I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: May 6, 2025] Kishi Bashi

This was our seventh time seeing Kishi Bashi.  We had seen him not too long ago in Philly for his Kantos tour.  But we knew that this was going to be different.  It was a RETROspect tour and I knew it would be a very different kind of show.  The previous show was a pretty big production with a full backing band (and costume changes).  This one was a trio.  K. on violin and guitar, Tall Tall Trees (Mike Sorvino) on his Banjotron and keyboards and cellist Emily Hope Price (all three of whom sing like angels).

The place was sold pretty well, but we were still able to get close.  It was bizarre that there were people there with little kids.  One of whom kept sneaking back and forth between their hangout spot–off to the side–to their guardian.  It was pretty distracting but I’ve seen things that were a lot worse.  And it was pretty clear all the adults were big fans.

To the side of the stage was a small easel.  And throughout the show, K. changed the image to reflect the cover album of the songs he was going to play.

The first image was the cover of his debut EP Room for Dream.  He played two songs from the EP (which both appeared on 151a). There was even an opportunity for him and Mike to have a little solo improv piece (and there’s always room for beatboxing).

Then when he switched the easel to 151a, he played a fairly deep cut Wonder Woman Wonder Me (it was really cool hearing this mellow song).

Then he jumped to the big ones: Atticus in the Desert and I am the Antichrist to You.  They were glorious.  And it was really fun seeing Mike use a violin bow on the Banjotron–meaning all three musicians were bowing their instruments.  But Mike’s the only one who busted out a drum mallet to whack on the banjo (so fun when he does this).

The fabulous Lighght came up next.  Up first was Philosophize with It, and the show just got better.  He told us that he had written the song for a commercial in Japan–it was only the chorus and people wondered where the rest of it was.  So he fleshed it out.  He followed this with a big surprise for me (although it probably shouldn’t have been).  This felt like a fairly small show, and when he started Mr Steak in a quiet, almost ballad style, I didn’t expect Mr Steak to come out.  But he did!  And we all danced along with the Grade A wonder.

I was a little surprised there were only two songs from Lighght, but he’s got a lot of music now, so we moved onto Sonderlust and the gorgeous m’lover.  It was followed by Can’t Let Go Juno, played in a different style from the record.  Rather than the intense dancey synth of the record, K. played acoustic guitar

Then it was on to Omioyari and the always amazing to see live Violin Tsunami.  That he could follow up the intensity of Tsunami with the beautiful and delicate Marigolds shows what a complex songwriter he is.  The three of them stood in front of a central old microphone and sang the gorgeous songs together.  This set up continued through the next album.

When he brought out the Emigrant cover, I realized that I bought the vinyl back around the pandemic and thought I hadn’t listened to it much, but the folky vibe reminded me how much I like Cascades.  That and Wait for Springtime really like Mike showcase his banjo playing.  It was a beautiful change up in the middle of a fun show.

Then it was on to the latest album Kantos, which we had just seen.  But the previous version of the tour had a full band with lots of synth to play these more dancey songs.  So to hear them stripped down was a revelation.   A friend of mine who is a big fan of Kishi Bashi didn’t like the direction of Kantos, but I told her she would have loved these more acoustic versions of these songs.

Late Nite Comic sounded so different.  As did Colorful State, which on record is almost bombastic with the big riff that serves as the main melody.  Yet here it was subtle and almost unrecognizable.  Although when Mike broke out the drum mallet again, the song did take off.

He ended the set with his cover of This Must Be the Place.  I’m a bit sick of The Talking Heads at the moment so I’m never that excited about hearing this song, but it is a good song and a lovely cover.

For the encore, the trio came out into the audience.  I would have liked to get closer, but I chose to lean against the stage barrier and observe from further back.  He was, sadly facing away from us, but the acoustics of the room worked nicely and you could hear the delightful Summer Bear.  He played a song I’d only heard once before Unicorns Die When You Leave which is a bonus song on the reissue of 151a.  It’s fun that he’s adding this to his live shows even if I don’t really know it.

The show ended with a really fun version Honeybody.

We were a little bummed that he didn’t play Carry On, Phenomenon, but hey, he can only play so many sings in a set right?  Plus we scored a great poster.

I really liked this venue.  That and Archer Music Hall are on my radar for future shows.  And Yep, I’ll see Kishi Bashi in 2026 if he comes back around.

 

		2025 The Arrow
		Manchester ©
		Bright Whites ©
		Wonder Woman, Wonder Me ∇
		Atticus, in the Desert ∇
		I Am the Antichrist to You ∇
		Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠
		The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠
		m’lover $
		Can’t Let Go, Juno $
		Violin Tsunami Ø
		Marigolds Ø
		Cascades ∑
		Wait for Springtime ∑
		Late Night Comic €
		Colorful State €
		This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads cover)
		encore
		Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear (acoustic, in crowd) Ø
		Unicorns Die when You Leave (acoustic, in crowd) ©
		Honeybody (acoustic, in crowd) $

 

2024 Brooklyn Bowl	2022 The Foundry	2019 Union Transfer
Violin Akai €	Intro / Pathos, Pathos ∇	Marigolds Ø
Chiba Funk €	Manchester ∇	F Delano Ø
Late Night Comic €	Bright Whites ∇	Hey Big Star $
It All Began With a Burst ∇	It All Began With a Burst ∇	Say Yeah $
Can’t Let Go, Juno $	Wonder Woman, Wonder Me ∇	Carry on Phenomenon ∠
Marigolds Ø	Atticus, in the Desert ∇	Honeybody $
Colorful State €	I Am the Antichrist to You ∇	Honeybody Remix $
solo improv	Beat the Bright Out of Me ∇	Can’t Let Go, Juno $
I Am the Antichrist to You (solo) ∇	This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads cover)	Theme From Jerome (Forgotten Words) Ø
Summer of ’42 (solo) Ø	Q&A ∠	I Am the Antichrist to You (solo) ∇
Violin Tsunami Ø	Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear Ø	This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads cover) (solo)
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads cover) (solo)	Marigolds Ø	Violin/Banjo improv
Escape from Knossos €	I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) (Meat Loaf cover)	Bright Whites ∇
Icarus IV €	The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠	Q&A ∠
Hahaha Pt. 2 ∠	Honeybody (began with studio arrangement which bled into performing in the style of the Mattsoro remix) $	Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear Ø
Lilliputian Chop €	encore	Angeline Ø
The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠	Violin Tsunami Ø	Violin Tsunami Ø
Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠	Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠	Ode to My Next Life $
Honeybody $		Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠
encore		Atticus, in the Desert ∇
Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear (acoustic, in crowd) Ø		(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life (Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes cover)
Manchester (acoustic, in crowd) ∇		The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠
Ooh La La (Rod Stewart cover) (acoustic, in crowd)		It All Began With a Burst ∇
		encore
		Annie, Heart Thief of the Sea (acoustic, in crowd) Ø
		Manchester (acoustic, in crowd) ∇
		Summer of ’42 (acoustic, in crowd) Ø

 

 

 

2016 Union Transfer	2015 TLA (opening for Guster)	2014 New Brunswick (opening for Rod y Gab)
Stranger Things Theme [recordong]	violin improv	violin improv
Statues in a Gallery $	Atticus, in the Desert ∇	It All Began With a Burst ∇
Hey Big Star $	Bright Whites ∇	Bittersweet Genesis for Him AND Her ∠
m’lover $	Bittersweet Genesis for Him AND Her ∠	Atticus, in the Desert ∇
Atticus, in the Desert (featuring extended banjo percussion solo) ∇	The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠	Bright Whites ∇
Bright Whites (with improv interlude featuring flute solo) ∇	Q&A ∠	Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠
Carry on Phenomenon ∠	Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠	Manchester ∇
Who’d You Kill $	Manchester ∇
Can’t Let Go, Juno $
Say Yeah $
Ode to My Next Life $
I Am the Antichrist to You ∇ (solo)
The Ballad of Mr. Steak (featuring Mr. Steak) ∠
Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠
It All Began With a Burst (with “Don’t vote for Trump” vocal loop) ∇
encore
Honeybody $
Q&A ∠
Manchester ∇