely be a different audience they are performing for here. I'm guessing there won't be too many anime fans there, i don't think they are popular enough with that audience to draw them out to a cultural event. Although i'm still hoping that i'll be able to bump my way through the crowd up to front row center anyway!
And thanks Sito for the vids of Acen! God i'm such a dork and i'm totally in most of them. You should email me a link to download files of them *wink*
See you guys in NYC!
3:43 AM
I want to goooooooooooooooooo...
4:18 AM
Wow. Thanks so much for the Kinokuniya news. I'll be there early!
Hope to see some of you on Sunday. I'll be wearing a white Cornelius concert t-shirt with colored vertical stripes on the front.
12:21 PM
I went to` Kinokuniya and it was great! I was front row center for the radio interview, just a few feet away from them for 75 minutes. Most of the (shock)quite small crowd were anime people. Is HALCALI's loyal US fanbase as tiny as this opportunity implied?
In the end, oh well, who cares! I got time to chat about visiting Meguro, my love for Japan and them, and superfan Arisu.
I am so in the front row Sunday, but now in a new HALCALI t-shirt. I do hope to meet some of you all. After Friday's paltry turnout, I"m beginning to think that their passionate fans are regrettably miniscule, but I will give them all the love I can tomorrow.
Sweet!
6:08 PM
I just arrived in NY now.
Had I been able to I definitely would have gone to Kinokuniya but work obligations precluded such an opportunity.
I'll be reppin' Toronto again. Sadly my cohort Sito won't be able to make it.
I left my video cam at home.. on purpose. I used to take vids in the past for posterity's sake but found you can't enjoy a concert focusing on an LCD screen. I'll write some info after the show but will leave the nitty gritty to Alice and her voluminous and emotional roller-coaster review . hahaha.
8:04 PM
STEVE-O !!! yeah, kinda bummed out i cant make it but IM COUNTIN on ya dude =) ... a " BIG SLICE KISS" TO THE GIRLS FOR ME =) hehehe
T-Dot represent bro ... take lotsa pix ( if they allow it )
^_^ enjoy,
SSS
8:45 PM
Alice !! - oh hey no problem at all ! You truly ARE Halcali's number one american fan !!!! -- Ive never met such devotion in a fan and it was an honour to include you in the videos : I wanted you to remember those priceless moment's you first had interacting w/ Yucali and Halca and treasure those moments forever... novaforevah !! Glad you enjoyed them as much as I did !
I have an ipod ready file of all of the halcali panels combined as one file, ready for download here :
http://www.sideshowsito.com/halcali/halcali_panel_sideshowsito.zip
^_^
sure i can do that for you, let me know if theres a preferred file format you want, avi, mov .. etc ! Drop me an email at sideshowsito@msn.com and ill send em over !
Sad to say, i cant make it to NYC... but Steve will be there representing T-dot-o ...Im sure youll run into him ^_^
Take lotsa pics !! cant wait to hear about it !!
Best, Sito
9:09 PM
BTW... steve .. TRY TO CONVINCE THEM TO COME TO TORONTO !!!!!!!!!!!
9:25 PM
Wow. Just about the most wonderful NYC HALCALI fan weekend in the history of time. I was in the front row when they performed in Central Park and got to spend some more time with them backstage afterwards. I, Jamie, am now their official number one New York fan! When they went back up on stage briefly at the end of the concert, they waved to me in the audience! They, like, KNOW me! Wow. Wow. Wow.
11:34 PM
Thanks for the news guys! Shame about the small turnout though.
Sideshow- I think I mentioned this in another comment, but I'm having trouble downloading that video!
9:39 AM
Just got back from NYC. I'll of course to doing a ridiculously detailed write up of the amazing time i had (and boy was it awesome) and i'll post the link to it later. Of course my camera died pre-concert so i had to go with a disposable one, so i have to wait a day to get the pics developed. Expect something up tomorrow.
Set list:
1. Twinkle Star
2. Tip Taps Tip
3. Sister Ship
4. Giri Giri Surf Rider
5. Halcali no Michi
Short set, but still worth it!
3:12 PM
Jariten,
**FIXED** ...sorry i forgot to put " by " AND for some reason when i post here it deletes the .zip at the end after 'sideshowsito' ....
I checked again to make sure the link is correct and it works . File is 226mb big:
www.sideshowsito.com/halcali/halcali_panel_by_sideshowsito.zip
4:27 PM
Nova, glad to hear you had an amazing time... i take it you guys were allowed to take pics during the concert.. Did you get to meet and greet the girls again?!?! was the venue better this time around ??
Cant wait to hear about it !! ...
Sito ^_^
ps. Steve, where you at dude?!?!
4:30 PM
this wasnt me but someone uploaded a clip of the girls concert ... and MAN I GOT A HEADACHE from all the camera shake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5byQtRKXsw
still awesome footage for those who missed out - check it out....
Yucali @ 1:44 mentions how hot the day was LOL ...
ughhh ... feeling *dizzy* from that video now ..
10:35 PM
Nova- Thanks again!
Sideshow- Thanks to you too! I'll grab that video after work- looking forward to it!
10:57 PM
I've spent many years in New York music studios, and have said "Hi" daily to superstars like David Bowie, but my time with HALCALI was so more wonderful. They seemed just as excited and happy to meet me as I was! Their music sounds different now, closer and more intimate.
Thank you, jaraten, for your wonderful website. Last weekend would have never happened without you.
5:12 AM
sito: I'm back home in the T dot resident chill. =)
Sorry I didn't post earlier but having fun with friends in the Big Apple takes priority. ;)
Meeting them for the first time in Chicago can't be topped for obvious reasons. I thought NY would be anticlimactic and that I probably wouldn't get a chance to meet them during the festival given the brevity of their set (4 bands in 2 hrs).
But NY was DEFINITELY worth the trek as I got to chill with Halcali (just backstage not around the town or anything) and discover a few things/details that blew me away.
For instance: they recently met up with the band Special Others back in Japan and actually talked to the band about me (both Yucali and I are HUGE fans of their music).
Haruka's actually been to Toronto/Niagara Falls before when she was a chibi-Halca.
When I said I'd definitely catch one of their shows in Japan in the near future.. she said.. "Whatever, you're just gonna go and watch Chatmonchy again!!"
LMFAO at the fact she remembered that I went all the way to Japan to watch Chatmonchy at Budokan but didn't stay an extra few days to catch their performance at Spring Groove.
Sito: I definitely mentioned that you ("the Myspace dude") tried your best to make it out to NY and gave them a shoutout on your behalf. Sorry I didn't call you while I was with them so that you could talk to them.
In hindsight I regret not bringing my HD video camera b/c i could have gotten supreme quality footage. But i still managed to get some very good footage with my digital camera. I had to pass the camera off to my friend partway through Twinkle Star so that I could "go nuts" in fan support.
I didn't record everything but it's better quality than what's posted on Youtube so far.
I'm not sure I need to post it though b/c there were dozens of people with cameras videotaping. I'm sure this footage will make it's way onto Youtube soon.
So I'm actually going to keep my video footage as a personal memento and not post it on YT just as a little respect to Ki/oon, Sony. (Halca and Yucali probably wouldn't mind in the least though).
I'll write about the experience in more detail and add a few pics at the Chatmonchy forum I moderate:
http://shangri-la.2ya.com/
That won't be till later tomorrow cuz I just got back from NY (currently 0030h) and have to go to work in the morning.
I wonder how much abuse I'd get from Halca if she knew I help run a Chatmonchy forum. lol.
5:33 AM
W-E-R-D !!!!! HAHAHHA R U SERIOUS !? whoa, dude the mere thought of you mentioning me to them was good enough !!! HAHHA ...glad to hear you had a blast in NYC !!! ill be checking out those pics on that chatmonchy link !!!
ps. DUDE, When you get a chance , read what ARIELLE WROTE ON MY FACEBOOK WALL . MAN,... I remember us talking about this too ... and she had no idea >_<
...o_O
6:06 AM
man, I can't believe I'm still up.
NEhow, yeah Sito, I read your Facebook page. And I remember us joking about Arielle and how she was bragging about the "green room" And we were like "Ooooh, she gets to hang out with the yellow power ranger and the US voice actor from *insert crappy anime here*"
But then we were like.... "HOLD UP!! What if Arielle gets to hang out with Halcali in the green room??!!!"
And it turns out she DID hang out with them in the Green Room. DAMNIT!!
But she had no clue who they were. LMAO. =)
Oh well. I'm actually not that jealous. I'm on pretty good terms with the giri giri surfriding duo.
Let's hope they hit up Toronto via anime North or NXNE next year.
Oh yeah Jariten, Halcali mentioned they will actually do one-man performances in Japan next year (unfortunately none planned for this year). Hallelujah!! No more brief 5-8 song sets supporting other acts who sound nothing like them.
But goddamn!! That Halcali/Sambomaster/Maximum the Hormone show in Osaka July 4 is going to be OFF THE HOOK !!! Why do they always announce Halcali shows so last minute???
I already planned a trip to japan months in advance for July 10-20 to watch Chatmonchy/Baseball Bear/Snowkel in Osaka and Tokyo (I'll also catch Qomolangma Tomato, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, The Telephones and the Band Apart on separate dates). I've been dying to watch Sambomaster. Having them perform with Halcali on the same night is almost too good to be true. If Halcali does some collab song with Sambo and Maximum at the end of the show that will be the craziest and most amazing sight ever witnessed.
(Even more awesome than:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?przchzw2mvx)
PS I goofed in my previous post. I know Halcali are signed to Epic (Sony BMG). I just got confused talking about Chatmonchy who are on Ki/oon (Sony BMG).
PPS If anyone tells Halca I'm going to watch Chatmonchy in July and not Halcali I will kick their ass. lol. =P
7:46 AM
Oh man you guys are all just seriously making me wish that I had the money to take a trip overseas to see HALCALI! Curse being a student and my lack of cash!
I totally saw you in the audience during the show Steve. I was gonna say hi to you after the show, but I sort of lost track of you in the crowds. Uh, belated hello then?
4:11 PM
i also posted some video and pictures i took from the show!
it was awesome :D
pictures:
http://mamekuma.tumblr.com/post/37029695/hcny
videos:
http://www.vimeo.com/user391973/videos
6:21 PM
Hey Alice!
I think I saw you too. Were you in the front near center stage? I was near the front but on the extreme right.
I wanted to say hi to you too. (Hi!!) I jetted soon after Halcali's set to go meet them backstage instead of politely watching Shimizu Shota.
I finished writing about my NY trip in the Chatmonchy forum:
http://z11.invisionfree.com/Chatmonchy_Shangrila/index.php?showtopic=260
I wonder if there's interest in creating a halcali forum. I joined one last year but was one of only 3 members and the forum no longer exists. zannen deshita.
For now i'm just going to coerce members in the Chatmonchy forum into supporting Halcali. hahaha.
Oh and will some all-powerful deity (eg God, kamisama, Zeus, Galactus) please arrange a collaboration between DJ Jun Seba (aka Nujabes) and Halcali. Trap them in an elevator together or something. Nujabes produces the most soulfully sublime beats in the history of japanese Hip Hop. I would love to hear a more "otona" sounding Halca & Yucali crooning/rhyming over a lush Nujabes track. I would never want the party vibe to disappear from halcalism but I'd like to see them explore their soulful potential a bit more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZaV-33XSHY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsmpP--NX7E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCxPmzDS1nk
8:33 AM
Amazing!
Thank you so much everyone for supplying the rest of us with information, pictures, video and above all your enthusiasm! I would have loved to have been at any of these events but it's great to hear that they may be doing one man gigs next year- they are WAY overdue on that. I may FINALLY get to see them live after all these years of writing about them.
Steve- thanks for the Nujabes links, I agree that would be a great collaboration. Who knows where Halcali are going from here but it seems as though my fears about them being dropped due to poor record sales etc. will prove to be unfounded if Sony's efforts to expand their fanbase abroad is anything to go by. Roll on album 4!
9:43 AM
And here is my massive upload of stuff!
Go here for my complete write up with insert pictures and whatnot. Overly detailed and long as always, but I had an amazing time! http://nono-forever.livejournal.com/36531.html#cutid1
Go here for my pictures of the event. I made a flickr accound just so i could dump all the pics in one place. http://www.flickr.com/photos/27361624@N04/sets/72157605433839637/
Selectively fun in-concert pics are here. I cropped and adjusted some in photoshop so they are a little higher quality.
http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/9370/halcali7mz4.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/4671/halcali6hb2.jpg
http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/9530/halcali5rd7.jpg
I'm looking forward to reading everyone's stories! And Steve we should definitely talk with Wrongun and Sito about that HALCALI site w/ forum. I say we do it! The time is ripe!
4:09 PM
steve, alice ... i just read both your blogs and i enjoyed reading every line of 'HALCASM'you both had during the NYC event =) .. hell I know I woulda've too! Good stuff you guys !!
Count me in for that forum idea ! totally down with that.
4:27 AM
Stop the press!! We have great news for Halcali fans.
Although still in the planning stages, we are working on creating a Halcali fansite and forum.
The domain name's already been registered and will be called:
http://halcalisensation.com
Culprits: novaforever (Halcali's #1 Americ... screw it #1 fan period aka arisu)
Wrongun (the man responsible for the coding and gruntwork. W/o him there would be no site)
Sideshowsito (graphics/photography guru. Tdot represent!)
myself
Right now it's just the 4 of us but we hope to get others involved.
Jariten, we would like to somehow involve you in the news/info department. Your blog is undeniably the best website/source for anything Halcali related. In no way do we plan to obviate the need for your blog by creating a new halcali fansite. Hopefully we can strike some sort of partnership where we can use new/archived info from your blog on our website. Hell, you can run the news/info section of our website if you'd like but it seems like an extra burden you probably don't need.
Hopefully diehard fans like Kuno, James (aka TeslaGuy from ?NY), eternalsin and others will offer to help out as well.
Anyone with experience in web design/coding would be of great assistance as Wrongun is working on it all by himself right now.
Our main goals are:
1. To create a fansite with thoroughly exhaustive and accurate info about Halcali presented in a clear and organized fashion. This will include English (maybe even French) translations of all of halcali's songs (holy crap i hope there'll be people to help me with this)
2. To create a forum where Halcali fans around the world can cogently discuss topics related to Halcali or randomness that is completely unrelated to Halca or Yucali.
And most importantly,
3. To promote and popularize the sublime yet relatively underappreciated music of Halcali !
(Please buy their CDs. You don't want to see poor Halca and Yucali panhandling at Meguro station with a sign that says "will giri giri surfide dance for nikuman" =)
8:08 AM
No worries mate. As long as you quote this place as the source and give a link etc. feel free to use whatever info you want from here!
Forum sounds like a great idea. If you need an extra mod... ;)
10:05 AM
I found this link to a J!-Ent interview today on the HALCALI thread at Jpopmusic.com. I started that thread in 2006 :)
HALCALI interview pdf
7:02 PM
Here is an autotranslated version of their diary detailing their time in NYC. HALCALI in NYC
Steve and Alice, I am eager to participate in the new forum!
8:22 PM
That's good to hear, James.
We're already working on the fansite and forum.
Alice has some cool artwork prepared, the forum structure is more or less done. The fansite layout is also set, just need to work on its content.
steve
9:52 PM
Today Halcali are getting some props for their overseas activity in the music news at Excite.
http://www.excite.co.jp/music/news/story/59295/
Also, I'm sure jariten is onto this already, but it's been announced that Halcali will be performing at the Girl Pop Factory 08 festival at Zepp Tokyo on August 3.
They will be performing alongside Perfume(!), KODA Kumi(?), AOYAMA Thelma and Ikimonogakari. The event's MC is YOSHIMURA Yumi (Puffy). The price is also quite cheap and it sounds good for getting the word out to a lot of people.
It looks like tickets are already sold out (no wonder).
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Arch/ES/HALCALI/m_info.html#238981
8:45 AM
Oh yes, I forgot something!
"densetsu no futari" is used as the ending theme of upcoming film "Jersey no futari".
http://www.ja-zi2.jp/
Yay for yet more exposure!
8:55 AM
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