Koshi Inaba News

Koshi Inaba & Stevie Salas have just wrapped up two shows in Japan with their double showing at SUMMER SONIC 2017. The pair of shows took place on August 19 and 20 in Osaka and Tokyo respectively with the performances being a truncated rendition of their CHUBBY GROOVE TOUR 2017.

The full setlist is preserved below:

INABA/SALAS at SUMMER SONIC 2017
[August 19 & 20, 2017]

1. SAYONARA RIVER
2. Kunou no Hate no Sore mo Kotae no Hitotsu
3. Shoumen Shoutotsu
4. WABISABI
5. OVERDRIVE
6. MARIE
7. AISHI-AISARE
8. TROPHY (Only for 8.20)

The pair are not finished yet, however: they will play a special triple-billing with MIYAVI and Made in Asia on August 23 and then head for what is presumed to be their final CHUBBY GROOVE promotion: SUMMER SONIC SHANGHAI 2017.

Koshi Inaba News

The international show teased by Stevie Salas back in June has finally been confirmed. On August 26, Koshi Inaba and Salas will play what could be the final date in support of their collaborative album CHUBBY GROOVE with a stop in Shanghai! The showing was favored as the foremost contender for the international show given that INABA/SALAS will already be performing at SUMMER SONIC in Tokyo and Osaka the previous week. The duo will appear alongside Japanese visual kei act Luna Sea and Scottish rock outfit The Fratellis on the Marine Stage in the event’s inaugural performances.

This is Koshi’s first international performance since B’z LIVE-GYM 2012 -Into Free- wrapped in Los Angeles five years ago. This is not his first time performing outside of Japan in Asia, however: in 2001, B’z performed in both Hong Kong and Taipei. B’z LIVE-GYM in Taipei & Hong Kong 2001 lasted for one date each in both, with the setlist essentially making it an honorary Pleasure LIVE-GYM.

Koshi Inaba News

Koshi Inaba and Stevie Salas will reform their CHUBBY GROOVE band for a few limited engagements this fall amidst Koshi’s B’z commitments. First, they will appear at SUMMER SONIC 2017 on August 19th and August 20th, performing with the Foo Fighters, All Time Low, Man with a Mission, and Royal Blood on both dates in Osaka and Tokyo, respectively.

Days later, the band will team with visual kei artist Miyavi and rock outfit Made in Asia for a special event at Toyosu PIT in Tokyo. Made in Asia is a band whose roster includes Duran, who has appeared with Koshi on his solo tours in 2014 and 2016.

The return of INABA/SALAS has been teased by Salas on numerous occasions on social media, and if recent posts are any indication, there could be something more on the horizon as well:

“Tonight we announced 4 HUGE rock concerts coming in August INABA SALAS on stage with some bands like the Black Eye Peas and The Foo Fighters will rock in August in Japan AND…????? Stay tuned! I live for the big shows…100 thousand plus suites me fine.”

The fourth show mentioned by Salas has not been officially confirmed but, if occurring, would be expected to take place in August or September as well.

UPDATE: Stevie Salas has clarified his post and confirmed that another date is coming soon, and that it will be in a country outside of Japan:

3 concerts in Japan in August plus another country added sooooon??!!BUT I can’t say where just yet

Koshi Inaba News

The program guide for WOWOW’s WOWOW Prime channel shows that the Zepp Tokyo show of INABA/SALAS’ tour “CHUBBY GROOVE TOUR 2017” is going to be broadcast on WOWOW Prime on March 25th from 8PM to 10PM. It’ll likely include the full show as the program runs for two hours.

The duo will wrap up their tour tomorrow, Feburary 20th, at the Diamond Hall in Nagoya.

Source: WOWOW Program Guide

Koshi Inaba News

For those that prefer their music digitally or simply missed the physical release in Japan, INABA/SALAS’s CHUBBY GROOVE is now available worldwide on iTunes! The U.S. edition is $1.29 per track or $15.48 for the entire album though the album should be purchasable in any country. The duo are currently in the midst of their joint live outing CHUBBY GROOVE TOUR 2017 which concludes later this month on February 20.

Koshi Inaba News

Koshi Inaba and Stevie Salas have kicked off their tour “CHUBBY GROOVE Tour 2017” in support of their recently released collaborative album CHUBBY GROOVE on January 25. The set list constists of seventeen tracks, with “SAYONARA RIVER” being the opener to the show. All tracks off the CHUBBY GROOVE record have been performed live, in addition to Koshi Inaba solo tracks “My Mirai“, “Hazumu Sekai” and “Shoumen Shoutotsu“.

Furthermore, the band has covered Davied Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” live on stage as well as performed a cover of The Clash’s “Police on My Back“, which is found on Stevie Salas’ cover album JAM POWER released in 2010.

To date, the band has also done two shows in Osaka at the Zepp Namba with the same set list. Their next show is on January 30th at the Zepp Sapporo in Sapporo.

Check out the full set list and additional information on the tour on the B’z Wiki!