Block FM Co., Ltd.
The venue was filled with everyone from Harley riders to music fans! Two days full of smiles and excitement at the first bike and music festival “BLUE SKY HEAVEN 2024” held in Yokohama
Report on live music by Crystal Kay, RIP SLYME, and more, powerful bike content, and DJ performances by DE DE MOUSE, TJO, and more ……
BLUE SKY HEAVEN 2024, an outdoor festival sponsored by Harley-Davidson Japan, was held for the 23rd time this year, and was held at a special venue at Yamashita Pier in Yokohama on Saturday, June 1st and Sunday, June 2nd. The venue was moved from Fuji Speedway, which was the venue in previous years, to Yokohama for the first time, and many people visited the special venue overlooking Minato Mirai over the two days. There will be a “Noto Recovery Support Parade” where about 300 Harleys will run through Yamashita Park, a live music stage featuring popular artists such as Crystal Kay and RIP SLYME, a hamburger festival featuring popular burger shops, and rare Harley items for sale. A variety of content was presented, including a shopping area that you can enter. A wide range of people attended the event, including not only Harley riders, but also students, young groups of friends, couples, and families. They had a fulfilling two days, enjoying live music and seeing a motorcycle showcase for the first time.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-99c50d211965763bbc63-0.jpg&s3=9184-71-e48ba31fc3e4e20decc3dc5ad446b263-1920×1280.jpg] BLUE SKY HEAVEN 2024 Event Report
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-0e2718acb0dd7166fca7-1.jpg&s3=9184-71-91aae41db62d97ad3b32aeaee040cd62-1920×1280.jpg] What was the rain symbol on the weather forecast all about? The beautiful clear skies made me think of that. This year’s “BLUE SKY HEAVEN” started under the truly perfect “Blue Sky.” On June 1st, the first day of the event, Harley riders from all over the country will be arriving one after another from early morning to the Yokohama venue. This was Bruska’s first time being held in Yokohama, and due to its easy access, many people other than bikers came to enjoy the live music. They took photos with the blue sky and the view of Minato Mirai in the background, their eyes lit up at the impressive Harleys on display, and they enjoyed the original worldview that can only be found at Brusca.
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-00c0141390eac759f9d3-2.jpg&s3=9184-71-399ebe218245a35c1a230e54d00a7ae7-1920×1280.jpg] (Top left: CARDZ, top right: DJ KRO, bottom: eill)
The first person to appear on the main stage “BLUE SKY STAGE” produced by the music multimedia “block. fm” was CARDZ, the MC who will be the MC for the two days. Following the opening ceremony, DJ KRO, who is active at festivals and events both domestically and internationally, started playing after chants that further excited the venue, which was already heating up. The sound of the bike’s engine roaring into the song “Born to Be Wild” was a great start, and the audience erupted in cheers. The selection focuses on hit numbers from all genres, including hard rock, disco, and city pop. The visitors who had gathered from early in the morning were in high spirits and enjoying his play.
Next up was Eill, a new generation of singer-songwriters who are popular mainly in Asia. As the band played, he dashed onto the stage and said, “Let’s have fun in Yokohama!” They move around the space while performing their signature songs such as “Breathe here,” and the audience responds by raising their hands. During the MC, he mentioned that his father was also a biker, and he warmed up the atmosphere by talking about the event. During the ballad song “Finale,” he sat at the front of the stage and sang with passion. The audience listened intently to Eill’s singing voice, which echoed as if rising through the blue sky.
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-7cc5964feed9fdb6450d-3.jpg&s3=9184-71-2026b008e3af7b88f3b9b33f829a869f-1920×1280.jpg] (Top: Novel Core, Bottom: RIP SLYME)
“Speak out, Yokohama!” said Novel Core, who is attracting attention in the scene as a new generation rapper. Although they performed during the time when the sun was shining the brightest, they put on a hot and aggressive stage that didn’t let the heat get the better of them. He is wearing a custom Harley-Davidson jacket and is in great spirits. From the beginning, he encouraged the audience with “Everybody hands up!” and performed freestyle raps, all firing on all cylinders. Not to be outdone by such a full-throttle performance, the audience fought back as well. There was a lot of excitement as they jumped all at once, raised their fists, and even did some head banging. At the end, he took off his sunglasses and enthusiastically sang the medium number “Green Light.” The intense atmosphere had changed completely, and the venue was filled with a peaceful atmosphere, and the stage ended.
RIP SLYME, a hip-hop unit with many hit songs, appeared while the audience was still waiting. Supporters WISE from TERIYAKI BOYZ(R) and singer-songwriter Emi Okamoto will also appear on stage. “Will you dance with me until the end?”, he began, and then performed a series of famous songs from yesteryear, including “FUNKASTIC” and “Paradise Baby”. At the intro, the audience got excited and the voltage in the venue rose rapidly. On the way, he mentioned the weather at the venue, which was now beautifully sunny, and performed “Goodbye Sunset,” saying he wanted to say goodbye to Typhoon No. 1. At the end of the song, “JUMP,” the audience jumped all at once. The huge hits “JOINT” and “Touhou Yoru” continued, and the audience that filled the venue was so excited that it reached all the way to the back of the venue.
[Image 5: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-254c76aee33d4e691f98-4.jpg&s3=9184-71-c1ad25f71fa16086d56e259d59a01aca-1920×1280.jpg] (Top: SIRUP, Bottom: Crystal Kay)
When the heat eased and a cool breeze began to blow, SIRUP, whose FEEL GOOD music has expanded their listener base both domestically and internationally, took to the stage. “How are you doing? Let’s get excited,” he says in a friendly manner, shaking the venue with a soothing beat. When they performed “LOOP,” which they said, “Let’s take it easy,” cheers went up as soon as the intro sounded. SIRUP’s singing voice resonates on the sea breeze and attracts the listeners. The audience enjoyed the many expressive songs, swaying their bodies as they pleased until the end.
The DAY1 contestant was Crystal Kay, whose hometown is Yokohama and who are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. “Enjoy it till the end. Please sing with me!” and the live performance started with “Koi ni Ochitara.” The packed audience was overjoyed from the get-go. They enthusiastically sang a medley of early numbers such as “hard to say” and “What Time Is It?”. The setlist, which is unique to her as she celebrates her 25th anniversary since her debut, received a huge ovation from the audience. The youngest dancer led a large group of dancers, including children as young as 3 years old, and performed an amazing dance performance with a sense of unity. The venue gave a big round of applause for her powerful singing voice, which remained breathless even during the intense dancing. The BLUE SKY STAGE on the first day ended with an overwhelming performance befitting a bird. Along with the main BLUE SKY STAGE, the “Way Better” booth by glo(TM) was a big hit.
[Image 6: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-6159dfacb988b6206af9-5.jpg&s3=9184-71-2ea4fc7d9fae46ecaaa5fcdacb2ec8e2-1920×1280.jpg] As you pass through the shopping area from the venue entrance, you will see the glo(TM) “Way Better” booth with its large, eye-catching LED. Parasols, benches, and sofa seats are also available inside the booth, creating the perfect space to rest your tired body after an outdoor festival. There was a DJ stage in front of the LED lights, and speakers were installed throughout the booth, and visitors were amazed at the various ways to entertain customers, saying, “Is this a smoking area? It’s amazing that you can also listen to music!”
The eye-catching photo booth in the booth features Harley-Davidson’s “Low Rider ST TOBBACO FADE.” This eye-catching model is painted in the most famous guitar color, making it the perfect bike for Brusca, who enjoys bike culture and music. A guitar that can actually make sounds is also displayed next to the bike. Visitors enjoyed taking photos while riding motorcycles or holding guitars in their hands.
[Image 7: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-144af396ed34c39180d9-6.jpg&s3=9184-71-e0166f57c441ea18ac27a1fe76507703-1920×1280.jpg] (Left: YonYon, upper right: DE DE MOUSE, lower right: Punipuni Denki) Performances by popular DJs and artists were also held at the glo(TM) “Way Better” booth. The top performers on the first day were DE DE MOUSE, who have been leading the dance music scene for many years. They will perform a set that mixes disco, house, electro, etc., drawing people passing by the booth into the booth. After a slow start, the tempo gradually increased, causing the audience to dance freely, and by the end the performance was so exciting that there were loud cheers.
Next, Punipuni Denki, an artist known for his unique musicality and delicate singing voice, appeared and started the live performance with unreleased songs. He told the audience, “Please look forward to the release,” and performed some of his popular songs such as
“Zurunainai?” and “Kimi wa Queen.” Although the heat at the venue reached its peak after noon, the booth was filled with people relaxing and enjoying Puni Puni Denki’s cool singing voice, which seemed to contain negative ions.
After the main stage performance by Crystal Kay, the performance by YonYon, an artist with roots in Korea and Japan, stopped many in the audience. A mix of groovy hip-hop, funk, and other genres will make the audience dance even more, even when the live energy is still high. The audience was able to enjoy the night view of Minato Mirai and the night breeze while enjoying YonYon’s music until the end, as he intermixed his own singing such as “Your Closet”.
The glo(TM) “Way Better” booth not only held live music, but also held a DJ school that anyone could participate in. The project “glo(TM) NEXstage – THE NEX DJ”, which was very popular when Brusca was held last year, will be realized again this year. With the support of “OTAIRECORD MUSIC SCHOOL” which continues to produce many DJs, YonYon appeared as a lecturer on the first day.
[Image 8: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-6739bd28007217d0440d-7.jpg&s3=9184-71-bae62a781dc8563aa0e215735ae5dcef-1920×1280.jpg] YonYon carefully explains the most important techniques for DJing, such as “mixing” and “cutting up” to connect songs, as well as the operation of DJ equipment. Using the songs of RIP SLYME, who had performed live on the main stage just before, we held a class where even first-timers could enjoy the DJ experience. The participants, who had actually experienced DJing for the first time, operated the equipment in accordance with the sound. When the songs connected well, the audience applauded.
[Image 9: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-a459982fffb16d47e32b-8.jpg&s3=9184-71-cc498a5b78b297f10e902d44a0cc9dca-1920×1280.jpg] (Top: C.V.O, bottom left: E.N.S & The Singers, bottom right: KOMOREBI) June 2nd was the last day of Brusca, when blue skies spread out again. On this day’s main stage were the band E.N.S & The Singers from Fukuoka and the up-and-coming rap group KOMOREBI. In addition, C.V.O, who also wrote the theme song for Brusca, made an appearance, enlivening the venue on the final day. The “Noto Reconstruction Support Parade” is also held in front of Yamashita Park, and the sight of countless Harleys lined up and running is truly spectacular. They kept the audience entertained until the end.
At the glo(TM) “Way Better” booth on the second day, TJO, a popular DJ who has appeared at many large festivals in Japan and abroad, and YOSUKE, an up-and-coming DJ who is leading Fukuoka’s culture, will appear.
[Image 10: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-61e1c1539d625bb3bc88-9.jpg&s3=9184-71-d10784697e920686215866733d2e1262-1920×1280.jpg ]
(Left, bottom right: TJO, top right: YOSUKE)
At DJ School by TJO, he explains that the role of a DJ is to “create an atmosphere by playing music nonstop,” and carefully explains the process of connecting songs one by one. While introducing performance techniques using effects such as “filter” and “crash,” the audience swayed and enjoyed watching them create the atmosphere in the booth just as they had said at the beginning.
After the DJ school, TJO’s DJ performance will begin. The audience, who came to enjoy the final day’s brusca, continued to flock to the set, which was centered around rock’n’roll, which is rare for TJO. The audience inside the booth clapped their hands, danced, and even hummed the chorus as they listened to a number of famous songs by Nirvana, JET, Van Halen, Queen, and more, enjoying the groove created by TJO. YOSUKE, who appeared last, started playing with the liquid funk of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” to bring the sun back to the venue, which had started to rain lightly. It connects pleasant two-steps and houses, and draws in those who are reluctant to leave the brusca. As if the sky had granted their wishes, the rain stopped soon, and they ended their euphoric set with Pharrell Williams’ “Happy.”
This year’s “BLUE SKY HEAVEN” was blessed with good weather and was held under the perfect blue sky. Yokohama was filled with excitement from start to finish, with live music events that brought together the entire venue, and powerful bike content, and the event came to a successful conclusion.
[Image 11: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-dfc22c6628033490722b-10.jpg&s3=9184-71-97788ecc1b314033b888cbe7d7a3859f-1920×1280.jpg] Event overview
Name: BLUE SKY HEAVEN 2024 (Blue Sky Heaven 2024)
Sponsor: Harley-Davidson Japan Co., Ltd.
Sponsored by: City of Yokohama, Yokohama Port Harbor Resort Association Date: June 1st (Saturday) to June 2nd (Sunday), 2024
Venue: Yamashita Pier special venue (Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Starring:
BLUE SKY STAGE: RIP SLYME, Crystal Kay, SIRUP, Novel Core, eill, DJ KRO, CARDZ glo(TM) “Way Better” BOOTH: DE DE MOUSE, Punipuni Denki, YonYon, TJO, YOSUKE W E B: https://blueskyheaven.jp/
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[Image 12: https://prtimes.jp/i/9184/71/resize/d9184-71-b2019498b79c7a26b5dd-11.png&s3=9184-71-614fa4a5e5a5e8e82184a8dfba351e87-1280×1280.png ]
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