By Stefny! At the Disco
Japanese Breakfast kicked off her Melancholy tour on Wednesday, April 23, at Austin’s Moody Theater at ACL Live. Her new album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), was released about a month earlier and comprises most of the setlist.
But before I get into Japanese Breakfast, I’d like to touch on the opener, Ginger Root.
I saw Ginger Root at Emo’s back in October, and it was one of the most entertaining shows I’ve been to. Period.
Ginger Root is not only a musical act but a performance art piece, combining music with pre-recorded videos and live camera work. In fact, I think the camcorder guy is my favourite member of this band! This opening set was just as exciting and, while not telling the whole Shinbangumi story, still showcased the main ideas and multimedia artistry of the band.
While I had seen Ginger Root before, I had not seen Japanese Breakfast. I’ve been listening to her for years and own a copy of “Crying in H Mart,” Michelle’s lauded autobiography, but this was my first time with the live experience.
The set was adorable, featuring a giant clamshell in the center that Michelle periodically sang from and danced around in, and some blue wave set pieces on the sides that reminded me a lot of the base of my Sky Dancer I had when I was a kid.
From a technical standpoint, you could definitely tell that this was the first night of tour. Timing wasn’t as tight as it should’ve been and there were some long, awkward pauses that, while they could’ve been planned, did not seem like they were.
Overall though, the band was very cohesive and obviously love being and playing together. Michelle has the voice of an angel and it is just as resonant and ethereal live as it is on the record. I was absolutely obsessed with her outfit and impressed with her athleticism.
I think my favourite part of the set though was when they brought out the giant light-up gong during the encore.
Okay, I’m gonna go listen to this whole album on repeat now bye.