📷 : Tina Mead

I’m a dedicated Chicago music fan, and especially after a long stretch of no live music, we at Chicago Crowd Surfer are looking to cover shows that feature as many local bands as possible. But let's be real, we don't listen exclusively to Chi-town tunes. Japanese Breakfast’s album, Jubilee, connected to my heart and provided just the right balance of uplift and introspection during my pandemic experience. Compound that by her selling out not just one, but three nights, (with a fourth, October 12th, show still on sale!) at Thalia Hall, this felt like it could be an experience worth documenting. So please forgive me for this interruption of our Chicago focused reporting...

Toronto artist Luna Li is known for her social media jams recorded at home. In the videos she plays bass, harp, guitar, violin, synth/keys/drum machine...ya know, basically just all of the instruments in her delightful grooves. This tour is def a step up from playing her bedroom. The fact that her skillfully edited videos gave rise to her fame, could seem strategic: an internet sensation paired up to a more established artist. But not only does Luna Li have the killer talent to take full advantage of this opportunity, she isn’t taking it for granted.

She told us it was a dream come true, "I went to see Japanese Breakfast perform about 5 years ago. I was surprised at how emotional it was. I realized as I was watching, it was the first time I felt represented by the person on stage." Watching Luna Li on stage that night, the thrill of being there was palpable as she brightened Thalia Hall with a 100 watt smile.

Moving around the stage she was both in her element, and tentative. I was reminded of a baby deer figuring out their legs. How will she own her stage? Luna Li tried out different stances, a lunge, a kick, and discovered the crowd-pleasing power of a backbend. It was charming AF to see that shy but pleased smile flit across her face in the midst of badass moves.

The real magic of her performance was how she closed her eyes and beamed as she found just the right note, and as her band came together in perfect harmony. When Luna Li introduced a live looped song she said, "I invite you to just close your eyes and float away, that’s what I do." It’s clear that it is a true love of music that fuels her. I look forward to seeing her stage presence grow and def can't wait to hear what music she puts out next.

Tension was high and cheers broke out when Thalia Hall went dark and our headlining band took the stage. Japanese Breakfast kicked off the set with "Paprika" moving with a beat bouncing gait, often taking wide-rocking stomping steps. She came back to ring the gong at the center stage over and over. Why does that instrument induce such a wonderful gut shivering thrill? We were all following her movements, excited for the next crash. Jbrekkie kept venturing away and then being pulled back for those warm punctuations in the music. It was declarative, banishing all of the evil spirits from Thalia Hall’s vaulted space. Clearing the air for a joyful performance of the next song, "Be Sweet." It was a one two punch that got me dancing. Bad for taking pics, but it sure was good for my soul.

Japanese Breakfast, ​​aka Michelle Zauner, and her band put on a fully formed stage show. Her costume was a stunning work of art and the background doubled as an inspired lighting feature that morphed the look throughout, and as another photographer pointed out, was definitely reminiscent of the album cover. My fav lighting moment was "Posing in Bondage" (shout out to that killer outfit). The lights flashed and panned around the stage with moments of pure darkness. The pulsing rhythm was slower than a strobe, moving between color, black, and white. It gave us glimpses of the performance. Almost like getting snapshots there and gone, moving in slow motion.

It conveyed a cinematic feeling of intimacy, which was due in large part to the killer group of musicians on stage. A multi-instrumentalist herself, it isn't surprising that three of JBrekkie’s band members trade off playing synth or keys as well as sax, violin, and guitar respectively. The band’s versatility is on full display. No matter whether pop, country, disco, or psych, every song has a killer groove. Every one makes me want to move. To jump or sway or shimmy. You could see that JBrekkie felt that rhythm. She let the music move her unselfconsciously. Reaching out with practiced confidence, asking for us to join in her exuberance. The audience eagerly followed her lead, jumping and moving. It culminated in a truly ecstatic performance of “Everybody Wants to Love You.” As the energy soared, it was abundantly clear JBrekkie was just as happy to be throwing this party as we were to be there.

Basically. I had a great time at this show. If you haven’t already (cause it seems like many many many people have) do yourself a favor and buy a ticket to that October 12th show.

-tina mead