Japan's DIR EN GREY Sell Out Dates In New York, Los Angeles

According to DIR EN GREY's record label, Warcon Enterprises, the Japanese band have sold 750 tickets for their March 21 show at the Avalon in New York City and 2,011 tickets for their March 23 concert at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre, making their first two U.S. performances complete sellouts.

Entitled "Withering to Death", DIR EN GREY's CD will be released in the U.S. on May 16. Bob Chiappardi, president of Warcon, says the buzz surrounding the shows and the CD release is like nothing he has ever seen.

"Considering that band hasn't even released their first CD here in the States, the response that DIR EN GREY is receiving from the American public is overwhelming," said Chiappardi. "And it's not just the Asian population that is gravitating toward them; it's everyone — from average teenage girls to your typical punk kids — that are showing support for the band."

DIR EN GREY has long been a powerful force within the Japanese rock scene, releasing five albums (including "Withering to Death") and touring continuously since forming in 1997.

Hailed as one of the best live performers in the world, the band has perfected the art of "visual-kei," which focuses on the aesthetic aspect of the stage show, giving each performance a visceral effect that is surpassed by none in the industry today. The band plans to bring their visually-stimulating show to the U.S. this March when they kick off their American dates at this year's SXSW Festival and at the New York and L.A. dates.

"We are also very thankful for this chance," said DIR EN GREY in a statement. "No Japanese artist has actually succeeded in penetrating the U.S. market, so we can't even begin to imagine how it will be for us. However, with faith in ourselves as artists, we will do our best, and hopefully we will achieve things far better than just success."