The heavy rain that had been falling since last night finally stopped before dawn. After the rain, Nagoya was sunny and clearer than usual. It was a pleasant morning.
After their first live show in Nagoya, they returned to the hotel and fell asleep as soon as they got back, probably from exhaustion. Nick ended up sleeping on the living room floor. It's no wonder, considering they had a long drive, a live show without a moment to catch their breath, and they didn't get back to the hotel until after 11pm.
Surrounded by beautiful sunny weather, I took them on a sightseeing trip to Nagoya Castle before the concert. Even though they had come to Japan, they had never been to a spot that truly felt like "the Japanese thing." I could tell that Sam and Andrew were amazed by the castle and stone walls they were seeing for the first time. While they are artists, they are also tourists visiting Japan to enjoy the country. Andrew, who was very satisfied after purchasing souvenirs and sweets, was probably the MVP of the morning.
The performance on May 25th (Sun) starts at 1pm. We quickly leave Nagoya Castle and head to the venue.
When I arrived at the venue, opening DJ Sumire was doing a sound check. Affectionately known as "Sumire-chan" by the POOL SIDE crew, she was one of the people who started DJing because of POOL SIDE. She's always up to the task of showing up at important events, and this time she made the effort to be there for Bombye's live performance.
She always has her own standards of judgment and actively contributes to things she believes are good. She travels from Nagoya to Tokyo at her own expense to appear at every event, and she is one of the people with a story to tell about the Nagoya performance. She is surely one of POOL SIDE's important friends.
As the doors opened, Sumire welcomed the crowd with a slow jam set. Just like yesterday, there were people who had traveled from far away to see the show. It was a truly joyous moment.
The concert kicked off with an MC by MC ISO. The venue was united with Aiko Sugawara's solo performance. The venue was enveloped in a warm mood, different from last night, when Bombye appeared.
As it was a Sunday daytime live, tickets sold better than the Saturday night live, and the turnout was also good. Bombye is good in the night scene, but seeing them in the daytime scene is also different and pleasant. It was a moment when I was reminded once again that they exude the vibe of Hawaiian artists.
The concert went smoothly. However, halfway through, I noticed that the setlist was completely different from the previous night. To put it simply, they were playing a "daytime" setlist. In addition to the titles from their Bound days, they also played titles by Ohtoro and Nick Kurosawa.
When talking about Nick, one person who cannot be left out is the Hawaiian beatmaker "Ohtoro." Nick relies on Ohtoro as a trustworthy older brother, and it is no exaggeration to say that Ohtoro's music is widely distributed in Japan, spreading Nick's name widely. This is the reality of Nick's own musical activities in Hawaii.
I think arranging and performing his track as Bombye shows respect for him and how important it is to the song as it connects Nick to Japan.
The moment I heard the intro, my eyes met with Shimizu from Connect Records. The reason why I associated Connect Records with POOL SIDE was because of Ohtoro and Nick's title.
The live performance in Nagoya ended in the evening as the sun began to set.
There was a calm and warm atmosphere. It was probably the first time for most people to see Bombye live. I'm sure it was a performance that satisfied everyone there. Everyone's expressions were soft.
Bombye is not only fast to set up, but also fast to take down.
While I was still basking in the afterglow, Nick called out to me, "I'm ready to go anytime!" I couldn't help but reply in Japanese, "That's too early (lol)." lol
After the live performance, a long drive to Tokyo awaits.
After a quick greeting, he quickly left the venue.
"Oh! I want to go to the convenience store!" said Andrew.
On the way back on the highway, I enjoyed the drive with a Red Bull and a Dorayaki in hand.
The sky was a vibrant mix of orange and blue, an indescribable color. The photographer sitting next to me in the front row pointed his camera at the sky. It was a beautiful sky.
We arrived in Tokyo around 11pm.
Their next performances are Nick's solo show on Saturday, May 31st, and their appearance at Nihonbashi JAZZ FES. I felt a bit sad to be away from their sound for a while. It was a very intense two days experiencing their music.