Just over two months ago, I ended up at one of my random shows and became captivated by one of the opening acts.
Japanese Breakfast caught me with their energy. Michelle Zauner, the singer, had a voice that I just couldn’t ignore and a bright personality which made her a stand out performer at that show. During that concert in July, the group switch between being a duo and trio but it was still more than enough and let Michelle really shine in the spotlight. Japanese Breakfast was one of those bands where I had just stumbled into their show in the past and completely fell in love. Their music got added to my daily playlist that night and I looked forward to another chance to see them live, whenever that would be.
That chance was last night.
I was excited to go to the show last night. It has been a couple of days since my last show and I was going through withdrawals. As soon as I walked into The 7th Street Entry, everything felt right again and I felt a wave of energy come over me. I was ready to rock.
The first band to play was Rivergazer. This was just a two piece with vocals, keys, bass, samples, and a computer. Usually this computerized sounding music is enough to make my ears bleed but Rivergazer was unlike any other “computer” band that I’ve ever heard. The vocals sounded like they were straight off of an Owl City record but with background music that was off of an indie-pop record. The music was upbeat and energetic but the vocals were very soft and soothing which made it even out and turn into something quite beautiful. It was the type of music that would be perfect when just having a night in by the fire while you watch the snow fall (can you tell I’m sooooo ready for winter?).
Porches headlined the night. These guys had a very fun 80’s feel to them. The music was upbeat but, much like Rivergazer, the vocals seemed to calm everything out in the best way possible. The two voice of Aaron Maine, singer, and Maya Laner, bassist, came together in perfect harmony and gave me chills. It was so beautiful vocally but so funky musically and, much like Rivergazer, it turned into something that sounded like perfection.
In Between these two great bands was Japanese Breakfast. Last time I saw these guys it wasn’t a full band, they switched between being a duo and trio. When I saw the stage set up for a full band, I got excited.
Japanese Breakfast played their new album, Psychpomp, from front to back which was definitely a treat. I knew I liked these guys and I knew they had a super unique and fun sound but to be able to hear and see them play this in album in it’s entirety definitely raised the bar. None of the songs sounded the same which was refreshing. Each song had a different feeling to it and a different energy. There’s some slow songs, almost ballad like songs, some fast ones, and their signature closing song about falling in love with a robot that has a very electronica feel to it.
I think the variety is why I’m so in love with this band. Going to concerts and hearing the same thing over and over again can get super old no matter how much you like it. Sure, I find some of Japanese Breakfast’s songs a bit too slow and calm for my liking but it’s a nice change of pace and gives me a bit of a rest from all of the booty shaking that typically goes on during their songs. The fact that each song changed the energy in the room is a true testament to just how great this band is. Even if you didn’t know who they were walking into the show last night, you definitely remembered who they were when you woke up this morning.
Last time I saw Japanese Breakfast, the crowd seemed to not really know who they were. Very few people were singing along and people were standing towards the back of the venue instead of up by the stage. Last night the floor was crowded with people singing along to every word of every song.
Stumble into a show tonight and fall in love with a band you’ve never heard of before. Go see them again the next time they come to town. You’ll get this feeling of being a part of the band’s growth and that is one of the best feelings on the planet.
Line Up:
Venue: 7th Street Entry
Sausage Fest Meter- 6 out of 10
Average Age of the Crowd- 21
Crowd Surfers- None
Stage Divers-None
Broken Bones- None
Drunkards Taken Out By Security- None
Celebrity Sightings-None
Overall Score- 6 out of 10
Show on Deck- The Faint/ Gang of Four/ Pictureplane/ DJ Jake Rudh
Leave a Reply