I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: October 11, 2023] CHAI

I saw CHAI about a year and a half ago and it was one of the more memorable shows I’ve been to.  The four members of the band are funny, silly, coordinated (sartorially) and play sweet pop music.

Here’s a brief history of the band

Chai was formed in 2012 in Nagoya, by twin sisters Mana and Kana.  Mana, Kana, and Yuna were in the same class at high school.  Yuna introduced the other band members to Japanese music that did not easily fit into the traditional definition of “J-Pop”, such as the band Cero or Kimyō Reitaro. After the members went to university, Mana became friends with Yuuki (originally from Gifu Prefecture, who had moved to Nagoya), and asked the four friends to form a band.  The band’s name comes from Russian tea (known as chai). Kana drank the tea with jam with her Russian literature professor at a Russian restaurant, which she thought was cute.

They have just released their fourth album, Chai.

Last time, the four came out in reflective rain jackets.  This time they came out in custom made hoodies with face coverings and eye masks.  The sang a few songs in this outfit.

But things were a little bit different this time.  Mana and Kana both sang for the first couple of songs, but soon enough, Kana moved off to the side to grab her guitar and play synths.  I see that last time Mana was the main lead singer, but in my memory they sang everything together.

Yuni was in the back at her drum set and I was happy to be able to watch he play this time–last time she was off to the side for me.  And off to the back was Yuuki who plays the best sounding synth bass I’m aware of.  I can get lost in the low end she lays down.

The band’s new album is a little different than their previous ones–it’s a little slicker and has more of a romantic vibe.  But of course they still have plenty of weird, wild tracks.

Although the set was taken largely from the new album.

Yuki: “we have a new album out.  Who has listened to it already?  Oh thank you, arigato.”

they mixed in older songs throughout the setlist, with almost as many songs coming from Wink.

I was delighted when they played “Ping Pong!”  Last time I wrote

Things seemed like they would settle down an as Kana and Yuni went behind a big pink table with a sound effects machine on it.  Yuni pounded out a drum rhythm while Kana was a wild woman.  Dancing around (Kana and Yukki got a little rest) and seemingly slapping Yuni to the beat.  They created a wild rhythm that was chock full of video game sound effects.  This was an extended intro to “PING PONG,” which Mana and Kana sang while Yuuki took over making sound effects.

There was no intro this time, But Yuni and Yuuki pounded out sound effects on the little table (which was not pink, but was covered with their Chai backdrop) while Kana and Mana sang the song.  The only bummer was that I couldn’t see the two in the back because Kana and Mana took up the whole front of the stage.

Then Yuni and Yuuki came up front.  By this time, they had taken off their head pieces, but still had on an outer layer.  They took off their jackets and tossed them off the stage, spinning around to reveal custom made jackets with kanji on the back.  新可愛 (new cute).  They all performed a choreographed dance to ACTION.

They stayed on Wink for one more song and then their roadie brought out boxes with the word CHAI on them.  They sang the song “Game” like in the video holding their packages, it’s a slower more spare synthy song.  Fun and bouncy.

Then they played their cover of Mariya Takeuchi’s “Plastic Love,” before playing three more new songs.

They didn’t introduce themselves like last time.  They were certainly less chatty, although there was some chattiness–it’s like they wanted to get more music in this time.

“Driving22” has a big bold sound and “Neo-Kawaii, K?” was introduced with Mana saying “we are all a little strange, right?”  We are not normal, right?” has the delightful English chant of “put your hands up, yeah!” which sadly not that many people did (in fairness, it goes by kind of quickly).  But it also has the lines, “my body is mine, my soul is mine, my hair is mine, my heart is mine.”

They ended the new block with the excellent “We the Female.”  It features some great drumming from Yuni.

Then things got really crazy.  They started in on “Cool Cool Vision.”  A siren sounded, Kana played a pretty rocking riff on the guitar while Mana stood out front and danced like a dervish  (This song is all in Japanese).  Kana’s guitar playing was pretty quiet for most of the show but by the end, she really ratcheted up the noise, playing some wild solos and chords.  I was standing right in front of her and frankly, all I could hear was her guitar at that point.

They only played one song from “Pink” the wonderful (cowbell and disco bass line) “Hey Hey Baby.”

There was no relaxing after this as Yuuki picked up a bass (she has such a great bass sound I wish she’d play it more… except that her Moog is so drenched in funky sounds that I loved that too).  Mana and Kana were out front singing and dancing to “END.”  The song is mostly in Japanese with a wonderful moment where they sing the same word (or syllable) over and over while pointing at each other and then switch to English:

だだだだ だらららら
でぃでぃでぃでぃでぃ りりりり
でゅでゅでゅでゅでゅ るるるる
でででででで today
Shut up
Hey, cool your head
Shut up
You go home and cool off

They ended with Wink‘s opening track “Donut Mind If I Do,” a slow sexy song that belies its silly title.  Once again Yuuki was on a great-sounding bass. and Mana hits a crazily high note.  It’s a sweet romantic song.

Yuni and the band promoted their new merch–“so kahuuuuute.”  And it is.

The band ended the set and left for an encore.  The crowd was super super loud about getting them back out there.  And when they came out, the crowd was super into it.  They asked if we wanted one more.  And we did.

As they started, Yuni had a technical problem and when she stopped the drums, Mana screamed “Ahhhh. what happened Yuni!”  It was very funny.

Everyone got back into position for the fun and dancey and very uplifting “N.E.O.”  Over chants of “you are so cute” and “nice body” (these were affirmations, not come-ons) they played a funky rhythm with some very cool bass lines.  Great guitar work and yet even more energy from Mana.

They ended with a new song “Karaoke.”  I always think it’s weird to end an encore with a new song instead of a fan favorite.  But with Chai, it doesn’t matter.  All of their songs are fan favorites whether you know them or not.

Like last time, the show was just about an hour, although the played a few more songs this time.  But it was so packed full of energy and fun that it felt like a much longer show.  They must have been exhausted.