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Smaller Stage Gems At Fuji Rock 2017
- July 19, 2017 ● Bands
Rei is one of the acts to catch on a smaller stage at Fuji Rock
With about a week to go until Fuji Rock 2017 officially gets underway, soon-to-be punters are probably staring at the three-day schedule trying to figure out how they are going to approach this whole affair. While you debate the merits of seeing Aphex Twin vs. Quruli, you should also save some space to see some of the domestic gems playing smaller stages…like, off-the-beaten-path stages (with Rookie-A-Go-Go ignored, you should make time to swing by there anyway)…while you are out in Naeba. We are here to help, and here are five acts to pencil in to your itinerary this year.
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INTERVIEW: Fuji Rock’s Latin-ska-cumbia connection!
- July 14, 2017 ● Interviews
An interview with Shogo Komiyama, the promoter who brings danceable madness to the Crystal Palace…
And the story behind Fuji Rock’s biggest pre-party, Radical Music Network!
If you are a fan of Fuji Rock’s Crystal Palace Tent, if you have danced like crazy to an amazing band playing ska, cumbia or Latin music, you are probably also a fan of the Radical Music Network event series and the promoter Japonicus. You just might not know it yet. Japonicus has been working with Fuji Rock and Smash Japan for more than 15 years, bringing Spanish rock stars like Manu Chao, Fermin Muguruza, La Grossa Sorda, great cumbia bands like LA’s Very Be Careful, and some of Japan’s best “mestizo” bands. You’ll see them especially at the Crystal Palace and Cafe de Paris stages. Japonicus was founded in 1999 by Shogo Komiyama, who was born in Argentina to Japanese parents, and is now one of the biggest pipelines bringing Latin music to Japan. He believes in music as a radical social force for good, and is one of the most friendly and down-to-earth guys you will ever meet — just like the musicians he works with. This year he’s bringing several acts to Fuji Rock, and he’s also preparing for his annual pre-Fuji Rock party, Radical Music Network at Club Asia in Tokyo on July 26 (event info here). He took some time for an email interview to tell us what’s coming up.
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Freedom Friday at Fuji
- July 12, 2017 ● Essentials, Experiences, From Fujirockers.org
Don’t know where to start to plan your day at the behemoth that is Fuji Rock? Let us do the work for you with our curate your day series. This (hopefully) series of articles from your friendly Fuji Rockers team will take the work out of planning your day at Japan’s biggest music festival.
Let us lead you on a themed journey throughout the day. Last year I planned a day called Jimi’s Jazzy Sunday. This year I bring you Freedom Friday at Fuji! READ MORE -
Throwback Fuji: A History Lesson Of Notable Acts Making A Return At This Year’s Festival
- July 7, 2017 ● Bands, From Fujirockers.org
Shinichi Osawa’s Mondo Grosso is one of the projects making a comeback at Fuji Rock 2017
Yeah yeah, exciting new bands and genre-bending electronic acts, plenty of that at Naeba…sometimes, you <em>want</em> a throwback to a different time, and Fuji Rock Festival 2017 has a wide variety of performers who have been honing their craft over the last few decades. This year’s line-up, in particular, offers up a convenient timeline of Japanese music, featuring influential acts from the 1960s and breakthrough producers from the Aughts on the bill. It’s not quite a comprehensive history of Japanese music, but here are five acts from five different decades worth checking out in a few weeks.
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Fuji Rock: Now There’s An App For That
- July 6, 2017 ● Essentials, Interviews
Last year you may have downloaded the 2016 Fuji Rock app, set up your timetable and used it to co-ordinate your timetable for the 20th Anniversary celebrations. Or you may have relied on a printout from the Internet, or even just pure luck and serendipity to put you in the right place at the right time.
This year the Fuji Rock app is back in new and improved form, thanks to iFlyer, with a whole swathe of useful and entertaining features to add to the Fuji Rock experience. We sat down with iFlyer Director of Business Development Joshua Barry to talk about iFlyer, the new app, and his thoughts on Fuji Rock past and present.
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Festival Goods: The Practical, the Weird and the Wonderful
- July 1, 2017 ● Experiences, From Fujirockers.org
As with any holiday, are you pestered to bring back souvenirs from Fuji Rock? Do you have family waiting at home or colleagues covering you while you party the Friday and weekend away at the festival? Well, the official Fuji Rock store has you covered with a variety of goods that range from the practical to the downright weird. We’ve taken a quick dive into the store and picked our highlights below.
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Bringing kids? Here’s 5 tips
- June 26, 2017 ● Essentials, Experiences
Kid in a swing couldn’t be happier
My kids (Finn, aged 7) and Meara (aged, 2) perfectly bookend the kid spectrum at Fuji Rock. Any older and he may be too cool for Gorillaz and any younger they may not be able to keep down the curry at Queen Sheeba’s. Finn went to his first EDM show years before many of you even heard of the genre, checking out (Diplo, the better half of Major Lazer) when he was just 7 months in his mama’s belly. Here’s a few tips for you to have kid-stravagant experience.
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Meet Hyappa Brews
- June 23, 2017 ● Experiences, Food, Interviews
Wondering where to go for great craft beer and tasty grub this year? While I usually recommend a full stroll around the grounds to check things out for yourself, allow me to save you some time and steer you towards Aichi’s Hyappa brewing. They will have a booth at this year’s Fuji Rock for the 3rd consecutive year. I’ve personally enjoyed Hyappa’s great drinks and chow the past two years at Fuji Rock. I can say from experience, for those of us with discerning taste, the Hyappa booth is not to be missed. I’m sure you might have a few questions, like where can I find the booth, what are they serving up this year and what exactly is Hyappa brews all about? Well, fret not, I got a chance to chat with Hyappa head honcho Craig Morrey (pictured center with 2 thumbs up) to answer these questions and more. READ MORE
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Fujirocker’s Seven Tips for Extreme Festival Fashion
- June 22, 2017 ● Essentials, From Fujirockers.org
We all know what we’re supposed to wear! But will your breathable waterproof hiking wear inspire naughty looks from appealing strangers? Will your neck towel help you stand out in a crowd of 40,000? Will that sensible all-weather hat get you onto other people’s Instagrams with the hashtag #onlyatfujirock?
There is no problem if you bring sunscreen and sturdy shoes, but remember that Fujirock is a party! So we put together this lookbook of Fuji Rock’s best dressed, and it was just as easy as perusing the people photos in the “More Fun” section of last year’s FujirockExpress.com. So get ready, this goes way beyond band t-shirts. Below we’ve selected seven of the top looks / bits of advice so you too can join Fuji Rock’s best dressed.
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Day Dreaming And Silent Breeze: Should You Go?
- June 12, 2017 ● Bands, Experiences
A taste of what you can expect off the beaten path
With the basic stage line-up for Fuji Rock 2017 laid out, punters can begin plotting out their days at Naeba. For the most part, the gathering is laid out in a line — one that curves and can reach out to the further edges of the ski resort, but a line nonetheless. Hitting up every stage is relatively easy and doesn’t require major detours.
Well, except for one.
The Day Dreaming and Silent Breeze stage rests far away from any other part of Fuji Rock, requiring a 20-minute gondola ride to get to the hill where it is located. Fest newbies might not be able to locate it on a map…and even veterans of the event might be hard-pressed to remember heading up there. With so much to take in, making time in your schedule to head off into the wilderness for the fest’s most far-flung spot might seem unnecessary.
Yet it is totally worth it. Here are the main reasons we believe making the trek out is completely worth it.
