Japanese Breakfast and Ichiko Aoba’s Jubilant Jamboree at the Walt Disney Concert Hall

2023 has been a busy year for multi-talented frontwoman Michelle Zauner. From touring for her memoir, Crying in H Mart, to touring as indie band, Japanese Breakfast, Zauner and her bandmates will soon be closing their last live performances before taking a hiatus to recuperate and work on more music. On September 27th and 28th, Japanese folk singer Ichiko Aoba joined Japanese Breakfast to hold dreamy, fancy-free shows of uplifting beats at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The female-led acts played to a crowd of over 2,000 people on both nights, and left some fans waiting an hour post-show just to see them outside one more time. Japanese Breakfast debuted their new song, “Orlando,” as a treat to those who made it there on the first day. 

For those who have only been to The Walt Disney Concert Hall for classical music performances, Frank Gehry specially designed the venue to have the best acoustics for orchestras. Of course, Aoba and Japanese Breakfast had speakers to help support their music, but they also included classical instruments to fully take advantage of the space. This complemented Aoba’s music well specifically, given her acoustic performances and dreamlike themes. 

The Chiba native sang a short half-hour set, with simpler instrumentals than her recorded music. She played at slower tempos, which allowed for her soft vocals to resonate louder against the wooden walls. Her live arrangement took into account the venue’s acoustics as she stretched and sustained high notes as high as the ceilings could reverberate, like ambient underwater whale songs. Interestingly, the talented musician used whistling as a leitmotif to connect songs: from the introduction of “Sagu Palm’s Song” to “Seabed Eden.” Despite the language barrier between her and the crowd, Aoba made sure to thank listeners for coming and taking the time to hear her songs as well. “I love you too,” she responded enthusiastically to excited cheers. Her final song, “Asleep Among Endives,” closed the loop on the trip down into the deep ocean, and brought the crowd back above ground in time for a short intermission. 

Upon return, Japanese Breakfast frontwoman Zauner had also personally prepared a special live arrangement of the band’s discography, as a string quartet and a brass trio joined the band onstage. The inclusion of string and horn sections added extra flare for both longtime fans and ones who’ve only seen Japanese Breakfast play at festivals. Although lighting for orchestral performances at the venue largely stays the same, the band was surrounded with sunflowers and multicolored bulbs to add an extra dimension to their performance.

Then, Japanese Breakfast opened with the haunting vocals of “Jimmy Fallon Big!” and “In Heaven,” and triumphant horns and jubilant strings kept pace with the band’s own vibrant energy. Dressed in a stunning white dress, Zauner danced back and forth across the stage, while her oversized bow flopped behind her like a rabbit tail. “These are the last few shows that we’re truly doing. The last jubilee,” said Zauner. “We’re taking a year-long break because I’m moving to Korea, so this show is very special to us.”  

Arguably, the only complaint for performing at an acoustically maximized venue was the lack of standing space. Every passing song provided ample opportunity to break out into dance; just no space to do so. When Michelle described “Kokomo, IN” as a “song about a city you’ve never been to,” the crowd went wild with cheers in their seats. As they continued to build momentum towards the climax of their concert, rowdy fans congratulated the band for the beaten road they’ve traveled on. After coming to the end of “Glider,” Michelle took a moment to respond to an earlier comment from the audience. “We sure have come a long way from David Blaine’s, and thank you for mentioning that. It’s a steakhouse and warehouse venue in New York,” reflected Zauner. “It does feel like we’ve grown quite a bit since then. What an honor to be playing with one of my favorite artists in the whole world.” While on this topic, she also shared how she met Aoba in Stockholm while wandering alone in the city. “I found her music matched with the very lovely alone time I had there. It’s always been a dream of mine to perform with her.”

“We’re going to debut a new song that we’ve never played together before,” announced Zauner. Taking a pause to introduce “Orlando,” she disclosed that the full song is still in progress. “I’m working on a new album that won’t come out for quite some time, but it will happen someday. This song is part of that ongoing work.” The preview snippet blended into the somber melody of “Tactics,” a classic track from the Jubilee album. Zauner and bandmate Peter Bradley played opposite each other on two sets of keyboards as the couple vocally harmonized during the chorus. 

Once the rhythm began to rise for the last act of the performance, a shimmering light show flickered to the beat of “Posing in Bondage.” The twinkling piano chords mirroring the flashing lights highlighted the upbeat melody of the song’s message. Naturally, a Japanese Breakfast performance wouldn’t be complete without Zauner’s trademark sound of striking a gong. During “Paprika,” the combined crescendo from the percussion, strings, horns, and vocals cascaded the audience with drops of ringing echoes. This chorus was essential to building a trance-like parade atmosphere, as the reflected sounds bounced off the walls and physically distorted light waves. 

Saving one of their best songs for last, Japanese Breakfast transitioned into their crowd pleaser, “Be Sweet.” After Zauner took the time to introduce and thank her band members, the show came to an end. The group  slowly tapered out their encore with “Posing for Cars” and “Diving Woman” as their last song. Considering how the song reflects Michelle’s own personal struggles, its position as the show closer conveyed how far she’s come on her journey to devoted fans. As the band made their way offstage, it left many wishing they had a chance to hear it all again.

Ichiko Aoba Setlist

1. Kokoro no Sekai
2. Sagu Palm’s Song
3. Dawn in the Adan
4. A Hill on the Moon
5. Seabed Eden
6. Asleep Among Endives

Japanese Breakfast Setlist

1. Jimmy Fallon Big! (strings/horns)
2. In Heaven (strings/horns)
3. The Woman That Loves You (strings/horns)
4. Boyish (strings)
5. The Body Is A Blade
6. Kokomo, IN (strings)  
7. Heft (strings)
8. Road Head
9. Savage Good Boy 
10. Glider (strings)
11. Orlando (strings/horns)
12. Tactics (strings)
13. Posing in Bondage
14. Paprika (strings/horns)
15. Be Sweet
16. Slide Tackle (horns)
17. Everybody Wants to Love You (strings/horns)

Encore

18. Posing for Cars (strings/horns)
19. Diving Woman (horns)