I Just Saw Japanese Breakfast Give An Electrifying Performance At Radio City Music Hall

Ichiko Aoba’s opening performance was also spellbinding

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Japanese Breakfast (left) and Ichiko Aoba (right) | Courtesy of the author

Japanese Breakfast and Ichiko Aoba shined in Radio City Music Hall last week. I’ve been writing about both prolific artists for years now. In 2021, I awarded Aoba with my Live Album of the Year award here. The same year, I gave Japanese Breakfast’s album Jubilee my July Album of the Month crown. Never in a million years did I expect to see them together. When I heard about the show, I knew it would be a moment I would remember for the rest of my life.

The last time I saw Japanese Breakfast, I was in the band’s hometown of Philadelphia. They had a small and lowkey set made in America. Their music was neither small nor lowkey, but the crowd was. I remember laying my arms at the bottom of the stage because that was the most practical place to stand. There was barely anyone there. Zauner and I would make eye contact from time to time and sing some of the words to their hits from Psychopomp and Soft Sounds. I loved the band’s emotional intelligence and ability to break through walls of grief without sounding too sad or depressive. The music was about coming through the other side, alright.

The band’s Radio City Music Hall performance is significant for two reasons. For one, it signaled the end of their glorious two-year-long tour for Jubilee. Second, it was their biggest show in New York.

In this piece, I’ll take you through my dazzling concert experience. :)

Courtesy of the author

A Disaffected Classic Rock Fan

When I first entered Radio City Music Hall, I noticed the long lines. There were loads of people packed around the merch and concession tables like ants around a popsicle that fell on the ground. I was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to find my seat. I paid a lot to get up close and personal with both artists. These musicians were two of my favorites in the last five years, so I had to seize the moment.