Last Tuesday, shackled by the chains of a head cold, I ventured over (masked, of course) to the Palace Theatre in St. Paul to see Japanese Breakfast, the creative project of lead singer (ironically Korean) Michelle Zauner.
Japanese Breakfast, illness and I have a complicated history together: In 2021, “Jubilee,” Japanese Breakfast’s sophomore album, had just been released, and they slated a show in my hometown of Omaha, Neb. I waited eagerly for tickets to drop, but unfortunately, I caught a stomach bug and was down for the count during the week tickets were still available. The show sold out quickly, and alas, I missed my chance to hear one of my favorite albums in person. So, when they announced a tour for their most recent album, “For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women),” I knew I couldn’t miss my chance.
Although it’s easy to shove them into a box of a mainstream indie dreampop audience, Japanese Breakfast has universal appeal. I went with two friends, both straight men who you wouldn’t pin as fans on first glance. Even my older brother, who refuses to listen to anything but abstract hip-hop, texted me with increasing jealousy when I told him I was able to snag tickets. This kind of reach was reflected in the crowd: old, young, friends, singles, couples where the boyfriend was clearly dragged along, short and very tall right in front of me.
The crowd wasn’t the only thing with variety: going to this show reminded me of the many musical influences of Japanese Breakfast. ‘Honey Water’ almost sounded noise rock-esque with a long, droning guitar outro, and ‘Leda’ and ‘Magic Mountain’ were beautifully arranged orchestral numbers with the addition of saxophone and violin players in the band. While ‘Posing in Bondage’ leans more heavily into shoegaze influences, ‘Posing for Cars’ is a rock number with a 4-minute epic guitar solo that leaves me crying every time – including at the concert.
Zauner herself bounced around the stage with an adorable energy, oddly paired with the heart-wrenching nature of the lyrics – “If ever you come back / Wherever you find your way to / And though it may not last / Just know that I’ll be here longing” she sweetly croons in ‘Kokomo, IN’, proceeding to bop back and forth, slight smile on her face. She reminisced during the concert opening for Slowdive at the Palace Theatre, instructed the crowd to jump during ‘Slide Tackle’ and joked about how her dress restricted her arm movement, assuring us she was still excited to be here; she just couldn’t show it as well.
In addition to Zauner playing acoustic and electric guitar, the band was supported by the aforementioned saxophone and violin, drums, synth, bass and an additional guitar. The way Zaunder looked at her husband Peter Bradley, her guitar player, with pure admiration made me feel sick in another way. Before the show, Ginger Root supported with an electric set, using a live cameraman and impromptu video effects with prerecorded footage to weave a story of a struggling TV executive to pair with their city pop-inspired sound. As someone who has seen my fair share of horrible openers, Ginger Root shocked me with the amount of care and energy put into their performance, and it was one of the most creative openers I had seen in years.
My recovery from my cold was definitely set back a few days by the amount of singing, dancing and crying I did at the concert, but overall, seeing Japanese Breakfast was a years-in-the-making dream come true. I wouldn’t trust Zauner with my health, but I’d trust her with my life.
