Is there any event out there more exciting for a Vocaloid fan than an entire concert filled with some of the best and most exciting Vocaloid songs? HATSUNE MIKU EXPO 2018 was just that—and it was more exciting than one could even imagine. The ever-popular Hatsune Miku was just one of the voices heard throughout this tour. Alongside Megurine Luka, KAITO, MEIKO, and Kagamine Rin and Len, Miku leads us through HATSUNE MIKU EXPO 2018, a tour covering both the USA and Mexico!
Austin, Texas was graced with the Vocaloid team’s presence on the evening of July 8th, and it’s easy to say that it will be a night that everyone who attended will remember for a long time. As soon as I arrived at the venue, I was greeted with the sight of more Mikus than I could count! The cosplayers were here and ready to show their love for their favorite idol, and I was just there wishing I had bought all the different Vocaloid cosplay outfits I had been eyeing over the years… Maybe next time!
Before our favorite hologram idols took the stage, American chiptune band Anamanaguchi got the crowd pumped up! The Dallas and Austin concerts were the only two to feature the band as the opening act, and I’m forever grateful I was attending one of these cities! Anamanaguchi previously opened for the 2016 MIKU EXPO, even writing an incredibly catchy song about our favorite blue-haired virtual idol titled “Miku,” which they performed at the concert!
After getting thoroughly pumped up with the opening band, it was time for the main event. Now, this wasn’t just my first Vocaloid concert, it was also my first hologram experience, so when Miku took the stage it was almost surreal. I wasn’t just excited for the music, I was excited to see our favorite Vocaloids standing on stage in front of me. (Yes it was on a projection screen but you could hardly tell!)
Starting out with “Minna Miku Miku Ni Shite Ageru,” Miku was quick to get the audience yelling and waving their glow sticks in the air. A group of fans had actually printed cheering guides which they passed out among the crowd so that we could all be sure to cheer along to the songs together in unison. I actually had no idea that there were specific movements for the glow sticks that corresponded with the song, so it was amazing to watch. Just for an example, at slower parts or when the song was building up to it’s climax, fans were meant to do a ‘kecha,’ or slowly raise their glow stick up into the air in time with the music. It was seriously beautiful to watch, especially with everyone changing their glow stick’s color to match the idol on stage.
It was almost nostalgic to see some of my favorite Vocaloid songs that I’ve listened to for years performed on stage in front of me. From Miku’s “Senbonzakura” and Luka’s “Just Be Friends” (one of my favorite Vocaloid songs of all time!), to Rin’s “Meltdown” and Miku’s iconic “World Is Mine,” it was a night full of songs that had me waving my glow stick around like crazy, singing along the entire time!
Check out the setlist below!
Picking a favorite performance is definitely a difficult task, but outside of my favorite songs I previously mentioned, Rin and Len’s “Remote Control” was probably the performance I enjoyed the most. It was just so fun to see the two of them on stage together! They had some goofy interactions and the dancing was so cute, I kept finding myself forgetting that they were there as holograms. There were times throughout the concert that they all just looked so real—partly due to the lighting at times and other times just due to how engrossed I was with the whole thing!
Of course once the concert ‘ended’ we were given a full Miku encore, featuring the previously mentioned Anamanaguchi song “Miku”. When the concert came to it’s true end, I was left with such bittersweet feelings. The entire night had been filled with so much fun and nostalgia that I was just bummed that it was over! Have you ever wished you could just go back in time and redo the day? That’s been on my mind since the concert ended. I guess this just means I have to attend MIKU EXPO next time it heads to the States!
There’s only a few stops left on the tour and they’re all SOLD OUT! Will you be attending any of them?
USA:
- Thu. July 12 – Washington DC; The Anthem; Show: 8:00 pm, Door: 6:30 pm
- Sat. July 14 – New York, NY; Hammerstein Ballroom; Show: 8:00 pm, Door: 7:00 pm
Mexico:
- Thu. July 19 – Mexico City; Pepsi Center WTC; Show: 8:00 pm, Door: 6:00 pm
Be sure to share this review on your own social media! Doing so earns you an entry into an awesome Miku giveaway! Five lucky winners will be receiving the prizes shown below!
REMEMBER! After you share this, please email us at info@kawaiikakkoiisugoi.com! Prize winners will be picked by lottery on July 14th, so email us ASAP with a link showing us that you shared this on your social media!
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