The first collaboration between music streaming service Spotify and Japan's largest urban festival, SUMMER SONIC, called "Spotify on Stage in MIdnight SONIC," took place at Makuhari Messe on August 16th. "Spotify on Stage" launched in Jakarta in 2017, bringing the streaming era's music experience, where people can discover new music across borders and genres, to offline venues. This year, it finally arrived in Japan as an all-night event on the first day of Summer Sonic, captivating the audience with this new era of stage performance. Spotify has launched a variety of initiatives to connect artists and listeners in real-world settings, including "Early Noise," which supports emerging artists, and a partnership with e+ that allows people to purchase concert tickets directly from Spotify. This article takes a look back at "Spotify on Stage," a culmination of these efforts.

amazarashi

The opening act of the event was "amazarashi," a band centered around Aomori Prefecture resident Hiromu Akita. The band kicked off the show with their unique style, projecting typography and video onto a screen in front of the stage. Akita sang to the audience over a powerful rock sound. The lyrics flowed in sync with the live performance, creating a unique atmosphere in which Hiromu Akita's "poetry" leaped into the audience's eyes and ears, creating an overwhelming opening experience.

MGMT

MGMT is a pop duo based in Brooklyn, New York, centered around Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. The band began their set with "When You Die," a track from their fourth album, "Little Dark Age," released in 2018 and their first in five years. At one point, balloons featuring the motif from the album's cover appeared onstage, expressing the album's worldview. Toward the end of the set, the intro to their biggest hit, "Kids," began, eliciting thunderous cheers from the audience. Furthermore, during the break in the song, they added an improvisational arrangement unique to a live performance, giving a glimpse of the song's evolution along with the band.

Sukima Switch SET LIST
01. Kanade
02. Guarana
03. Seishun
04. Mr. Kite
05. Ah Year!!
06 Zenryoku Shounen

SEKAI NO OWARI

SEKAI NO OWARI celebrated their 8th anniversary with a live concert on August 17th, the anniversary of their major label debut. The audience was instantly captivated by their rollercoaster-like setlist, featuring a mix of singles and tempos. The concert was so heated that Fukase even asked if any fans were feeling unwell during the MC, further bringing the band and the audience closer together. Towards the end of the set, they performed "LOST," a collaboration with British band Clean Bandit under the name End of the World, for the first time in a live performance, and concluded the set with a huge sing-along with the audience for their hit single "Dragon Night."

TK from Ling Tosite Sigure

TK from Ling Tosite Sigure started the set with a gentle performance of "Tsumi to Jewel," accompanied by piano and violin. The excitement continued with "unravel," the anime theme song. They continued with "Shady" and "Fantastic Magic," featuring complex rhythms and solid guitar sounds. They then performed their latest single, "P.S. RED I," and the concert ended amid a roar of guitar noise.

NCT127

R3HAB

A large DJ booth with video monitors was set up in the venue, transforming the live music venue into a club, where the final act of the night, R3HAB, took to the stage. While playing a series of aggressive and intense dance music, he took to the microphone during breaks to speak to the crowd, creating a sense of unity. When he played his own remix of a Calvin Harris song, he climbed onto the DJ booth, and the uplifting feel of the song further heated up the venue. As the night drew to a close, the audience showed no signs of tiring and continued to dance to R3HAB's music. The excitement was high from the start of the set with amazarashi to R3HAB, and before we knew it, the night had flown by in an instant.



calvin harris / One Kiss(with Dua Lipa) R3HAB Remix


The venue was also decorated with signage featuring the event's theme color, blue, and a Spotify photo booth was also set up. Visitors were able to easily take three-dimensional photos and were also encouraged to post them on social media using the hashtag "#SummerSonicxSpotify."

It was a valuable night where Spotify's usual online initiative of recommending music that is not bound by category through a variety of playlists was presented in a real, offline setting. We will be keeping an eye on Spotify as they continue to connect artists and listeners.