Billboard Live, the latest star venue in Tokyo’s vibrant music scene, opened its doors with a launch party on Friday.
The 330-capacity venue is situated in the Tokyo Midtown project in Roppongi, the Japanese capital’s international sub-center.
Steely Dan is lined-up as the first artist to perform at the Tokyo venue; the act will also help unveil Billboard Live clubs in Osaka (on Aug. 26) and Fukuoka (on Sept. 3).
“Every great artist is going to grace this stage and I think musical history will happen here,” Billboard executive editor Tamara Conniff told guests at today’s launch.
Nielsen Business Media vice president Howard Applebaum presented Hanshin Contents Link president Tsuneaki Miyazaki with an award to celebrate the opening of the club.
“Hanshin will always be No. 1 on the Billboard charts,” Applebaum said.
Miyazaki, who is well-known in Japan as owner of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team in the Osaka region, said it was “an honor to launch this club in Tokyo.”
Conniff described the club as “absolutely beautiful” and admitted getting “emotional” when she first saw the venue, which overlooks the Tokyo skyline from the fourth floor of the Midtown complex.
Following Steely Dan, the club will feature adult-oriented acts such as Larry Carlton, Rickie Lee Jones, Air Supply, Babyface, Sean Lennon and Al Kooper.
