I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: July 17, 2026] Japanese Breakfast

The world was burning down.  Well, not exactly, but Ottawa wildfires were sending particulates throughout the country and on this night, they were particularly bad.  Well, they weren’t too bad at our house, but by the time we got into Philly–jeez!  The skyline was barely visible.  I wished I had brought masks and was a little surprised (but happy) that the show wasn’t cancelled.

For some reason, this show was supposed to start at 7:30.  On a Friday night.  So we should have left a little earlier, but the last few times I went into Philly on a Friday night there was no traffic.  Well, tonight it was crazy backed up. I accepted that we would not be seeing Japanese Breakfast at all, and was settling in to being happy if we didn’t miss the opening of Death Cab for Cutie.

We had seen Japanese Breakfast last year, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world to miss them.

The Mann Center had switched to paid parking, but the parking attendants were no better than they were when it was free.  So we got an okay spot and as we got out of the car we could hear Japanese Breakfast playing Road Head (a favorite song).  By the time we got into the venue, we needed the bathroom.  I am usually annoyingly needed about getting in to see the band. but I assumed that the set was almost over (it was easily 8 by now) so I casually filled up our water bottle and assumed they’d be finishing up the final song.

But as we walked across to our seat they were playing Mega Circuit.

We got to our row, but our seats were in the middle of a bunch of people already seated.  So we sat at the end of the row and settled in when Michelle Zauner announced Kokomo, IN.  So we were psyched to hear at least one full song.

Then she thanked everyone for coming and said how cool it was to be playing there and to be opening for Death Cab (whom she and her husband had seen at the Mann many years ago).

Interestingly Jay Som had been the opening act up until this show (it makes sense that Japanese Breakfast would play Philly).  I would have liked to see Jay Som, but I would have been far more upset if we missed half of her set.

When we had seen Japanese Breakfast in 2023 (and 2021) they opened the set with Paprika.  A wonderful song where Michelle bangs a gong throughout.  I saw the gong on stage and said to my wife, I really hope we get to see the gong in action.  And lo, they started Paprika.  I was very impressed with my ability to manifest something like that.

Paprika was GREAT.  The sound was huge, the lights were massive.  Every time she hit the gong (which lights up) the stage lights lit up as well, flooding the venue.  It was fabulous.

It turns out that at the previous show, she ended the set with Paprika and Be Sweet as the encore.  So, it was pretty awesome that she ended this set with Be Sweet as well.  So, we missed half of the set (she started at 7:45, not 7:30) but we caught three of the best songs [still bummed about missing Road Head].

We had a nice chat with the women in front of us.  I asked them what songs we had missed since she had bought a Japanese Breakfast Tshirt (if she bought a shirt, she must be a fan).  But she told me that she didn’t know them at all but really liked the shirt.  And after seeing their set she was now a fan.  I love that.

♠ = For Melancholy Brunettes & sad women (2025)
⊗ = Sable soundtrack (2021)
♥ = Jubilee (2021)
§ = Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017)
¶ = Psychopomp (2016)