For a writeup of the San Francisco concert, please check out the article here.
The first event of note is the MIKU EXPO Let's Draw! events held at Barnes and Noble bookstores. It's important to note when each of the Let's Draw! events is because some are before concerts, some are after, and some are at locations that will not have a concert at all like San Diego (Los Angeles serves as the concert stop) and Austin (Dallas and Houston are concert stops). Some concert stops do not have a Let's Draw! at all like the Canada and Mexico concerts. Why should you show up? One, it's fun, and two, you can get exclusive stickers. Each sticker is themed to the area and incorporate fun visuals like Statue of Liberty Kaito and a hotdog-eating Miku. I wish I had the opportunity to get them all (wink wink, nudge nudge, Crypton). Areas with Kinokuniya bookstores will also have a store-specific sticker available on concert days and will be selling Miku goods throughout the month. Check them out below:
There were two of these events in the San Francisco Bay Area that served to both open and close MIKU EXPO's time there. The first was in Emeryville on April 28 and the latter in San Jose on May 2. As the Emeryville event was a bit too early in the day I was unable to attend but thanks to one of the booksellers was able to procure one of the coveted San Francisco stickers. I was able to attend a small portion of the San Jose event after driving down from San Francisco and, following the tell-tale sound of Miku's voice, located the area where Let's Draw! was happening. A series of tables covered in colored pencils and markers, a Miku backdrop, and some examples of finished art were set up. I tried my hand at drawing and while I didn't have much time to think up a concept or fully execute said concept still came out okay. If time is available in the coming month I may revisit my efforts. The combined mass of drawings will eventually be compiled into a video at the end of the tour by Crypton. It'll be interesting to see the gamut of talents by Miku fans! At the San Jose Barnes and Noble there was also a Miku-themed drink available from the cafe.
Serving as a precursor to four of the concerts are the MIKU EXPO Digital Stars club events. These events are held in conjunction with HSSB (anime goods retailer Hobby Stock's offshoot skateboard brand) and feature a variety of local and not so local musicians and DJs. Alas, given the timing I did have to skip the SF stop but with a lineup including Bay Area DJs Grimecraft, airynore, and Seimei, and Japanese DJ Qrion, looked like a good show. Digital Stars exclusive loot in the form of t-shirts, banners, and more will be available at each event. Upcoming Hatsune Miku skate decks will be on display by HSSB.
The final event of MIKU EXPO is the Short Film Festival. A selection of Hatsune Miku PVs featuring pixel art, 2D animation, and 3D animation were interspersed with the 2013 Mikumentary (a documentary detailing who Hatsune Miku is and what she's all about) and the 2014 UltraMiku. That last one tells the saga of three intrepid Japanese and their coast-to-coast driving journey from Los Angeles to New York during the previous MIKU EXPO. Think an Ultra Marathon, but way more fun. The #ultramiku hashtag is still active on twitter and people are using it as the unofficial tag for any journey involving MIKU EXPO.
The San Francisco episode of the Short Film Festival took place at the New People Theater in the heart of Japantown. Total run time for the short film festival is 70 minutes and will also take place in Toronto and Mexico City. The Toronto screenings will feature Crypton CEO Hiroyuki Itoh, Q&A, and some exclusive merchandise. Tickets will run you USD$10, CAD$20, or MXN$90, depending on the locale.
If you're interested in any of the above mentioned events please take note of the dates and visit http://mikuexpo.com/na2016/events for additional details!
MIKU EXPO Concert Series
4/23 Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater
4/30 San Francisco, CA - The Warfield (day and night shows)
5/6 Los Angeles, CA - Microsoft Theater
5/14 Dallas, TX - The Bomb Factory
5/17 Houston, TX - NRG Arena
5/20 Toronto, ON (CA) - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
5/25 Chicago, IL - The Chicago Theater
5/28 New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom (day and night shows)
6/1 Monterrey, MX - Auditorio Banamex
6/4 Mexico City, MX - El Plaza Condesa (day and night shows)
6/5 Mexico City, MX - El Plaza Condesa (day and night shows)
MIKU EXPO Digital Stars
4/22 Seattle, WA - FRED Wildlife Refuge feat. Mark Redito, Pete Ellison, Meishi Smile, Boaconstructor, Hojo
4/29 San Francisco, CA - Codeword feat. Qrion, Airynore, Grimecraft, Seimei
5/5 Los Angeles, CA - The Lash feat. Mark Redito, Meishi Smile, Φrkestrate, 2ToneDisco, TDoyle, DZZ, B&L All Stars
5/27 New York, NY - Littlefield feat. Hachiojo P and others
MIKU EXPO Let's Draw!
4/24 Seattle, WA - Northgate Mall
4/26 Portland, OR - Clackamas Town Center
4/28 Emeryville, CA - Emeryville
5/2 San Jose, CA - Stevens Creek Boulevard
5/4 Los Angeles, CA - Huntington Beach
5/8 San Diego, CA - Mira Mesa
5/10 Austin, TX - Arboretum
5/12 Dallas, TX - Lincoln Park
5/15 Houston, TX - River Oaks Shopping Center
5/23 Chicago, IL - Old Orchard, Skokie (with Hachioji P)
5/27 New York, NY - Tribeca (with Hachioji P)
MIKU EXPO Short Film Festival
5/1 San Francisco, CA - New People Theater - 12PM/130/3/430/6
5/21 Toronto, ON (CA) - Jackman Hall at the Art Gallery of Ontario - 1130AM/130PM (with Crypton CEO Hiroyuki Itoh)
6/3-6/5 Mexico City, MX - Cinemex Reforma - 1PM/3
