Mitski
Thursday night at The Echoplex served a killer night of fine fempresses. Headlining the evening was the enchanting songbird, Mitski, who just released her new album Puberty 2.
Supporting Mitski were two more incredibly talented acts led by females, Japanese Breakfast and Jay Som. Featured as one of Grimy Goods’ selections for the best Los Angeles concerts to catch in July, Mitski and company did not disappoint.
San Francisco native, Melina Duterte who performs under the moniker Jay Som, began the night with her slow jams. I don’t say jams lightly. Her lo-fi pop songs are self-written, recorded and mixed. This girl is a powerhouse of groove. With her smooth vocals you almost drift away in the music which I’m sure we can agree is the best.
Next up were Japanese Breakfast. These guys got the crowd going even more. Hailing from Brooklyn, Japanese Breakfast happily tore up the Echoplex stage. Leading lady, Michelle Zauner keeps it real. She proves the saying “great things come in small packages.” Her pride is gnarly. Their music is overall very melodic in the synth-boosted sounds. Ultimately dreamy. That doesn’t disregard the deep meaning behind her lyrics. Their debut album Psychopomp is written about Zauner’s struggles and tribulations in dealing with her mother’s cancer diagnosis and death. Japanese Breakfast truly are gems. Give them a strong listen.
Japanese Breakfast
Mitski! Mitski! Mitski! We all knew what was coming up next. Mitski, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter has taken the world by storm with her new album Puberty 2. Being her fourth studio album, she definitely had plenty of music to perform. You see a girl and her bass guitar, and what you get is rich, “adult-emo” music. She’s kind of the queen. I was personally attracted to her music a couple years back, and she has always delivered gold. With that said, Mitski is also pleasantly emotionally draining. The intensity in her sound is carried along with plea-begging breaths and some soft and heavy lyrics. Her performance at the Echoplex was just that — brilliant. Mitski took the time out to address that her songs are all written by her except for the stunning cover she performed, “How Deep is Your Love?” by Calvin Harris and Disciples. When a musician can cover a song and make it their own, I am in love. She did just that.
Humbled and thankful, Mitski let the audience know numerous times of her appreciation: “It means a lot that you’re here for the music. Thank you very much.”
Delivering an 11-song set, Mitski then stayed on stage as her guitarist and drummer left. “These are my encore songs,” she quietly shared. What came next was pure intimate bliss; slow and mesmerizing. That’s how I would describe her set. She is a force to be reckoned with, and will give you one incredible night of feels.
Words & Photography: Danielle Gornbein
Mitski
Mitski
Jay Som
Jay Som
Japanese Breakfast
Japanese Breakfast
