Mori Calliope rocked a sold-out Hollywood Palladium (review)
"I brought a bunch of songs here to harvest your soul," stated Vtuber Mori Calliope in front of a sold-out crowd at Hollywood Palladium on Wednesday. This was the artist's second live show, and she chose to deliver their first-ever concert in North America in Los Angeles. Before the show, a plethora of folks lined up to grab glow sticks so they illuminated the pit for the concert, which was also being livestreamed for fans worldwide (streaming tickets are still live through March 26 here).
For the average person, the concept of a Vtuber might be puzzling at first. Inspired by the success of Hatsune Miku, the Vtuber world takes things a bit further than the beloved Vocaloid-turned-virtual idol. While Miku exists mainly as music software who performs live as a hologram, there's an actual person behind each Vtuber singing songs and interacting with the community. Since 2020, Calliope has deliver a plethora of tunes for fans, including her latest studio album Phantomime.
Calliope kicked off her two-hour set with the electric "MERA MERA," which found the artist stating, "Mori's in the building, so you know you're already dead" as thousands in attendance bounced around the floor. The following track "Miraijima ~future island~" found a group of skeletons dancing alongside the artist. The sold-out show was in jeopardy following the fires in Los Angeles back in January. Calliope was concerned about keeping the concert going, but she chose to keep it alive to give folks a chance to take their mind off things for a minute.
While Calliope has a slew of pop jams in her catalog, the artist brought her rock side out with the nu-metal-tinged "Cult Following." With her bass in hand, the artist delivered some sinister bass lines alongside the live band on stage. Calliope continued her rock journey with the songs "SNEAKING - revenge" and "six feet under." Towards the end of her set, Calliope delivered another shift in styles with softer tunes "Last Days," "Skeletons," and "through the blue."
Much like any other pop artist, Calliope delivered a handful of costume changes during her set, which was instant thanks to the technology at hand. Technology also made it possible for Calliope to merge with the live audience; in certain camera angles, Calliope can be seen dancing and singing in front of everyone in attendance.
With the ability to perform in both English and Japanese, Calliope was torn between embracing her English fans by doing more English tunes or unveiling more J-pop material for her Japanese audience. Fortunately for fans of both styles of music, the artist told the crowd she would continue singing in both English and Japanese as a way to showcase her real musical identity.
Calliope has found fame online with millions of followers, but things could've taken a different turn. Prior to her solo music career, the artist auditioned for an idol group during their final year of eligibility. While she didn't get into the group, Calliope decided to do things her way through being a Vtuber. With the help of modern technology, Calliope can now entertain fans, both online and in-person, for as long as she wants. "Thanks to Hololive, I can be an idol forever," stated the artist.
Mori Calliope setlist
MERA MERA
Miraijima ~future island~
Yona Yona Journey
NEZUMI Scheme
FLASH BANG
Make 'Em Afraid
Cult Following
SNEAKING - revenge
six feet under
DONMAI
Wanted, Wasted
Overkill
Last Days
skeletons
through the blue
Taste of Death
Tide
Go-Getters
Encore:
Scuffed Up Age
glass slipper
Black Sheep
Left For Dead Lullaby