While Japanese Breakfast had to cancel a few dates over the last few weeks due to COVID, the band was able to pull it together for a hometown benefit show for a very worthy cause. Founded in 2013 by former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin, Make the World Better has been building parks and play spaces throughout the city for nearly a decade. Every dollar raised from this concert is going toward those local projects.
The show took place at the Dell Music Center, which sits in the shadow of the Mann Music Center. This tucked-away green space was a perfect place to escape from the brutal summer heat—the show was even pushed back in the hopes that the sun going down would offer some relief. Even under the night sky, however, the air was downright swamp-like. Welsh musician Cate Le Bon's opening set of baroque pop did manage to keep the crowd cool as she and her band kicked off the evening with jazzy saxophone and icy guitar lines.
Cate Le Bon
The second act of the night was indie stalwarts Yo La Tengo, who only had to cross the bridge from Hoboken for the gig. Well into their fourth decade together, the band's dynamic sound hasn’t changed a bit, shifting from almost sweet garage rock to startling fuzzed-out bursts of noise and a lot of shakers—at one point during Japanese Breakfast’s set, Michelle Zauner commented on Yo La Tengo being “shaker royalty.”
After much anticipation, Japanese Breakfast took the stage with Michelle Zauner skipping, dancing, and blasting through hits off their most recent releases Jubilee and Soft Sounds from Another Planet. Showcasing her range, she even played an ethereal cut from her video game score, Sable, before revealing some downright nasty guitar skills, overflowing with feedback and crunching dirty riffs that sound a long way from the band's immaculate pop. Zauner’s husband Peter Bradley accompanied her on guitar and keys, and at times seemed to be enjoying the show as much as the fans.
The rest of the band filled out their sound with everything from brass and gongs to keys and strings. Zauner’s joyous energy was contagious, and despite the heat, the crowd was on their feet for the entire set. With Zauner hailing from Philadelphia and her husband from Bucks County, there were surely a lot of friends and family in the crowd proud to see their local heroes onstage.
At one point Zauner listed off all of the local venues she’s played, from the Khyber to Union Transfer, as well as some lesser-known spots. She also recounted what she and her bandmates call “the struggle,” which is when bands play small venues, sleep on couches, and fight to get noticed, often wondering what's the point—but then you get on stage and have the time of your life. Tonight was one of those nights where the struggle was worth it.
Scroll through more from the evening below.
Japanese Breakfast
