X Japan Founder Yoshiki To Perform At SXSW 2016 After Premiere of Documentary Film ‘We Are X’

Japanese metal band X Japan has announced that the group’s award-winning documentary, We Are X, has been accepted to the 2016 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. The documentary will have three separate screenings, with the last followed up with a performance by X Japan co-founder Yoshiki.

The screenings will be included in SXSW Film Festival’s “24 Beats Per Second,” which showcases the “sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians with an emphasis on documentary.” The film has been highly successful since its release, winning the Special Jury Award for “Best Editing”at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival Awards and receiving broad critical acclaim during its six screenings at the world-famous film festival. We Are X explores the past, present and future of the iconic rock band X Japan. It covers the group’s beginning over 30 years ago, the tragic break-up and eventual reunion,  and the profound impact they have had on the music scene.

The three We Are X screenings will take place over a week-long period in mid-March and will be open to music and film badges at SXSW. In particular, the final screening on March 18th will be quite the treat. Immediately following the film, X Japan powerhouse Yoshiki will be performing classical versions of the group’s songs with a string quartet on stage. This performance is considered a separate event from the film screenings and requires tickets, which can be purchased in advance here or at the Paramount Theatre box office.

X Japan is one of Japan’s most iconic rock bands. Formed in the early 1980s, they took the world by storm with their unique form of glam rock, selling millions of albums and performing all over the world. The group split in 1997, but later reformed in 2007 and have since released multiple new singles: They have also been touring worldwide ever since, and in 2014 played their debut show at Madison Square Garden in New York before announcing the new album and ‘WE ARE X‘ film releases. The group is currently recording their new album, scheduled for release later this year.

See below for the time, date and venue for each We Are X screening. All are open to music and film badges. Buy tickets for Yoshiki’s live performance here.

Friday, March 11th at 6:30 PM                                                       Satellite Venue: Marchesa (6226 Middle Fiskville Rd.)
Wednesday, March 16th at 10:45 AM                                                            Topfer Theatre at Zach (1510 Toomey Rd.)
Friday, March 18th at 5:30 PM                                                                                 Paramount Theatre (713 Congress Ave.)