Kim Dracula and Hanabie Sell Out Co-headliner at Anaheim's House of Blues

Kim Dracula and Hanabie sell out Anaheim House of Blues on their Spring co-headlining North American tour hitting Anaheim on Saturday, April 5th 2025. The evening is stacked full of metalcore rage with special guests Kaonashi ripping in from Philadelphia and Crystal Lake from Tokyo, and a crowd more than amped all the way through.

After releasing their new EP, Bucchigiri Tokyo, last December, Japanese Harajuku-core group Hanabie mix some of their fun new tracks onto the set list such as their vibrant opener, “OTAKU Lovely Densetsu,” “Bucchigiri Tokyo,” “Meta-moru-phose!,” “GAMBLER,” and one of their music video accompanied hits, “Ito Okashi MyType.”

The band built a dramatic entrance with each member coming out solo for an applause center stage before taking their place, building the excitement for front-singer, Yukina’s appearance last. Much like the artists, Anaheim brought their flair. The audience came dressed in fun, popping colors, fuzzy jackets and Harajuku-styled outfits along with the typical black drab you would see at a metalcore function. Eclectic and upbeat with an unadulterated heavy charm, Hanabie is an act not to be missed. Songs were vibrant and rich, the set had an unpredictable thrill to it and the crowd had an undeniable blast by singing along, moshing, and crowdsurfing over the barricade by the numbers.

Alt-metal artist, Kim Dracula, follows as the second headliner for the night. They also take stage through a dramatic entrance establishing a strong theatrical element to the production immediately. With the crowd being parted down the middle, and pre-recorded voices on the speakers pulling us into a narrative of a diabolical plot occurring, we become immediately immersed. Kim takes the stage to a roaring audience and the thrill of their every move and every dynamic vocal change captivates us. Dressed in a soldier outfit with a stage dressed in both industrialism and self-branded patriotism, it’s clear we’re in a satire. Kim’s songs and lyrics only further clarify the satirical take on pop-culture, celebrity idolism, and America’s unhealthy obsession with fame. As a newer fan of this artist and their genre-dying, metal, alt, trap, latin, jazz fused catalogue, I certainly appreciate the humor and creativity they bring to the table, and especially love the way they seamlessly blend known references, sounds and visuals together into an ultra self-referential mapbook of us.

Kim’s set incorporated many of their most loved songs from their 2023 debut album, A Gradual Decline in Morale, including their opening banger, “Land of the Sun,” along with other favorites, “Superhero,” “Drown,” “Undercover,” “Are You?,” “Divine Retribution,” “Reunion and Reintegration,” “Rosé,” “Luck Is a Fine Thing (Give It a Chance),” “Seventy Thorns,” “Industry Secrets,” as well as one of their most-renowned hit singles, “Make Me Famous.”

The set also included Kim’s ultra-famous Lady Gaga cover of “Paparazzi” which was originally released on TikTok in November 2020 to viral success catapulting Kim Dracula into the mainstream music world. The Anaheim audience, although eager and enthusiastic through all of the set, was especially amped for this one. With interesting, bizarre, comical, sharp-witted and exaggerated tones, an endlessly changing sonic style, and some of the most unique and original metalcore tracks I have yet heard, Kim Dracula successfully seized and conquered our senses, our imaginations, and rang aloud as one of the most stand-out performers of this new era.

With only a few shows left on this run, be sure to catch Hanabie and Kim Dracula if you can! The tour heads north to Seattle, WA, Portland, OR and is set to finish in Sacramento, CA on April 12th.