New People has announced the dynamic musical line-up designed for “J-Pop Lovers” as part of the live programming for the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival. The annual cultural event, now in its fourth year and presented in association with the Japantown Merchants Association, will be held across San Francisco’s Japantown district on Saturday, August 25^th and Sunday, August 26^th.

J-POP Summit Festival 2012 will feature FREE live performances for “J-Pop Lovers” by Kylee, The Akabane Vulgars, All Ages, Capital, and the Bay Area Girls. These live sets will take place on the main stage of Japantown’s spacious Peace Plaza, located across the street from the New People venue which is at 1746 Post St. Check the dates below for each performance. Additional live performers will be announced in coming days.

THE AKABANE VULGARS – Saturday, August 25^th

The 2012 J-POP Summit Festival is pleased to welcome the first-ever West Coast appearance by The Akabane Vulgars On Strong Bypass, a bluesy, all-girl power trio hailing from Tokyo, Japan. The group, composed of sisters Yumi Uchizono on guitar and vocals and Miki Uchizono on bass, is joined by drummer Kei Sofue. The Akabane Vulgars formed while the members were still in high school and have gone on to enjoy a wide following in Japan with its unique brand of bluesy-rock vocals and soulful lyrics. The band is heavily influenced by Green Day, Joan Jett, The Beatles, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Japanese groups such as Blankey Jet City and Thee Michelle Gun Elephant. The Akabane Vulgars have released a self-produced CD, “The Rumps Smolder at the Gloom” as well as a 3-song EP, “We Need The Riot, Our Riot, Your Riot.” The band is preparing to record and release their full length debut on a U.S.-based record label later this year. More information on the band is available at: www.akabane-vulgars.com

 

Kylee – Sunday, August 26^th

Kylee is an upbeat 18 year-old pop singer/songwriter born to an American father and Japanese mother. She is currently signed to Sony Music Japan and has become a fast-rising multi-cultural star that is developing a major following in both the U.S. and Japan. Kylee has been featured in the U.S. on the Today Show, and her second single, “missing/IT’S YOU,” released in 2010, was featured heavily in a commercial for online apparel retailer NISSEN. In 2011 she performed for an audience of more than 50,000 people at an official Major League Baseball game and also sang for President Barack Obama during a visit to her home state of Arizona earlier this year.  More information on Kylee is available at: www.facebook.com/kyleeofficialfanpage.

 

ALL AGES – Sunday, August 26^th

The San Francisco-based rock band, All Ages, formed in 2005 and has thrived as a national and international live touring musical act. The band is heavily influenced by J-rock and has performed in Japan with preeminent acts such as The Pillows, Noodles, Red Bacteria Vacuum and many more. In 2008 All Ages was featured in the documentary “Pop! How Japanese Culture Took Over My Life”. All Ages opened The Pillows’ 2011 NAP TOUR and Red Bacteria Vacuums’ California tour in June of 2012. All Ages recently released the single “42 Sub Machine Guns,” now available on iTunes. More information on All Ages is available at: www.iloveallages.com

 

CAPITAL – Sunday, August 26^th

Capital is a prolific artist/scholar from Los Angeles, already featured on over 20 albums ranging from rock to Japanese hip-hop to Brazilian electronica alongside artists such as Marco Bosco, Airto Moreira, Paulo Calasans, Swing Out Sister, Del the Funky Homosapien, DJ Nozawa and more. His latest release, FLOATS ON FLAT TIRES, combines Brazilian overtones with electronic beats. Capital has a master’s degree in J-Pop music research, and also speaks and sings fluent Japanese.  He has toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, Japan and Brazil and has performed at numerous music festivals including Japan’s massive Fuji Rock Festival. Capital’s performances also have been broadcast in Japan on Space Shower TV, and he recently performed live on KTLA’s “Good Day L.A.” More information on Capital is available at: http://www.capitalguitar.com

 

BAY AREA GIRLS – Sunday, August 26^th

The Bay Area Girls are a dynamic all-girl rock band consisting of five talented 12 and 13 year olds. The girls first got together to perform at their school talent show, which then inspired them to take things to the next level to entertain people of all ages as a band. Their musical repertoire ranges from the likes of Joan Jett to Avril Lavine, Miley Cirus, Journey and Bob Markey. Among their notable gigs, the Bay Area Girls have performed a “Tribute to Armando Peraza” (the notable former Santana percussionist), as well as a performance at Yoshi’s in San Francisco with Pete Escovedo and Sheila E. Last year the girls performed at the 2011 J-POP Summit where they covered “Four Seasons,” by Japanese pop diva Namie Amuro! Catch their inspired set this year as they return to rock the 2012 J-POP Summit! More information on the Bay Area Girls is available at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bay-Area-Girls/139005686184005

A variety of other pop-inspired attractions including fashion shows, theatrical film premieres,  live art performances, celebrity appearances, and mini-concerts by some of Japan’s hottest bands are planned for the 2012 J-POP Summit both inside the NEW PEOPLE complex, and outdoors at the adjacent Peace Plaza. Innovative artists from Japan will join a variety of product merchants and food vendors from the Bay Area to offer an array of pop-inspired products and delicacies for sale in open air displays on both sides of Post Street, the main Japantown thoroughfare.