An important moment in the life of any music fan comes when they go to a festival they've been attending for several years and think — "Man, am I old?"
For me, at 28, the 2015 edition of Summer Sonic marked this milestone (which came a bit early, if you ask me). Held on Aug. 15 and 16 in Chiba (Tokyo) and Osaka simultaneously, the punters filling Chiba's QVC Marine Field and the Makuhari Messe convention center skewed young. It was appropriate, since Summer Sonic was highlighted by Top 40 pop stars from overseas and EDM (electronic dance music) acts — both genres that target younger listeners.
Which isn't to say older customers were left to stare blankly at a sea of shirtless dudes bouncing around to EDM remixes of Maroon 5 tracks. Summer Sonic has always made the effort to be everything to everyone. This year's lineup, like the 15 before it, appealed to as many types of music fans as possible. It's easy to scoff at the acts you don't like on the roster, but it's also pretty simple to string together a good day.
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