King Gnu, a Japanese pop band that is less than a decade old, closed out the main stage with a storm tonight. The crowd they brought in were comparable to that of Friday night’s RADWIMPS – if not larger than then. People kept pouring into every crevice (while maintaining social distance) of the Green Stage pit and lawn for well over an hour before the show even began.

When the lights finally dimmed and the band appeared on stage, so did a whole army of flames bordering the stage. A larger flame, resembling the one from the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, blazed high behind the band and continued to glow throughout the entire set.

With the first sounds of the guitar, the flames grew bigger and the band got louder. Quickly, King Gnu had taken up more space with their sound than the Green Stage could even offer them. It was an epic beginning.

With seizure-inducing strobe lights to the beat, quick witted lyrics and swift drumming, the performance was sharp with now a single beat missed. The set consisted of alternative rock, hip-hop/rap, and a few ballads all paired with a technicolor visual show. By the fourth song, the audience were all on their feet, grooving and clapping their hands to the beat.

By 10:10PM, 20 minutes before their anticipated end, the stage went quiet and dark except for the high burning flame. Minutes went by that felt like eternity. Many people left the set while the other half staggered having their bodies moving towards the exit but their heads towards the stage. It was an anxious five minutes trying to determine if there would be an encore or not.But at 10:15PM sharp, King Gnu members were back on stage. A little treat for those who stuck around for the anticipation.

After singing a ballad, vocalist Tsuneta Daiki – who also performed on Friday night with his other band, Millennium Parade – mentioned how King Gnu’s Fuji Rock debut was in 2017 at the rookie stage (Rookie A Go Go). To honor how far they’ve come, they ended their headlining set by playing “Summer Rain Diver” and quietly brought the hour and a half set to a close.