As the days were counting down to July 21, 2021, I was getting increasingly nervous and filled with emotions. Anticipation, excitement, anxiety, uncertainty, and some emotions I don’t know how to describe. Japanese Breakfast was kicking off their first tour for the first time since COVID-19 erupted. I, and the entire sold-out Fillmore in Silver Spring, was also about to attend our first concert in over a year!
Upon arriving there were people lined up around the block and then some. You could see people walking by on the sidewalk who weren’t attending, amazed that there was a concert taking place. Everyone, including myself and the staff, felt it too, it was palpable. We entered the venue, and I was overcome with emotion. The entire floor was packed with people. Being surrounded by people again with no stipulations, no plastic barriers, no 6 feet apart. Just a room full of strangers gathered to share their love for a band.
It seemed like we were all complicit in some underground speakeasy of live music. Not much time had passed before the show began with Mannequin Pussy, an indie punk outfit hailing from Philadelphia. They blew the entire roof off the building and had the entire room moshing, even towards the back! They performed the bulk of their latest EP, Perfect, while also mixing in a lot of songs from their previous albums. The highlight of their set was when lead singer, Marisa Dabice, led the entire crowd in a collective scream to release the pent-up energy, anger, and frustration from the past year and a half. It was one of the most liberating feelings I’ve ever felt.
With the crowd amped and ready to take on any obstacle in the world, it was time for Japanese Breakfast to soothe us to tears. Michelle and the band hit the stage and immediately hit us with Jubilance, literally. Songs like “Be Sweet” and “Road Head” put everyone in a trance with the blend of beautiful lead and harmony voices, angelic synths, and foot stomping bass lines reminiscent of 70’s funk/soul. “Kokomo, IN” and “Posing For Cars” were highlights of her songwriting talents. All of her songs are well written and showcase her heritage of her experience as a South Korean woman in America.
She played the majority of her latest album, Jubilee, and mixed in fan favorites from “Soft Sounds From Another Planet” and “Pyschopomp”. By the end of the night, I was in a trance that felt completely new to me. It was like I went to my first concert ever again. It felt extra special to have experienced a similar feeling with both bands as they both teared up on stage along with the audience. Japanese Breakfast and Mannequin Pussy are touring together until August 8th where they have three sold out nights at Union Transfer in their hometown, Philadelphia. Japanese Breakfast will be touring until mid-November with a host of other bands including, Bright Eyes and Spirit of the Beehive.
