J-Pop Summit Report – Suiyoubi no Campanella 20160723

I remember the first time I saw or heard of Suiyoubi no Campanella. It was way past midnight, and the Suiyoubi no Campanella PV appeared on my YouTube recommendations. I felt bewitched by the electronic style that bridges EDM, hip hop, and trance. Mind you, I’m not an authority or even a particular fan of any of those genres. However, Suiyoubi no Campanella seemed so blatantly artistic with its music and promotional videos that I was drawn to the group immediately (lesson: don’t underestimate the lure of interesting promotional videos). But, the group also seemed so offbeat that I didn’t think I would have an opportunity to see the group perform. Imagine my surprise when Suiyoubi no Campanella was announced as a musical performer for 2016’s J-Pop Summit in San Francisco!

Suiyoubi no Campanella, who now use the English moniker “Wednesday Campanella” consists of

J-Pop Summit- Tokyo Girls Style [live]

In a year filled with overseas and abroad idol activities, J-Pop Summit emerges as a major event. This year’s festival offered some top tier talent from the Japanese Idol world: Tokyo Girls’ Style, Itano Tomomi, Yanakiku, and Una. Even though Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Tanaka Reina’s LoVendoR topped the bill last year, I passed on attending the festival (which I regret). As soon as J-Pop Summit announced Tokyo Girls’ Style as a musical guest I knew my attendance was mandatory. Having followed the group since their debut single “Kirari“, I consider the group of girls to be among the most talented idol acts around. (My reviews of the last five singles- Jujika, Partition Love, Chiisana Kiseki, Get the Star, and Unmei are linked at the end of of this article). San Francisco is only 7 hours from Los Angeles by car, and I am currently on vacation. Why not make a grand adventure?