[by Aaron Saenz]

Excerpt:

July 2nd, 2011: the day a software program became an internationally touring pop sensation. Hatsune Miku gave a blowout concert at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles this weekend as part of Anime Expo 2011. The concert was only Miku’s third live performance, and the first given outside of Japan. Around 6000 fans were in attendance with many thousands more watching the show streaming via pay per view on Nico Nico Douga (Japan’s version of YouTube). Check out clips from the show in the videos below! Waving glow sticks and screaming along with the music, the LA fans, many still in costume from their time at the Anime Expo, blew me away. This was one of the most fun and entertaining concerts I’ve ever been to mainly thanks to the crowd’s infectious energy. The music was excellent, there were surprise guest stars, and a five minute chanting session from the house encouraged Miku to do an extensive encore. For fans of J-Pop the night was a dream come true. Why is a teen pop idol touring LA such big news? Well, despite her immense talent, her exhaustive song book, and her legions of fans, Hatsune Miku isn’t human. This anime singing princess is a virtual creation, a fictional character…and a very real pop star.

…..

And Now A Discussion on Ghosts

If you’ve heard about Miku before, and we’ve certainly discussed her as often as possible, you’ve probably seen how life-like her cartoon projection seems in the official DVD/Blu-Ray videos of these concerts. While not a real hologram, the presentation can be incredibly believable, with movements so smooth you’d swear she was right there on stage. Yet her virtual nature allows her to change clothes between every song (sometimes during songs), disappear in sparks, and sing lyrics too fast for even the most masterful of divas.

….

What struck me most about Miku’s projection is that it was very angle dependent. If she was on your side of the stage she was clear as day, but when she was far away you could see right through her. Such is the problem with rear projection on a transparent screen. Every concert, Miku’s team has experimented with a new variation of the display system, trying to find the best solution for showing her to the crowd. In the videos above, you’ll notice that large sections of the lower theater were left empty, that’s because the audience was channeled into the center line where Miku would tend to appear clearest. The press and industry members were sat towards the outside edges as well, so that the true fans would have the best views of Miku on stage. You’ll also notice the ample use of two huge screens to show Miku in the high quality image captured by the official camera crew (the concert will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray later this year). What this all adds up to is the sad truth that Hatsune Miku may be a professional pop star, but only an amateur looking ‘hologram’.

See the full story here: http://singularityhub.com/2011/07/07/japans-virtual-popstar-hatsune-miku-rocks-los-angeles/