Free Event exPoP!!!!! in March to Feature Misaki Umei, Daito Yamamoto, Suna no Kabe, and tiny-yang-yang

NiEW has announced that exPoP!!!!! Vol.171, a free-entry music event, will take place on Friday, March 28, at Spotify O-nest in Shibuya, Tokyo. The event is sponsored by the artist support platform bazoo and will feature performances by four talented acts: Misaki Umei, Daito Yamamoto, Suna no Kabe, and tiny-yang-yang.

Misaki Umei, a pianist and composer from Hyogo Prefecture, will take the stage. Born in 2002, Umei debuted at Blue Note Tokyo at the age of 16 after winning an audition for the 2018 Blue Giant Nights, which featured prominent musicians such as Hiromi Uehara, Kazunori Kumagai, and Kendrick Scott. In 2021, she released an album with her trio, Misaki Umei Trio, and began a solo project in 2023. Umei is also known for her collaborative work in the units haruyoi with Saki Kanno and °pbdb with Fuki Kitamura, making waves as a rising jazz talent.

Daito Yamamoto, a singer-songwriter from Fukuoka, is known for arranging and mixing all of his own music. He has been featured on J-WAVE’s SONAR TRAX and has charted in the TOKIO HOT 100. His tracks have also been featured in Spotify’s RADER: Early Noise and Amazon Music’s BREAKTHROUGH JAPAN. In November 2024, Yamamoto held his first solo concert with a full band in Tokyo’s Shibuya at GRIT. His unique, free-spirited voice and melodic sense are well-known for creating vivid emotional landscapes.

The band Suna no Kabe, made up of Oba (vocals/guitar), Aoki (keyboard), Mao (bass/chorus), and Omi (drums), will also perform. The group, which was formed in Tokyo after meeting at a university in Kobe, blends elements of folk, rock, and pop music. They have released two EPs: GUMBO (2023) and For Urban Drifting (2024). On May 2, 2025, Suna no Kabe will hold their first solo concert, “All About Urban Drifting” Vol.1, at Shindaita FEVER in Tokyo.

Lastly, tiny-yang-yang, the solo project of Mochiko from the band Mash to Anemone, will perform as part of the bazoo pick-up slot. Mochiko, who handles all aspects of songwriting, composition, and arrangement, won both the 2018 Unidentified Festival and RO JACK. Tiny-yang-yang’s music is based on expressing things that are difficult to say through song, inspired by Mochiko’s cat “Yan Yan,” whose unique way of communicating through its cries is a central theme. The project’s debut mini-album, piece of cake, was released in December 2024.

exPoP!!!!! Vol.171 tickets are available for reservation through the official website, with a two-drink minimum required. Additionally, the event will be streamed live on YouTube.