Miku Expo 2024 North America

[InstallGentoo]

It makes them all feel like they're really part of the same group performing together, rather than the singers being center-stage and the band just being there to support them.

On the other hand, if a band member doesn't show up for whatever reason the preformance it will be a little akward. At least what was online VR preformance last year it was prerecorded greenscreens on the edge of the stage. You'll need to cut out the part in the stage recording of Miku but then you'll have to make the cut not noticable. (The easiest solution is force the band members to show up in whatever state they're in (hospital bed, cast, coughing) or get a stand in doppleganger). It's defintely a more involved process that needs more care than online preformances.

 

[Vector]

I guess Coachella is technically part of the 2024 North America tour, so I'll put this here for visibility:

Coachella is going to be live streamed on YouTube. Miku is at 9:50-10:40 PDT on Friday, April 12th. (YOASOBI is 8:20, the spot before.)

The streaming link should be this one (thanks to @mobius017 for correcting the one I had originally posted):


Also, I found this excellent coverage of Miku's presence in the local Coachella Valley Independent. It's refreshing to see a well-researched and interviewed piece on the Miku phenomenon instead of the treatment we usually see in western press...

Software Superstar: Hatsune Miku’s Coachella Set Will Celebrate Japanese Culture—and Empower Aspiring Musicians Worldwide - Coachella Valley Independent

What started as a virtual instrument that simulated the voice of a Japanese girl in 2007 has evolved into a cultural icon. The character design created for this musical tool, Hatsune Miku, has achieved global fame—and a slot at Coachella.

cvindependent.com

 

[The_Dude]

the only times i've seen Miku actually introduce the band members was during Mikunopolis, and Mirai 2013/2014. every other time i've seen Miku, it's just their names on the screen followed by little riffs/solos. in answer to your question though, for Miku Expo 2024, it's just their names displayed on the screen like usual.

Bummer! Well did they do anything different this time around during the entire show? The past few expos I've seen the show has been pretty standardized in it's execution. A band like "Anamanaguchi" would open (which I would avoid since I'm not a fan of them in any way) and then the actual Vocaloid concert would start with a big screen showing the words "Loading" and proceed like a giant computer starting up the software. Then Miku would appear and do a couple of songs and then give the most generic greeting imaginable in Japanese and then do a couple more songs, followed by an appearance usually by the Kagamines, then after a while Luka and then maybe a couple more songs by Miku before giving both Meiko and Kaito a chance to appear and do one or two songs each, then Miku doing a couple more songs (maybe a duet or two with some of the other Vocaloids) and then performing the contest winning song for the tour, then the obligatory band introductions, followed by a couple more songs before pretty much ending the show, and maybe during the last or second to the last song a bunch of streamers and/or confetti would be dropped on the audience.

So did they change up anything this time, or did it go down pretty much just like this?

I personally love that little touch--it breaks down the barrier between her and the real-world human band members (and, by extension, the audience) and is a really nice acknowledgement of the band members and what they contribute to the show.

Agreed! it's those little touches that help make the concert seem like a real professional staged concert with real singers and all. Just throwing the words "Band introductions" up on a screen just reeks of laziness and apathy on the part of the concert producers not wanting to have that little bit of extra animation work done for that part of the show.

Hell even IA did it at her NA debut concert at AX a few years back when she basically opened for Wakagi Band, and she not only introduced her band members but even introduced both her back up dancers as well.

On the other hand, if a band member doesn't show up for whatever reason the preformance it will be a little akward.

That's hardly a problem. Don't most tours have backup musicians on hand in case of such situations? Most band introductions are pretty standard and basic. It's just lines like "on bass we have _______, *pause*, and on drums we have ________" and just insert the names of the musicians in the blanks. If on any particular day one musician is out sick or something they just literally have to change one name in one of the blank spots and just insert one name in place of another. Could be done last minute pretty much.

 

[Ryleigh Goldner]

So she's now live...as of writing this, the first song was Miku by Anamanaguchi and they're currently performing World is Mine right now

 

[Leon]

Yeahhh, LED screen here too. I think I caught all the songs so far

setlist

Miku Anamanaguchi
World is Mine
Unknown Mother Goose
Hyper Reality Show(?)
Ten Thousand Stars
Thousand Little Voices

Some of the angles they're showing of the screen are really unfortunate

 

[WyndReed]

Is Lucky Orb played at every concert or something? I like that they finally gave her the outfit for her normal model instead of using the othe model type for Lucky Orb.

Edit: There was a dead pixel on the screen.

Sorry another edit: from a Business Insider article that was linked on Reddit: "A spokesperson for Miku's creator, Crypton Future Media, told Business Insider that the LED screen technology will continue to be featured at shows across North America and Europe."

 

[Vector]

Fun fact: Lucky Orb is also played on most of my commutes.

This is great. Apparently Flanger Moose was unaware of being at Coachella.

 

[WyndReed]

Fun fact: Lucky Orb is also played on most of my commutes.

This is great. Apparently Flanger Moose was unaware of being at Coachella.

I have grown to love Lucky Orb over the years. Helps that emon(Tes.) writes some really catchy music.

I wouldn't be surprised if Crypton gets perms for a song once and then can use it whenever, thinking about it though that was a contest song, so the terms might be different on that then on a different song.

 

[mobius017]

Miku's appearance at Coachella was super cool! I'm really glad I got to see that!

I was a little concerned when things started off with "MIKU" and "World Is Mine," not because they're not good songs, but because they seemed like they might have been tamer than I would've expected the Coachella audience to expect.

That changed with "Unknown Mother Goose" (complete with a cool-looking red/blue outfit I've not seen before and a blue, whimsically-styled guitar) and "Ten Thousand Stars," though, as well as "Hyper Reality Show." The setlist was really chosen well for Coachella, with lots of songs that showcased Miku's English ("Lucky Orb," "Highlight," "Thousand Little Voices") and some notable classic favorites that would've been primer songs for an introduction to Miku (like the first two, or "Tell Your World").

I really loved Miku's greeting and outro segments. "I'm so glad to finally be here with you." A fitting nod to not only her last cancelled Coachella appearance in 2020, but also to the fact that CFM has wanted to let Miku play Coachella for years. In some way, that desire makes this appearance some sort of milestone in Miku's history.

The final inclusion of "Intergalactic Bound" was a very fitting, satisfying conclusion. I really love that song! It was cool getting to see it performed with its custom outfit.

There was a really heightened anticipation before the show, seeing Miku's name as the next performer at an event that wasn't natively her own. Knowing that the reception of the audience wasn't as guaranteed to be favorable. But while the lack of light sticks made it harder to judge, the screaming just kept getting louder, particularly after "Unknown Mother Goose" and "Ten Thousand Stars," and more and more as the evening went on. There was lots of cheering, lots of smiles, lots of head-bobbing. The cheering was every bit as loud at the end as it was when we heard some screaming from another nearby stage. A cry even started building for "one more song," though there wasn't one this time.

I probably won't get to go to Expo this year, but being able to see Coachella kind of makes up for it. That was super cool!

 

[Vector]

I really loved Miku's greeting and outro segments. "I'm so glad to finally be here with you." A fitting nod to not only her last cancelled Coachella appearance in 2020, but also to the fact that CFM has wanted to let Miku play Coachella for years. In some way, that desire makes this appearance some sort of milestone in Miku's history.

The final inclusion of "Intergalactic Bound" was a very fitting, satisfying conclusion. I really love that song! It was cool getting to see it performed with its custom outfit.

There was a really heightened anticipation before the show, seeing Miku's name as the next performer at an event that wasn't natively her own. Knowing that the reception of the audience wasn't as guaranteed to be favorable. But while the lack of light sticks made it harder to judge, the screaming just kept getting louder, particularly after "Unknown Mother Goose" and "Ten Thousand Stars," and more and more as the evening went on. There was lots of cheering, lots of smiles, lots of head-bobbing. The cheering was every bit as loud at the end as it was when we heard some screaming from another nearby stage. A cry even started building for "one more song," though there wasn't one this time.

Whoever did the talking sections did a great job. She was so much easier to understand than, say, at the VR Expo.

I think the set was definitely good for Coachella, and I was glad to hear Thousand Little Voices again. Nice mix of Japanese and English songs. The crowd seemed engaged, though the lack of light sticks, lack of mixed-in crowd noise and relatively cramped space does put a bit of a damper on that. I definitely enjoyed the stream, though some of the camera angles definitely make me appreciate the camerawork at Magical Mirai a lot more lol. In the long run, it's good exposure to a new audience and hopefully it'll get more people talking about Miku.

@WyndReed The contest terms usually do specify that the grand prize winner will sign over all rights to the song. (They also say that they can, at their discretion, pay for its future use, but that they're not obligated to.) I wasn't aware Lucky Orb was a contest song (I thought it might have been one they commissioned, like Intergalactic Bound) but that does makes sense. I'm also sure they spent a bit of money on the fancy music video, which has lengthy credits for mocap, modeling and animation. The rights thing is also why a lot of contest winners are in not-on-streaming-services-jail: it's up to Crypton to distribute them, probably through KARENT, and they don't tend to for some reason.

 

[Pup-p]

Is Lucky Orb played at every concert or something? I like that they finally gave her the outfit for her normal model instead of using the othe model type for Lucky Orb.

Edit: There was a dead pixel on the screen.

Sorry another edit: from a Business Insider article that was linked on Reddit: "A spokesperson for Miku's creator, Crypton Future Media, told Business Insider that the LED screen technology will continue to be featured at shows across North America and Europe."

I swear in Miku rewind they played Lucky Orb numerous times LOL

 

[JGV]

Trying to recover from last night, but what a night.

I’ve been waiting for this for four years and it finally happened. Miku at Coachella is way better than I expected with Yoasobi performing before her, the American Miku band, and the prominent presence of being at Coachella. One of the biggest music festivals in the world!

The setlist is the best for its setting.
Yes, it’s missing some god tier songs like Melt or Sebonzakura. Yet the setlist is catered to a western audience who most likely doesn’t know who Hatsune Miku is.

The crowd seemed to be into it based on where I’m standing. Some are there for Miku and others are there to be in front for the next act.
Lightsticks are not allowed, but some people including me managed to sneak some in. Yet not enough to be a significant presence.

After the set, heading out of the tent. I’ve heard someone say “This is one of the better sets.” and they’re there for the next act. That really made me happy that Miku’s music reached out them.

Also, I watched the Coachella replay and it’s just funny to watch. As the production crew struggle. The shots are like 60 % band and 40% Miku. The band is very much part of the act and you can see how much fun they’re having, but could use more forward facing shots of Miku.

Can’t wait to do it again next week!

 

[MagicalMiku]

(●'◡'●)

 

[Rylitah]

In the future, can I ask that all setlist discussion be had within spoilers? @_@ I know the setlist was shorter at Coachella this time around, but I think most if not all the songs are still on the normal setlist too, which I personally have been trying to avoid seeing. Sorry for the inconvenience orz

 

[mobius017]

In the future, can I ask that all setlist discussion be had within spoilers? @_@ I know the setlist was shorter at Coachella this time around, but I think most if not all the songs are still on the normal setlist too, which I personally have been trying to avoid seeing. Sorry for the inconvenience orz

Sorry, yeah. I thought about putting the song titles in my post in spoilers, but the Coachella appearance was 1 night only. If we assume there will be similarities between it and Expo, then it would be better for them to be hidden.

 

[InstallGentoo]

I missed looking at the live coachella, and the live going on now only goes back 12 hours ago. I guess they used the same live link for all the shows?

 

[MagicalMiku]

I missed looking at the live coachella, and the live going on now only goes back 12 hours ago. I guess they used the same live link for all the shows?

sent you a message for it(・∀・(

 

[WyndReed]

Uh, so I just found out that Lana del ray used a hologram for part of her performance, while Miku was stuck in a glorified tv. I don't know what to think about that.

 

[Leon]

I'm not a concert goer and it never even occurred to me that that kind of thing ought to be kept quiet. Apologies, I'll edit my comment and take more care in the future!

 

[The_Dude]

I’ve been waiting for this for four years and it finally happened. Miku at Coachella is way better than I expected with Yoasobi performing before her, the American Miku band, and the prominent presence of being at Coachella. One of the biggest music festivals in the world!

Sounds like CFM pulled off the Coachella appearance with flying colors! Glad to hear. But wait, so there's an American Miku band now?

Also, just as an aside, I kind of think it's a good thing the lightsticks were not prominent in this show. Sort of a proof that light sticks are not necessary to enjoy or appreciate a Miku concert. Like if some Westerners first exposure to Miku/Vocaloid had a ton of light sticks in the audience and every sight of them they see afterwards on the net or wherever had them all through the audience I can see some people start to think they're needed in order to enjoy the show or something. So there's that viewpoint I guess.