Concert Review: Japanese Breakfast with Ginger Root at ACL Live at The Moody Theater
Japanese Breakfast ushered in its latest release with the first stop of ‘The Melancholy Tour’ on April 23 in Austin.
Written by Julianna Riccioli
Photos by Adalae Simpao
The Moody Theater in downtown Austin shimmered under oceanic blues and purples, setting the stage for a show as much about its nostalgic and dreamy vibes as it was about sound.
A little over a month ago, Japanese Breakfast — the musical outfit led by Michelle Zauner — released its fourth album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) on March 21, 2025. Since then, the group has performed at both weekends of Coachella in Indio, Calif., but this first Texas tour date officially kicked off the new album cycle with a bang, accompanied by opener Ginger Root.
The opening project, led by creator Cameron Lew, casually walked onstage at 7:59 p.m., and Lew made his way to a keyboard, his vocals filtered through a synthesizer. Ginger Root leaned into analog nostalgia, with two screens on either side of the stage projecting slightly grainy footage captured live by a touring member-turned-cameraman. The cameraman followed each member closely as they played, casting the footage for the audience to see in real time, adding a unique DIY charm to the performance.
The set opened with tracks “Better Than Monday” and “Karaoke” as purple lights flared across bassist Dylan Hovis and drummer Matt Carney. The songs built into a retro, synth-funk, and city pop-influenced performance, accented by short clips from Ginger Root’s film, “The End of SHINBANGUMI,” to elevate the set’s cinematic aesthetic. Lew engaged frequently with the crowd, including a playful call-and-response moment when he held up a melodica and asked, “Anyone know what this is?” After a few cheers, straight-faced, he said, “Yeah, I know. It’s called a ‘wooo’. So this next song requires me playing the wooo,” before launching into the groovy and blissful electronic 2022 track “Over the Hill,” blowing into the handheld keyboard’s mouthpiece.
Ginger Root’s “Giddy Up” felt like the perfect homage to the first show of the tour — a slightly Western, jangly-pop track that featured Lew miming swinging a lasso in the air and dedicating the song to the crowd, stating it was “Just for you, Texas.” The set wrapped up promptly around 8:45 p.m., and each member stayed behind to help break down their equipment, a fittingly humble and hands-on end to a high-energy opener that set the tone for the celestial and nautical main event to come.
Smoke began to rise onstage around 9:11 p.m., and just four minutes later, the lights dimmed as the band entered the stage. Zauner, vocalist and primary songwriter, emerged in a white, asymmetrical flowy dress, looking like a heroine straight off a pirate-romance novel pulp cover. She waltzed across the stage toward the bright, pink, glowing shell that rested in the center of the platform.
Opening with the gentle acoustic number and first track of For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women, “Here is Someone,” Zauner shifted the nostalgic mood ofGinger Root’s upbeat, ‘80s-reminiscent set to a dreamy, regretful one. Though the beginning felt slightly awkward, with long pauses between songs, the group found its rhythm as the concert progressed. The lights flickered behind Zauner like snapshots from a carousel projector, welcoming the crowd with a heartfelt greeting: “Thank you so much! This is our first show of ‘The Melancholy Tour.’ It's so great to be back. This is our first live show of our own after a year and a half.” Japanese Breakfast (or J-brekkie, as fans and its Instagram username call the band) continued with more songs from the newest album, with “Orlando in Love” and “Honey Water” sustaining the woeful, wistful theme that the tour title promises.
Following these tracks were the soulful “Road Head” and “Boyish,” layered over baroque-style piano from Soft Sounds from Another Planet, J-brekkie’s 2017 album. Acidic orange and lime lights represented the shift in tone as the romantic sounds of the tracks filled the theater. Red and orange lights continued to shine during “The Body Is a Blade,” reminiscent of Soft Sounds’ album cover, while purple spotlights cascaded across Zauner and other band members, guitarist Peter Bradley and bassist Deven Craige.
The performance aesthetics leaned fully into the tour’s theme — melancholy — with a stage evoking the ocean: Wave projections rippled across the backdrop, teal and purple spotlights simulated tides, and a glowing blue sign reading ‘Melancholy Inn’ illuminated the stage during “Men in Bars,” a track featuring actor Jeff Bridges. In the live version, Bridges’ part was sung by drummer Craig Hendrix, creating a sonically charged contrast between Zauner’s high, sweet voice and Hendrix’s luring, raspy one. As Zauner perched on a stool, a lantern emitting a soft blue glow rested next to her — a grounding light amid the smoky stage.
For the next track, Zauner returned to the glowing center-stage shell. As white spots of light cascaded across her figure, she played acoustic guitar while singing “Leda,” evoking heartache and dreary mythological dreaminess. Continuing through For Melancholy Brunettes, J-brekkie spun through the ballad “Little Girl” and “Mega Circuit,” a twangy song about, as Zauner put it, “incels.” “Slide Tackle” featured saxophone player Adam Schatz grooving alongside the staple band, with Zauner sauntering across the stage to the jolly Jubilee hit. Pink, purple, and orange lights returned, transitioning into a jubilant interlude followed by the upbeat “The Woman That Loves You” from the band’s debut album Psychopomp. “Winter in LA” cast the band in blue lights, with sleigh bells and violin adding emotional richness and a hint of a weather crisis to the hot Texas spring night.
As the main set closed with the lusting ballad “Posing In Bondage,” fans lingered in the warmth of the pink and yellow lights, dots of brightness dancing across the crowd like confetti in the wake of the performance. For the three-song encore, Japanese Breakfast burst back on stage with “Paprika” from Jubilee. Zauner pranced across the stage as the song swelled, striking a large gong-like drum on beat as blue lights bursted with each resounding hit. The song’s swelling arrangement felt both triumphant and communal, with fans appreciating each familiar lyric with cathartic claps. This joyful energy continued into “Be Sweet,” a sparkling synth-pop anthem that had the entire theater swaying along to the chorus, echoing, “Be sweet to me, baby / I wanna believe in you / I wanna believe / Be sweet.” The final song of the night, the cosmic “Diving Woman,” brought a powerful contrast that blossomed through the venue. Red lights and striking electric guitar from Zauner and Bradley carried through the theater, leaving the crowd basking in the cacophony of chords.
The first night of ‘The Melancholy Tour’ didn't just deliver melancholy, as promised, but funky city pop, nostalgia, and romantic longing. Like the themes spanning across Japanese Breakfast’s discography, The Moody Theater emanated with the evocative set that made everyone feel at home, like a piece of all of them were represented — not just the melancholy brunettes and sad women.