Miss Niseko World and Mr Niseko World Performance

There is a popular club in the Niseko area called POWDER ROOM NISEKO. And because the Niseko area is a small town, some of the owners and the manager have seen me perform at the Park Hyatt Niseko. So this year they asked me to be a guest performer for both events which are in the same week but on different days. Usually I would say no to external events outside of my contract due to time constraints: I perform six nights a week and usually events are during the time I perform anyways. But it so happens that these events were later in the evening, so they wouldn’t interfere with my usual contractual obligations at the Park Hyatt. So on Saturday March 2, 2024 after I was finished performing my usual set at the Park Hyatt, I packed up all of my music gear: pedalboard, guitar, violin and all of the necessary cables and I got picked up by an employee and driven to the Powder Room which is about a 20 minute drive away from the hotel. As soon as I walked in the door, there was a sound of loud music, and a crowd big enough that I couldn’t see exactly what was happening. I was able to shift in-between enough heads in the crowd to see that there was a young lady doing a dance and then that evolved into a calligraphy routine with a big paintbrush and paper on the ground. There was the sounds of cheering and clapping all around. Miss Niseko World is a beauty pageant that is meant to promote Niseko to other parts of the world. The winner of the pageant receives a 300,000 JPY ($2000 USD) cash prize, and some hotel stays and other benefits. They are judged based on three criteria: a ski-wear fashion show, a national costume, and a personal interview. I arrived just as they were starting the national costume section. I waited until the other contestants were finished, and then it was my turn to perform.

Setting up my equipment with this many people right in the middle of the “stage” proved to be quite difficult as people kept on walking by and bumping into me. At one point my guitar got bumped off my shoulder and fell to the ground (this is part of the reason I travel with a carbon fiber guitar), but needless to say, I had to retune the guitar. There was also the technical side of being a live performer that most people don’t realize. In a venue with a lot of ambient noise (big ceilings, people talking, etc.) there can be a delay of sound from what I am playing and how long it takes for that sound to come out of the speakers. I didn’t have a proper monitoring system to compensate for the delay this time, but I was able to make it through the songs without too much of an issue. But it reminded me to be prepared the next time. I got some good applause when I finished, and I quickly packed up my gear, and the competition went into its conclusion. I was able to slip out and get a ride back to the hotel soon after (I didn’t stay for the afterparty).

Mr Niseko was a similar format a few days later on Wednesday March 6, 2024. I was picked up from the Park Hyatt Niseko and driven to the Powder Room, except when I entered the building this time I could see a half naked man doing a dance around a woman sitting on a chair in the middle of the dance floor (imagine an amateur Magic Mike performance). There was loud music, cheering, and a spotlight that kept your eyes focused on the action. I waited until it was my turn to perform, and this time setup was a little easier, and I also brought my in-ear monitors (fancy ear buds) so I could alleviate the delay issue I had from a few nights before. It was a fun night as I performed Billie Jean, Get Lucky, and a few raps songs for this younger crowd. After my performance I was able to pack up pretty quickly, and escape again back to the hotel without a single drop of alcohol, even though I was offered some. These days I felt like I can add to the energy of the room, but I don’t need to get sucked into it. Check out what the room looks like from my point of view.