The Japanese House @ The Union 08.07

On Wednesday, April 7, I had the blessing of witnessing The Japanese House’s incredible set at The Union Event Center. I arrive at the venue, and immediately upon entering the crowd, an element of homeliness is present. Creative outfits and makeup shine, even under the blue wash light. Gleeful cheers fade into a whispering hush as the lights dim for opening act Skullcrusher. Despite Skullcrusher’s hardcore name, she almost brings me to tears. An imaginary barrier seems to fall between a fantastical world and reality in her folksy dreamland. 

The lights dim, and her band—Dominic Potts (bass), Myles Sargent, (drums) Kamran Khan (guitar) and Cicely Cotton (keyboard, saxophone)—take the stage, followed by Amber Bain herself. Bain holds her audience in the palm of her hand, safe and consumed in a dreamy wonderland where heartbreak and healing live simultaneously. The crowd is entirely captivated, there is (almost) no phone in sight. It isn’t easy for a production-heavy musician like Bain who uses unique synths in her music to pull off studio-quality sounds with such ease, but Bain does it effortlessly. In fact, her vocals and instrumentals hit deeper and clearer live. 

She opens with two heavy-hitting danceable jams from her latest album, In the End it Always Does. “Touching Yourself” and “Sad to Breathe” set the energy for the show, and a sense of awestruckness washes over the crowd like the first wave after you hop in the sea. She strums the final chord, pausing looking over her crowd with a wild smile. She shouts, “This is gonna be fun!” in a quirky-yet-cool raspy English accent, a true rockstar. 

There is a rare element of genuine inclusivity and community living among the crowd. “Do I have any gays here?” Bain shouts enthusiastically. The response is a roaring cheer from the crowd. The bright-eyed teens in front of me jump, scream and shout, laughing and pointing at themselves proudly in response. The hooting and hollering is truly encouraging and comforting; I understand why so many fans feel so close to Bain in this intimate show. 

Another thing about Bain—she really lets her talented band shine, exclaiming, “This is the best part of the song!” as Cotton bodies a saxophone bit on “Friends.” In any solo by bandmates, she’s there carrying them along, making sure the spotlight is on them. The real love she has for her bandmates is obvious in the way she interacts with them. She grins sheepishly and dances with them during “Follow my girl,”  prancing and weaving between them in a manner that tells her crowd that she’s here to have a good time. 

An eclectic, poppy lighting scheme syncs with consistently harmonic synths. “Chewing Cotton Wool” is nothing short of a spiritual experience. Dreamy vocals and otherworldly keyboard effects create an indie-pop ballad on par with Phoebe Bridgers’ “Scott Street.” The song is a heart-wrenching ode to an omnipresent, unreachable love. Her performance has the same intimate energy as watching a choir perform, sitting alone in a church. Lyrics seem to fall right out of Bain’s chest with such raw, attuned ease to a love washed away, swimming in Bain’s atmosphere. 

At the end of her show, Bain promises her crowd an encore, stating: “We’re gonna go away for a minute, then come back!” The crowd goes wild cheering for her return, where she plays her classic hit “Boyhood” and her new single “:),” which she calls “a happy gay love song,” explaining that she wrote it after meeting her now-fiancé. The show finally ends on a bright and hopeful note with “Sunshine Baby.” The crowd is fed with a newfound love and appreciation for Bain, and I can confidently say The Japanese House is an underrated live performer. 

Photos by Jess Gruneisen |  jess@jessgruneisen.com