To state the obvious, there’s a lot of things happening around the world right now. Arguably, there’s always a lot of things happening, but it’s a challenging time nonetheless. We’re all trying to make sense of what’s going on, find our place in it, stand up for what we believe in, all while trying to get through each day.
ONE OK ROCK’s response to these circumstances is simple, yet deep: music. “This world is fucking chaos,” said vocalist Taka at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. “We have to believe in the power of music. I think rock and roll is the most important thing in this situation.” He continued, “I just want to make things better, make more peace. I don’t want to give pain to people in this situation. ONE OK ROCK, we want to save them.” This idea is core to the band’s latest album, Detox. To support the album and offer some relief to listeners, the four-piece band hit the road for a 15-city tour across North America.
Kicking off the show with “Puppets Can’t Control You,” ONE OK ROCK hit the crowd with a powerful song about challenging social injustice, no matter how hard it seems. While justice may not be easy to achieve, trying is the first step, and the band delivered this message with voracity. Carrying on this sentiment was “Delusion:All.” In this song, Taka urged the audience to come together and fight for a better future. Even though some may call those who make this effort “delusional,” hope is what brings change. Taka’s earnestness when singing the soaring chorus reflected the sanguine lyrics, and the band’s intense playing drove home the emotional resonance of the song.
The most emotional performance of the night was “The Pilot </3.” Introducing the song with its backstory, Taka shared that it was a deeply personal one that many people have misconceptions about, making guesses that it’s about his relationship with his family. “It’s about like my whole fucking life,” he began. “Life is always tough. It’s like I jumped on this huge airplane with you guys, and we’re just flying around the world. The pilot is important because they control everything. I’m still looking for the pilot, but maybe I don’t need it.” The rawness with which Taka performed this song about embracing life’s pain and growing stronger was captivating, as the crowd silently took in the passionate performance. It’s the kind of stirring experience that had the lyrics “love and learn” echoing in your ears long after.
For all the introspective songs, there were also upbeat and uplifting songs like the euphoria-seeking “Dystopia,” fun getaway “Tropical Therapy,” and supportive “+Matter.” These tracks in particular inspired concertgoers to let go of their worries and find joy and community in this shared space, as if unloading the heavy baggage we carry in our daily lives for one night of cathartic musical refuge.
While this is far from the band’s first concert in San Francisco, ONE OK ROCK remained in awe of the audience and remarked on how much the crowd has grown since they first began promoting in the West a decade ago. Despite having 20 years of experience under their belt, they continued to express their humility and appreciation, which moved fans.
On behalf of the band, Taka shared, “When we’re offstage, we’re humans. We talk about stupid shit like food and our families, totally the same as you guys.” Being a band from Japan, they acknowledged the difference between language and culture when they’re performing in the States, but the audience’s warmth made them feel at home on stage. “But when I come up on the stage, you make me a vocalist, and you make them [the band members] a guitarist, drummer, and bassist. That makes me really emotional.” Wrapping up his words with gratitude, he said, “We can’t thank you enough for always coming to support us. This means a lot to us.”
Click on the photo below to view our photos from the concert:
