July 30 - August 1, 2010
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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News/Updates: Article Detail
JULY 8, 2004
Japanese Rock Band Invades Baltimore
By: Jon Harmon
BALTIMORE, July 8, 2004 - This July America's biggest anime convention is welcoming one of Japan's biggest rock bands.
Otakon, the largest Japanese animation and culture convention in North America, will feature the highly acclaimed band L'Arc~en~Ciel as the musical centerpiece of its annual event. A crowd of over 12,000 is expected for the concert at the 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday, July 31st.
L'Arc~en~Ciel is one of the most popular rock bands in Japan's history, and the group's US debut performance should light a similar furor among Japanese music fans in North America. After millions of record sales and over a decade at the top of the Japanese pop charts, the band now faces their greatest challenge yet. They hope to catch the wave of Asian music that is sweeping a youth culture already inundated with Japanese video games and animation.
Leading the "Asian Invasion," on June 29th Tofu Records released L'Arc~en~Ciel's "SMILE" in North American music stores, building the anticipation for hyde, ken, tetsu, and yukihiro's live performance. Tofu Records is the first company dedicated to releasing Japanese popular music (referred to as J-Pop and J-Rock) in North America.
Otakon 2004 is to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center from July 30th to August 1st. After attracting 17,338 attendees to its 2003 event - a 30% increase over the previous year – Otakon is projecting a crowd of over 20,000 to take over Baltimore's Inner Harbor for this year's three-day festival.
Ten local hotels have already sold out, but pre-registrations and a limited number of rooms are still available from the convention's website at www.otakon.com.
About Otakon: Now entering its eleventh year, Otakon has grown from a small Pennsylvania gathering to become the country's largest convention dedicated to East Asian popular culture. Each year the festival offers a weekend of films, concerts, panels, dancing, and costume competitions for enthusiasts of all ages. Otakon is produced by Otakorp, Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers. For more information, please visit www.otakon.com or email concerts@otakon.com.
Otakon, the largest Japanese animation and culture convention in North America, will feature the highly acclaimed band L'Arc~en~Ciel as the musical centerpiece of its annual event. A crowd of over 12,000 is expected for the concert at the 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday, July 31st.
L'Arc~en~Ciel is one of the most popular rock bands in Japan's history, and the group's US debut performance should light a similar furor among Japanese music fans in North America. After millions of record sales and over a decade at the top of the Japanese pop charts, the band now faces their greatest challenge yet. They hope to catch the wave of Asian music that is sweeping a youth culture already inundated with Japanese video games and animation.
Leading the "Asian Invasion," on June 29th Tofu Records released L'Arc~en~Ciel's "SMILE" in North American music stores, building the anticipation for hyde, ken, tetsu, and yukihiro's live performance. Tofu Records is the first company dedicated to releasing Japanese popular music (referred to as J-Pop and J-Rock) in North America.
Otakon 2004 is to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center from July 30th to August 1st. After attracting 17,338 attendees to its 2003 event - a 30% increase over the previous year – Otakon is projecting a crowd of over 20,000 to take over Baltimore's Inner Harbor for this year's three-day festival.
Ten local hotels have already sold out, but pre-registrations and a limited number of rooms are still available from the convention's website at www.otakon.com.
About Otakon: Now entering its eleventh year, Otakon has grown from a small Pennsylvania gathering to become the country's largest convention dedicated to East Asian popular culture. Each year the festival offers a weekend of films, concerts, panels, dancing, and costume competitions for enthusiasts of all ages. Otakon is produced by Otakorp, Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers. For more information, please visit www.otakon.com or email concerts@otakon.com.
