Photos: Hanabie. & Kim Dracula bring electrifying co-headlining tour to Chicago

Kim Dracula performs at the House of Blues in Chicago on March 11, 2025.

By Alexandra Geshel

What an electrifying co-headlining tour Hanabie and Kim Dracula are bringing this spring! For those who may not know who either of these bands or only know of one of them, let me help by shedding some light on who they are and why you would wanna see them! First up is Hanabie, a Japanese metalcore band from Tokyo that plays metal music but dresses very Harajuku core, which is such a fun clash of differences but works so well simultaneously! Kim Dracula is an Australian artist who is an alternative/indie music artist who is also very gothy, I would say!

Hanabie went on first for this tour date stop in Chicago, and this is my 2nd time catching them. My first time was at Lollapalooza in 2024, and I knew immediately after one song that I would wanna cover them again because they were insane in the best way possible! Not only did the outfits they had on get me so curious, but watching them perform on the main stage in the early afternoon while still bringing in a big crowd that was moshing and crowd surfing, I knew this band was going to become something! About seven months later, this band is still bringing the energy, the cuteness, and the talent to the House of Blues stage, and the crowd is not only screaming the songs but also doing a lot of crowd surfing. Hanabie’s stage presence is unlike any other metal band’s set I have seen before because these girls just look so cute, but the screaming parts are insane to watch. So much talent between all 4 members, and I am so excited to see where they go next in the music industry.

Hanabie. performs at the House of Blues in Chicago on March 11, 2025.

Kim Dracula closed out the night and is another artist I caught back in 2023 when they were opening for Avenge Sevenfold, so I knew I wanted to recapture them, and I am so happy I did because their set was amazing! Now, Kim has a little audio recording playing over the venue speaker asking the crowd to part down the center because Kim has “Private Security” escorting him down the center and to the side with a blanket over him to mimic a president or a leader of some kind. 30 seconds later, he is on the stage in a military-like uniform with a missile as his mic stand, which is so unique, and I just love how much he plays into the character this tour! It made fans feel like they were a part of this “national emergency” with him. Overall, Kim Dracula has come a long way, and I love seeing every little attention to detail in their stage presence.

Overall, this co-headlining tour was insane but in the best way possible. Just like so many fans in attendance, I had so much fun, and I hope to see both of these artists again! From them both having insane energy on stage to also just having fun with the outfits. Both of these artists know how to get a crowd jumping and excited, even on an early Tuesday night. If you know both artists or neither, I still suggest checking them out because if you are into either metalcore or alternative, you will have so much fun! 10 out of 10 show!

(Photos and recap by Alexandra Geshel)