Mark Stefanos
Japanese duo YOASOBI wrapped their “Never Ending Stories” North American headline trek at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 16, ending a six-city itinerary, and an active summer that included sets at Montreal’s OSHEAGA festival and Lollapalooza in Chicago. The Los Angeles date marked their debut at the landmark amphitheater and concluded their largest North American outing so far.
The tour racked up many firsts: They were the first J-pop artist to perform at OSHEAGA, the first J-pop artist to perform (and sell out) Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the first J-pop artist to perform at the Bowl. In total, over 70,000 fans attended across the six shows, according to organizers.
The shows follow the duo’s massive run of playing internationally and racking up billions of streams and multiple top charting hits.
Producer Ayase and vocalist ikura form the pair, whose music draws from literary narratives adapted into pop tracks, an approach that has carried them from dominant positions on Japan’s streaming charts to international stages. Releasing their first song in 2019, their repertoire features worldwide hits like “Idol,” “Kaibutsu,” “Gunjou,” “Yoru ni Kakeru,” and “Yuusha.”
The duo held a pop-up following the Hollywood Bowl show on Aug 18 and 19 at the Complex store on Fairfax. Up next is a 10-city Asia dome and stadium tour is scheduled to begin in October.