Tokyo, Japan’s ATARASHII GAKKO!, announce their first headlining shows in the U.S., set for August.
The unique up-and-comers, signed to 88rising, are gearing up to play San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall and Los Angeles’s The Roxy on August 17th and 18th, respectively. The announcement comes just days before the collective plays an incredibly special show this Friday, July 22nd as a part of San Diego’s Comic-Con programming. The show, presented by anime production and distribution company Crunchyroll, is free to all Comic-Con badge holders.
- July 22 – San Diego, CA @ Crunchyroll presents Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
- Aug 5 – San Jose, CA @ Crunchyroll presents San Jose Convention Center
- Aug 17 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
- Aug 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
- Aug 20-21 – Pasadena, CA @ Head In The Clouds Festival
ATARASHII GAKKO! (literally meaning “new school” in Japanese) are a group of four young women who are redefining what it means to be a girl group. While most J-Pop female idol groups are known for their squeaky high voices, perfectly synchronized dance moves, feigned images of purity and innocence, and an excessive drive to always be kawaii (cute), AG! isn’t into any of that. They wear sailor-fuku (sailor suits) uniforms in a style that were worn by Japanese students back in the 70s and 80s with long skirts and pulled-up socks, and staunchly refuse to be objectified. Their aggressive and expressive dance moves, which they choreograph themselves, are a hybrid of the energy of Japanese butoh dance, heavy metal headbanging, and hip-hop street dancing. Musically, AG! brings together elements of modern J-Pop, Showa-era kayokyoku, rap, punk, dance music, but it would be pointless to try to categorize them in any genre.