By Sophie Macaluso
When I knew Japanese Breakfast was going to be my first concert after a 17 month pause on live music, I couldn’t wait to revel in the emotions that made up the past year and a half along with everyone else who went without concerts for months.
Michelle Zauner, the indie rock band’s leading woman, invited the audience to celebrate with dreamy yet rousing opener pop songs like “Paprika” and “Be Sweet.”. Reeling us in with an energetic, warm stage presence that met every expectation I had for what an artist’s first show of a tour back could be, Zauner came down from the energy of her charismatic opening for the orchestral side of the set.
Many songs were live debuts of tracks from Japanese Breakfast’s newest album, Jubilee, which like the show, let grief and triumph coexist.
Released this summer in early June shortly after Zauner’s debut book was published in April, Jubilee and the accompanying memoir Crying in H Mart express these emotions after the passing of Zauner’s mother in 2014. The undeniable power-weight of pain and reflection in “Posing in Bondage” and “Road Head” captivated a full house of fans who were jumping along with Zauner minutes before to “Savage Good Boy,” poking fun at man’s obsession with capitalism and his sex life.
Japanese Breakfast was only The Fillmore Silver Spring’s third event back from over a year without live music. The venue was at full capacity as it would be back in 2019 or early 2020, with lines snaking around the building and fans parked outside the ticketing office waiting to get in and head toward the barricades.
Staff reminded fans that masks were optional, although most wore them once they got inside and were reminded of how intimate a sold-out concert can be.
Closing out, we danced to “Everybody Wants to Love You,” a vibrant, animated classic that everyone could sing along to, and then stood in awe of “Posing for Cars,” another live debut of Jubilee’s loving instrumental side.
Zauner’s ability to spend the night bouncing back and forth between these emotions gave the audience a glimpse into her spirit and creative process, of which it was an honor to share.
Everyone should look out for the next project or medium Michelle Zauner and Japanese Breakfast offer after this tour and be sure to listen to Jubilee in all of its introspection and emotion this summer.
all photos by author Sophie Macaluso