Mono no Aware (pronounced “MO-NO no AH-WAH-LEH”) delivered a solid one-hour set of indie rock similar to Vampire Weekend, with a distinctly Japanese flair.

Without even stopping in between the first two songs, the lead singer quickly said “thank you!” to which the audience applauded, as Mono no Aware ploughed into their next number; built around jangly single-coil guitars, winding bass, and heavy kick and floor-tom action. This four-piece is an outfit that entertains no artifice, and takes no prisoners. It is here to deliver anthemic, clean rock, in as pure a manner as possible. And, the thousands of fans both inside and outside of the Red Marquee hung on their every word and note; dancing in place, swaying from side to side, and throwing the occasional fist in the air.

After taking a few seconds of break in between their second and third number to thank the audience (and presumably to check their tuning) Mono no Aware were off again, with a track that – while distinctly Japanese – bore a heavy influence from David Byrne or the Talking Heads; apart from the largely hip-hop drumming. As soon as I wrote that sentence, the drummer broke into a rhythm which seemed distinctly borrowed from taiko music; as if to defy any expectations.

In between their third and fourth song, the lead singer took a breather to name his band, and to thank the audience for coming out. After the crowd applauded, Mono no Aware jumped into a largely funky number with a disco feel and Red Hot Chili Pepper rap-like vocals on the verses. The lyrics, however, seemed to contain many Japanese tongue twisters. In truth, as their performance drew on, it became apparent that Mono no Aware’s aesthetic intentionally leaned on their cultural heritage. And, as this latest song came to an end, the band received perhaps the most enthusiastic round of applause at this year’s Fuji Rock, so far.

Bathed in pink lighting from overhead, with their colorful logo on a black screen behind them, Mono no Aware then tore into another lively number, like a hybrid between surf guitar and traditional Japanese music; by way of country harmonies. In short, this band are masters of “musicology”. Their appreciative fans held fists in the air, as a symbolic declaration of victory for their heroes.

Twenty-two minutes into their set, Mono no Aware launched into yet another energetic indie rock tune, which blended Japanese festival music and surf guitar.

Almost half-way through their stage time, the band started a number whose intro borrowed a lot from The Cure (who performed here in 2019) – but whose verses bore more of a resemblance to Death Cab for Cutie – as the smoke behind them lit up with blue light, and white searchlights scanned them from above. As Cure-like leads echoed out during a breakdown, it was apparent that more and more fans had started crowding the open space outside the venue. As Mono no Aware then kicked into a loop of the chorus to end the song, and the lights above them burned bright yellow, fists of their fans punctuated each beat. And then, the tune’s last bit of delay blended into the leads of the following song’s intro.

With twenty minutes left in their set, Mono no Aware took a few minutes to thank their fans for coming, to warn them to be careful in the rain, and to ask them to enjoy the rest of the festival. The crowd then erupted into an extended thunderous wave of applause.

As only fourteen minutes remained in their set time, the stage lights above the band’s heads exploded in bursts of white, as Mono no Aware ploughed through a mid-tempo number with heavy tom fills on the pre-choruses, as well as sixteenth-note helicopter delay on the guitar for the choruses. The large crowd standing before them danced joyously to the vigorous music, and raised their fists in support during the anthemic choruses; which seemed to be about their love for Tokyo; as the city’s name was repeated over and over again in a gang-vocal style.

As thunder cracked outside before the last song, the band took a short break to thank the audience; not only thanking those present physically, but also those who could not be here in person today. The lead singer then said the next song would be the last of their set this afternoon. As they drove through an indie rock number deeply steeped in a “vintage Japanese” flavor, thousands of fans swayed gently from side to side, or lightly bobbed at the knees to each beat. One fan in a black baseball cap, a black t-shirt, and a yellow Tower Records towel around his neck, nodded his head and rocked out in place as if overcome by memories of better times. Another male fan behind him – in a black rain hat and a blue raincoat – kept his right hand in the air almost for the entire number. As the track finally ended, and the lead singer calmly said, “Domo, arigatou!” thunderous applause erupted in the venue; so loud that it drowned out the falling rain outside.