LOS ANGELES, CA (Monday, August 16, 2010) -- They've sold 30-million records and DVDs, filled the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome a record-breaking 18 times, they pioneered "Visual-Kei," the Japanese music movement that helped spark the current world-wide Anime craze, and their leader has been referred to as "the Bono of Japan." But the one thing this Guns-N'-Roses-meets-Queen-meets-'The-Matrix' rock group has wanted to do for years but has never done, is tour America. That's about to change, as on September 25, X Japan will kick off a seven-city North American trek at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, with subsequent stops in Oakland, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, Toronto, and New York. Tickets go on sale today (8/16) and most can be purchased through www.ticketmaster.com (go to www.etix.com for the Chicago date) or at the venues' box office.

"We feel like a new band now, like we are going back to the beginning," said X Japan's leader/drummer/pianist/composer Yoshiki about the upcoming U.S. concerts, "and it's very, very exciting. We are looking forward to playing smaller venues here in the U.S., something we haven't been able to do in Japan since the very early days."

In Asia, X Japan plays arenas and stadiums, bringing in elaborate production including lasers, catwalks, and holograms. Comparably, the North American dates will be "back to basics," with pyrotechnics and some production, but with the band focusing primarily on the music. As Yoshiki told one reporter, "You don't see good rock shows anymore. Rock doesn't have enough drama now, rap, R&B, and dance music have taken care of that. We want to be a part of bringing the drama back to rock."

While this will be X Japan's first U.S. tour, the band made its American concert debut on August 8, 2010 playing the Main Stage at Lollapalooza in Chicago in front of some 10,000 people. The Chicago Sun-Times called the band's set "a spectacular, almost operatic performance of big ballads and speed metal..." with new song "Jade," "...a rumbling guitar attack that would make Metallica take notice." Time Out Chicago's review thanked Lollapalooza's co-founder Perry Farrell for booking "the coup of the festival," and pointed out Toshi's "Steve-Perry-eat-your-heart-out-vocals," while USA Today wrote, "The metal-pop-punk was fast and furious," and described Yoshiki's drumming as "Keith-Moon-on-Red-Bull."

Clustered down front-and-center were some 1,000 staunch X Japan fans who had flown in from all over the world to witness this historic first. While these fans were decked out in full X Japan glam-Anime regalia, most in the audience were unfamiliar with the band when they first took the stage. But by the end of the 50-minute set, X Japan had converted them. As the Chicago Sun-Times reviewer noted, "Even the mildly curious were won over by the infectious rock drama. Fists were pumping, guys were playing air guitar, people were making the X Japan sign by crossing forearms in the air."

The members of X Japan have been writing and recording what will be their first album to be released in North America and to contain English lyrics. According to Yoshiki, about half of the album will feature some of the band's most popular songs from throughout their career, with all lyrics re-recorded in English, and the other half all brand-new songs. The album's first single will be "Jade," which was performed at Lollapalooza and will be on the North American dates' set list.

X Japan - Yoshiki (drums, piano), Toshi (vocals), Pata and Sugizo (guitars) and Heath (bass) - has its roots in the life-long friendship of Yoshiki and Toshi, who met when they were four years old. While still in high school, they formed the band, known at the time simply as "X," and over the next 13 years, X Japan released five studio albums as well as six live albums, 10 compilation albums and 15 video albums, and attained iconic status in Japan. With the late-90s breakdown of Yoshiki and Toshi's friendship, combined by the sudden death of then-guitarist Hide, the band called it quits. It wasn't until 2007 that Toshi and Yoshiki reunited, that X Japan was reformed, and that the band put America back in its sights.

"While we are confident about coming to America," Yoshiki added, "I don't know if we are going to end up being successful or not. But what I do know is that music breaks down barriers, and it doesn't matter what country the music comes from. Good music is universal."

Dates for X Japan's North American concert tour debut are:

SEPTEMBER
25 Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
28 Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA

OCTOBER
1 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
3 Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC CANADA
6 Riviera, Chicago, IL
7 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON CANADA
10 Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY

Order your tickets at ticketmaster & etix now!

You can follow Yoshiki now on Twitter, to check out what he's been up to! Click here to view his latest Twitter entries.

X Japan announced that Taiji will join them on stage for their two concerts at the Nissan stadium on their latest press conference.

Read more about it and view pictures of the press conference by clicking here (japanese).

Following their successful debut in the US, magazines were praising the band in their reviews.

On FlickR you can view pictures from the Lollapalooza concert. And here are the reviews from Chicago Sun Times, Time Out Chicago, USA today and last but not least here is a TV report on X Japan from ABC news.

X-Japan added two additional tour dates for August! X Japan will play at the Nissan stadium on the 14th (Saturday) and 15th (Sunday) August. You can get a X-Perience Tour Nissan Stadium package for these events from Jrockrevoluton.

Click on the above picture for the Jrockrevolution Fan Package!

MEMBERS OF X JAPAN TO PERFORM AT THE YOSHIKI FOUNDATION AMERICA OFFICIAL FAN PARTY TO BENEFIT CHARITY



Join Yoshiki (X JAPAN) on July 1, 2010; 8:00 pm ­ 11:00 pm
For more information about this event click on the Yoshiki Foundation banner or here.

Los Angeles, CA (June 28, 2010) ­ X JAPAN fans rejoice as another surprise is coming your way! Fans will be in for a treat as, X JAPAN band members ­ Yoshiki (piano), Toshi (vocals) and Sugizo (violin) will perform a rare acoustic LIVE set, During the evening festivities, during the YOSHIKI FOUNDATION AMERICA KICK OFF PARTY and benefit bash for charity on July 1, 2010 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. THE YOSHIKI FOUNDATION AMERICA is a California non-profit, public benefit corporation and has applied to obtain tax-exempt status as a section 501(c)(3) organization. Fans are encouraged to make donations during the party, all of which will be donated to charity.

X JAPAN TO TAKE OVER DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES AND INVITE FANS TO X-PERIENCE A ONE DAY MUSIC VIDEO SHOOT EVENT SPECTACULAR

Mega Super J-Rock Band to Hold Music Video Recording Event the Evening of July 1, 2010 at Club Nokia Immediately Following the Yoshiki Foundation Launch Party

Los Angeles, CA and Tokyo, Japan (June 24, 2010) Fans of X JAPAN, are in for a once in a lifetime treat, will have the opportunity to "X-perience" the power and magic of the legendary J-Rock super-band in the filming of the epic band's upcoming music video at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles at L.A. Live on the evening of July 1, 2010 immediately following the Yoshiki Foundation launch party.

Fans are encouraged to "dress to impress" as the entire band will take over the famous Club Nokia venue and "rock the house"!

Calling X Japan the most successful rock band in Japan is not a statement made lightly. X Japan has sold more than 30-million albums, singles and videos, headlined and sold out Japan's 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome 18 times - so far - and has started playing to tens of thousands of fans outside of Japan. The band's look and sound sparked a global interest in Japanese entertainment, especially with the Japanese cultural rock phenomenon, "Visual-Kei," a movement X Japan pioneered that went on to become a catalyst for today's worldwide Anime craze.

Yoshiki, the band's leader/songwriter/drummer and classically-trained pianist, has been referred to by his first name only throughout his professional career, and is arguably Asia's most influential musical artist and biggest rock icon. According to one industry insider, "Yoshiki is to Japan what Bono is to the UK." The members of X Japan include Yoshiki, Toshi (vocals), Pata (guitarist), Heath (bass), and Sugizo (guitar).

Join Yoshiki (X JAPAN) on July 1, 2010; 8:00 pm ­ 11:00 pm

For more information about this event click on the Yoshiki Foundation banner above or here.

Yoshiki & Sugizo
X JAPAN
Saturday Special Appearance

Otakon is proud to welcome YOSHIKI & SUGIZO of the legendary visual kei rock band X JAPAN. They'll appear during Otakon's Masquerade, where they'll participate in a moderated Q&A session. As a special treat for Otakon members, they'll perform a brief, intimate, acoustic set -- just one week before X JAPAN appears at Lollapalooza in Chicago.

For more information click here.

THIS SUMMER¹S HOTTEST TICKET: X JAPAN TO ROCK LOLLAPALOOZA

Japan's Mega Super Band to Rock the Summer Stage in Chicago August 6-8, 2010
Hollywood, CA and Tokyo, Japan (April 5, 2010)

This summer will sizzle and explode like no other as X JAPAN, one of Japan's most popular and influential bands, takes over the hottest and most anticipated summer music event, Lollapalooza, in the jewel of Chicago, Grant Park.

"We're very excited to have X JAPAN on this year's Lollapalooza", states Marc Geiger, Head of Contemporary Music for William Morris Endeavor, "Japan has known for years how great this band is, and now America is about to find out."

X JAPAN's leader and drummer, Yoshiki, states "Performing at Lollapalooza is a wonderful opportunity for X JAPAN to perform for our U.S. fans, to bring our music to new fans and to debut some of our newest songs."

Complete line-up, tickets and show information are available at www.lollapalooza.com

X Japan leader Yoshiki revealed on Friday that the entire rock group plans to relocate to Los Angeles and hold a concert there as its first official American performance. Yoshiki revealed the plans during the unveiling of his Yoshiki Jewelry brand's new collection in collaboration with Kuwayama.

Guitarist Sugizo made a surprise onstage guest appearance at Friday's event before about 120 invitees, and then Yoshiki made the announcement that all of X Japan will be moving to Los Angeles.

Read the entire article here.

Yoshiki once again confirmed in an interview on the red carpet at the Grammys, that X-Japan will be one of the headliners of the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago, held on August 6th to 8th.

X Japan will be the first japanese arist to play at the main stage at the Lollapalooza festival. There are no official details of this event available yet. For future updates please visit the official Lollapalooze site here.