Bombye's tour is nearing its finale. The two weeks I spent with them since their arrival in Japan in May have been truly memorable. They showed me so many sights that I would never see in my everyday life. And the more time I spent with them, the deeper my feelings for them became.
The main stage of this tour was a performance at Shimokitazawa ADRIFT on Friday, June 6th.
Starting with deciding on the date, choosing the venue, planning the production, selecting the performers, arranging the equipment, and many other people's cooperation was required just to hold one performance. And it took a lot of time. It may have seemed like a long journey, but once we got started, the day arrived in the blink of an eye. With all that effort and passion, all the POOL SIDE staff couldn't help but look forward to the day.
Rehearsals take time because of the number of performers. In addition to enjoying the live performance, time is also spent preparing for the pool side pop-up so that the day of the concert can be fully enjoyed.
As the time approached 2pm, performers began arriving one after another, with the doors due to open at 5:30pm. At the same time, preparations for the merchandise booth at POOL SIDE also began to pick up speed.
When holding a performance at ADRIFT, we wanted to prepare a lineup that could only be found at POOL SIDE.
I absolutely did not want to miss out on the appearance of Hanah Spring and Kasahara Ruto, who also performed at our 5th anniversary event, because I believe they are "soul" singers who, like Nick, can reach people's hearts with their voices.
Sakuma Ryusei has performed with both of the other singers, and is a singer who can reach the heart with a slightly different voice than theirs. Although each of the three has their own unique charm and characteristics, the atmosphere they all exude is very clear and heartwarming.
We wanted to invite Captain Vinyl as a special guest and prepare a DJ set that would excite discerning music lovers. NORI and MURO's DJ sets are always exciting. He always creates a groove that is different from any other DJ. With the keywords "live performance by a Hawaiian artist" and "pool side event" as prefaces, I was really looking forward to his DJ set.
Of course, DJ KENTA was an essential presence in this live performance, performing the opening. He is an indispensable presence in the story that POOL SIDE envisions.
The performers began rehearsing, and time steadily progressed towards the start of the show. The audience slowly began to appear outside the venue, and I felt a sense of excitement as if to say, "It's finally here..."
While I was worried about whether the live show would be exciting and whether people would come, I was also looking forward to seeing how many people would go crazy after seeing Bombye's live performance.
Without even realizing how we felt, Bombye said he was going out for a walk in Shimokitazawa before the show started. Let's just keep it between us that Captain Vinyl and Bombye were the only ones who had left the venue to enjoy their time before the show started (laughs).
Now, preparations are complete for the main performance, ADRIFT.
The crowd was welcomed with a DJ set by opening act DJ KENTA. The crowd was filled with familiar faces from Shibuya's nightlife scene. His DJing appeal was such that even those who had seen his sets countless times returned for more. It's hard to find a DJ like him anywhere in Japan. The temperature in the venue was warm and humming.
The first half of the live show started with Ryusei Sakuma.
Originally from Okinawa, he has a refreshing and warm voice, and his singing style clearly reflects his gentle personality. His youthful talents, including vocal percussion, add to his appeal. The set list, which began with an up-tempo song and continued with a mellow ballad, kept the audience entertained.
Next up was Ruto Kasahara. As you know, he's a soul singer from Hokkaido, a place with a smoky aroma that's rare these days. His powerful singing voice and on-the-spot music style seem to share some similarities with Nick. Perhaps they're also similar in that they both have strong roots in their hometowns. He's also a fan of Nick Kurosawa.
His 2022 masterpiece "Walking Man" impressed many R&B fans. Considering that he has many other hits, including "ONE," a collaboration with Hokkaido rapper BIG JOE, his 20-minute performance may have seemed short.
Hanah's time finally begins. No one will be captivated by her acoustic singing and playing.
My first encounter with him was at the Keep Your Head Up Tour in Kamakura in 2022. During the long COVID-19 pandemic, people had lost a way to release their emotions for a long time. As restrictions gradually eased, I was shocked to see him perform with Kasahara-san right in front of my eyes. I feel like the impact was similar to the feeling I got when I saw Nick live. My heart was moved, and my eyes and ears were drawn to him.
Their duets "Mellow 90s" and "Keep Your Head Up" were spectacular. It's a funny story now, but the rock-paper-scissors battle that was hastily organized was also spectacular (lol).
Time flew by and it was Captain Vinyl's turn. The audience, who had drunk a fair amount, were intoxicated by the pleasant rhythm and sound. While the POOL SIDE staff were busy preparing for the Bombye live performance, the Bombye members themselves were dancing with all their might and enjoying themselves. It was a heartwarming sight, and it was clear to see that music was the key to their success. I felt that they were a familiar presence in everyday life. There's music playing, and if it's good music, you just enjoy it. That's probably how it feels. But this isn't just because they're from Hawaii.
Similarly, when I go to Los Angeles and see young people getting excited about the sound of Boz Scaggs in music bars, I think that while the influence of the language is certainly a factor, it's also because music has become a part of their lives.
Captain Vinyl occasionally selected Hawaiian music. Pool Side members who regularly listen to Hawaiian records couldn't help but raise their hands. It was truly an exquisite performance.
Five minutes before Bombye's performance, the crowd was still buzzing. They quickly gathered to check the timetable and setlist, but they were still eager to get on stage.
And then, the long-awaited Bombye performance began, and the story of the past few years flashed through my mind like a slideshow. The COVID-19 pandemic forced them to leave Hawaii for a period of time, putting their activities and releases on hold. While their environment and lifestyles have changed during that time, the fact that they're now performing on this stage made me deeply emotional, realizing how life is unpredictable and how we can see unexpected developments.
As the number of songs increased, Bombye's energy was also increasing. DJ KENTA, who was standing in the DJ booth, said, "Nick is at full throttle today." He muttered. I think that the people who have seen their live shows in person could tell that they were really excited.
Looking out at the crowd from backstage, some people were holding their breath, others were in tears, and everyone was looking at them with rapt attention. Many of the people who came to their ADRIFT performance had never even heard their songs, but they were captivated by their performance.
It may seem like a foregone conclusion now, but there was time prepared for an encore.
They were all very excited as they left the stage. It was the first time I'd ever seen Nick so excited, so they must have been enjoying the show.
I thought they would take a breather before returning to the stage, but they ignored our attempts to persuade them to stay and immediately returned to the stage with the same excitement. (That was too early...lol)
The encore song was the most popular of the tour, " The songs were "Grant Urismo " and the new song "Six Eight." The luxurious and fulfilling time just flew by. I'm sure everyone who was there felt the same way.
The brightly lit venue was filled with smiling customers.
Seeing that scene, it might sound like I'm bragging, but it really did seem like a great live performance.
Inviting artists from overseas to tour is risky and exhausting for a small company like POOL SIDE. They knew that from the start, but they wanted to spread their music and have people empathize with them through their music. That's the kind of moment they wanted to experience.
I have nothing but respect for their existence and music, which makes me think that way.
The next day was the tour finale...
Before that, they made a guest appearance at the Your Song Is Good Billboard Tokyo solo live. I wonder how many different views they will show me.