live, laugh, Lamp @ The Regency Ballroom

In the wildest appearance of the century, fabled Japanese band, Lamp, announced their first North America tour ever. And I had front row tickets! (Okay they were actually just GA but let me cook)

First introduced to the band years ago when I was a wee university student, their landmark For Lovers album and its wistful, introspective sophisti-pop songs were a staple for my studying sessions. I can't say I was enamored with the rest of their discography though, for I was knee-deep in my indie rock phase - jazzy, layered passages were a stark contrast to the straightforward melodic rock that was blasting in my ears then.

But over the years, I started to dive headfirst into Lamp's vast catalog. The band has released 10 albums to date, and slowly I accrued track after track to my playlists. For Lovers was still a constant workplace selection, but songs like "二人のいた風景" from the album, Yume, and "今夜も君にテレフォンコール" from 木洩陽通りにて soon entered the rotation. Admittedly, I was surprised I didn't have more songs from them in my Spotify, an odd disparity considering how stoked I was to have them play in San Francisco.

Lamp's first show in the city sold out instantly, but a second show was quickly added. I had tickets for both, marking the first time I attended two back-to-back concerts by the same artist. I did some homework too, studying the set list (a recently discovered exercise I highly recommend!) and the merch sold.

The For Lovers LP were freshly pressed and were limited to attendees, but sadly I didn't get one. I think the band themselves were taken aback by the sheer demand for their merch - people were queuing outside at venues as early as 9 in the morning, mostly kids with way too much on their hands.

Personally, I think this is emblematic of how legendary Lamp's music is. Despite being in a foreign language and having a wide breadth of work, their compositions endure through different generations of listeners while still retaining the accessibility to be enjoyed.

Lamp is one of few bands that I truly believe you can arrive knowing next to nothing about them and still come out a Lamphead. A packed 18-song set list meant we were spoiled for choice. You had the likes of "風の午後に (Windy Afternoon)" with its bossa nova-infused beats or try the city pop-tinged "今夜も君にテレフォンコール (Telephone Call)". For a groovier option, "青い海岸線から (From The Midnight Shoreline)" off Lamp's The Poetry Of August which delivers a strong bass accompaniment and serves as the concert opener.

These live renditions sounded exceptional in person, perhaps helped out by the acoustics of the ballroom venue. My personal favorite was "街は雨降り(Raindrop City)", where the added breaks in the chorus between the harmonized refrain of "雨は~ (Ame ha~)" build up so much better than the recorded version. "夜風 (Yokaze)" has Taiyo deliver some of the catchiest guitar riffs composed by Lamp, and 1998 sees the band branching out musically, with a strong synth-driven sound. Sadly, "二人のいた風景 (A Scenery of Two People)" was not in the setlist; I would have loved to jam alongside the beautiful sax and guitar outro.

The session musicians were incredible as well, keeping it tight with the trumpet and drum solos. I was particularly spellbound, as a fledgling guitarist, by Taiyo's guitar work. Finally, Kaori, in all her poise, captivated the crowd with her flute work and sonorous, lilting, whisper-like vocals.

Lamp themselves were not fluent in English but were super endearing during the audience interaction moments. They made quips about the searing hot weather this week and trying In-N-Out for the first time. The encore saw Lamp's most recognizable track, 最終列車は25時 (Last Train at 25 O'clock), performed with Yusuke, who for the whole concert had been using different instruments but settled for a simple shaker—a sight I found quite amusing.

In retrospect, the concert amnesia is real. I had a burgeoning, melancholic feeling while writing this piece. I find it hard to recall the emotions elicited during the show. But perhaps the longing is the strongest indicator of a wonderful experience. It seems that the experience from the two days have been smeared into a single memory fragment that I will cherish forever.

For the adventurous

For a more modern take on Lamp's style of Shibuya-kei, check out Asagaya Romantics! Formed in 2014, this Japanese band retains the jazzy inflections and layered brass and woodwind instruments characteristic of Lamp's music yet keeping it fresh with their stronger sweet nouveau city-pop influence.