AKB48 for Dummies: Sub-Groups, Concerts, and Events

AKB48 because of their large size have the ability, and almost the obligation, to highlight members.  There has been a number of ways they do that.  I will break down how their theatre performances work and how their concerts are usually set up.  I will talk about AKB48's subgroups.  I will also go through their yearly events like the Top 100 Setlist, General Election, and Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament.  I am also including some further reading links, so if this doesn't cover the topic you are interested in maybe another post will.  I am not going to talk about every single member, but I can recommend another blog who does or to check out AKB48's website and then to look at J-Ongaku or Stage48 for their profiles.  In another post I will summarize their releases and how that tends to work.

Further Reading:
This is a continuation of my first post which focused on the concept, teams, and sister units of AKB48.
If you are interested in seeing and learning more about AKB48.
If you would like to see a point - counter point to common criticisms of AKB48.
If you would like to learn about AKB48's yankee drama Majisuka Gakuen S1 or S2.
If you would like to read about the issue of them being slutty (have you seen Hyuna's Bubble Pop?) or not singing live (which should be updated because they've been performing more with live vocals on music programs).

Stages VS Concerts
Stages is the term used to describe AKB48's small-venue concerts held on a daily basis at their theatre in Akihabara.  Each team performs a different setlist and they perform said setlist for long periods of time.  Here is a list of all past and present stages for AKB48.  They often release a studio recorded version for their stages.  (Notice that both Team K and Team B's first stages are covers of previous stages.)
チームA 1st Stage「Partyが始まるよ」 (Team A 1st Stage "Party ga Hajimaruyo")
チームA 2nd Stage「会いたかった」 (Team A 2nd Stage "Aitakatta")
チームA 3rd Stage「誰かのために」 (Team A 3rd Stage "Dareka no Tame ni")
チームA 4th Stage「ただいま恋愛中」 (Team A 4th Stage "Tadaima Rennaichu")
チームA 5th Stage「恋愛禁止条例」 (Team A 5th Stage "Rennai Kinshi Jourei")
チームA 6th Stage「目撃者」( Team A 6th Stage "Mokugekisha")
チームK 1st Stage「PARTYが始まるよ」 (Team K 1st Stage "Party ga Hajimaruyo")
チームK 2nd Stage「青春ガールズ」 (Team K 2nd Stage "Seishun Girls")
チームK 3rd Stage「脳内パラダイス」 (Team K 3rd Stage "Nounai Paradise")
チームK 4th Stage「最終ベルが鳴る」 (Team K 4th Stage "Saishu Bell ga Naru")
チームK 5th Stage「逆上がり」 (Team K 5th Stage "Sakaagari")
チームK 6th Stage「RESET」(Team K 6th Stage "RESET")
チームB 1st Stage「青春ガールズ」 (Team B 1st Stage "Seishun Girls")
チームB 2nd Stage「会いたかった」 (Team B 2nd Stage "Aitakatta")
チームB 3rd Stage「パジャマドライブ」 (Team B 3rd Stage "Pajama Drive")
チームB 4th Stage「アイドルの夜明け」 (Team B 4th Stage "Idol no Yoake")
チームB 5th Stage「シアターの女神」 (Team B 5th Stage "Theater no Megami")
ひまわり組 1st Stage「僕の太陽」(Himawarigumi 1st Stage "Bokuno Taiyou")
ひまわり組 2nd Stage「夢を死なせるわけにいかない」 (Himawarigumi 2nd Stage "Yume wo Shinaseru Wakeniwa Ikanai")

Stages can be usually broken down into four sections.  They first perform some group songs, then they'll perform in units, then return to performing as a team, and then they follow up with an encore.  Stage units are mostly performed in the middle of the concert.  The members of the team are broken up into smaller groups referred to as units.  This can range from solos or as many as five or more members performing together.  Fans say that before the team shuffle units were formed based on talent, but afterwards they focus on the popular members.  These units are often shuffled during concerts.

AKB48 tours and performs at larger venues as well.  They tend to have a tour during the summer where they perform their stages, as separate teams.  However, before the start of their tour or at different times of the year they perform at arenas or dome venues.  These concerts are limited to a three day or less period where they perform three concerts all together.  Their sister units often join them.  Each concert within the three has a different setlist which sometimes has a theme.  For example, at the Yokohama Arena the first concert they performed with the original teams, the next one featured the new teams, and the final concert saw the girls dressed as their characters from Majisuka Gakuen.

Shuffles is a section of AKB48's large scale concerts where they take stage units and change the members performing it.  This provides an opportunity to see various members (of different teams) perform together which doesn't happen much unless they are a substitute during a stage or in the case of singles.  These shuffles are most often only performed once.  It seems that shuffles tend to be performed by the more popular members of AKB48.  Other sections that are usually included in these concerts are single sections, team songs, and an encore.  Encores are often newly released singles or a couple of preferred tracks performed by all of AKB48 and possibly the sister groups as well.

Sub-Groups
There are multiple kinds of sub-groups when it comes to AKB48: stand-alone units, derivation units, and B-side units.  Derivation units are groups formed only to release one single often to promote a product or for a special occasion.  Then there are B-side units which are groups of members that are included in the B-sides.  Undergirls is the only subgroup of this type to be included in not all, almost all, of their singles.

The Undergirls is a group that is made up of members who are either selected by producers for the B-side song and are often cute, pretty popular, and young or are ranked from 22 to 40 in the General Election.  The Undergirls are quite popular among hardcore fans and usually perform upbeat, idol-type songs.  The B-sides are sometimes more popular than the title track.  For example, RIVER was voted lower in the Top 100 than the Undergirls' B-side song.

Active Long-Term Subgroups (stand-alone units)
No Sleeves (Minami Takahashi, Haruna Kojima, Minami Minegishi)
Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 (Mayu Watanabe, Aika Ota, Natsumi Hirajima, Haruka Nakagawa, Ayaka Kikuchi, Misaki Iwasa, Mika Komori)
DiVA (Ayaka Umeda, Yuka Masuda, Sayaka Akimoto, Sae Miyazawa)
Not Yet (Yuko Oshima, Rie Kitahara, Rino Sashihara, Yui Yokoyama)
French Kiss (Yuki Kashiwagi, Asuka Kuramochi, Aki Takajo)

Yearly Events
AKB48 has a variety of annual traditions to promote the group and as a bit of fan service.  The following events rank AKB48 or their music.

The Top 100 Setlist
 Included in one single a year is a ballot with a code to vote online/ over your phone for your favorite song from their entire catalog.  This has expanded to include their sister groups as well.  (SKE48 did have their own Top 30 concert.)  They perform the top one hundred most popular songs over the course of four concerts in January.

General (Senbatsu) Election
Unlike the Top 100 Setlist concerts the General Election not only has ballots included in a single, but multiple ways to vote.  Fans vote for individual members from AKB48, SKE48, and NMB48 (including all their trainees) to be included in the upcoming AKB48 single.  The day after the single that includes the ballot is released preliminary results are revealed.  The highest ranked 21 members are included in the title track, while the 22nd to 40th idols participate in the Undergirls' B-side.

Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament
After the single whose members were decided by the Senbatsu Election there is another single where the members are determined by a rock-paper-scissors tournament.  NMB48 and SKE48 also participate, but they have to go through preliminary rounds.