The stage changed from the yellow hues of the lamps to pink lights on one side of the stage, and blue on the other as Obukuro began singing a love song; it felt as though the man and woman were singing to each other. The gospel-inspired R&B music was layered on with hip-hop and the DJ. Obukuro, as well as his backup singers’ vocal ranges are absolutely one of the best that were heard all weekend at the festival.

Once there was a pause in the music, Obukuro made note that he just returned from England, after 3 months of his tour. Fuji Rock ’22 concludes his tour and he asked the audience if it would alright to open a can of beer at the end of his set, since he hasn’t drank over the tour. He also exclaimed that he turned down live streaming for his set from the festival because “my music isn’t meant to be watched on a computer screen,” and he praised the crowd for turning down big-namers, Superorganism (who were playing at the same time on the White Stage), to be at his musical experience all the way out in the countryside of Niigata.

His set transformed from Sunday-morning gospel to deeper, darker beats heard at clubs as the sun began to set. Whether people were there to wind down after a long, hot weekend, or to start off their long night ahead, Obukuro provided the perfect amount of musical entertainment.

Obukuro is the CEO of Tokyo Recordings, which has produced acts such as Wednesday Campanella and Kou Shibasaki. He has also co-produced music with famous Japanese American musician, Hikaru Utada (which was briefly rumored to be a secret act at Fuji Rock this year).

1 – Ei Wada Electronicos Fantasticos
When I said these are not in any particular order, I lied. Because number one was Ei Wanda’s Saturday Night Naeba Shokudo performance. Feeling like a festival put on by and performed for broken appliances, it was something that needed to be seen to be believed. Pure weirdo magic.

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2 – Dinosaur Jr
This was the show I was looking forward to the most, and it did not disappoint. I have been a fan of Dinosaur Jr since I was a teenager, and to see them and have them still be this good was a total dream come true. J Mascis Rules.

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3 – Terry Riley with Sara Miyamoto – Everything and Beyond
It was super cool to see a legend like Terry Riley perform in the flesh, and even cooler to see him perform with my friend Sara Miyamoto. My only request would have been for a little more cloud cover because boy was it hot! But that didn’t stop it from being an amazingly good time.

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4 – Otoboke Beaver
I love this band. I have been a fan since they just started over a decade ago, and they rule every time. I am happy to see them get the attention they deserve, and I was super pumped to find out that they were the secret pre-festival artist on Thursday night. Sex, shibazuke and rock n’ roll!

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5 – The Weather
It didn’t really rain! Unprecedented! It was hot, but not too hot, perhaps a little too sunny, but at no point was I suffering with wet socks and a wet phone all huddled into my rain gear. Thank you Naeba!

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Hopes for Next Year
Bring back the Oasis bakery! Having a croissant or some kind of pastry in the morning helps keep me sane, and Fuji Rock this year had a shortage of bread keeping me happy. Runner up is bring back the artist name pun cocktails now that alcohol is back. A Jack White Russian? Tom Michelada? Mog-wine cooler? Lemon Dino-sour Jr? The possibilities are endless!

Set opener To the Bin My Friend started melodic and restrained, but anyone who knows Mogwai knows that restraint is a judiciously used property. Once the full band kicks in there is a sound you don’t hear so much as feel. And that, my friends, is the magic of Mogwai. Music you feel. Seismic music.

Their second song, I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead provided a cold and bleak soundtrack to what had been up until now a bright and sunny day. But like vengeful spirits Mogwai called for rains in Naeba, called for moors. Cold and heavy.

The crowd got into things when the band started Hunted by a Freak, with its clear guitar lines and very unclear vocals. Again, the end of the world viewed from a snow dusted moor. And a heavy one at that.

How to be a werewolf saw the set rise up and get a little cheerful for a moment. Pulsating synths and jangling guitars. Ritchie Sacramento also got a big rise out of the crowd, perhaps because it was again a song with vocals. But beyond simply that it was a banger and Mogwai nailed it.

It was brought up during the set that Mogwai were making their 22 year anniversary return to the Red Marquee tonight. I can’t imagine a better place at Fuji Rock for them. Their home here will hopefully always be open to them, and trust in heaven that we’ll have them back again soon.

Vocalist and guitarist Remi Matsuo has a voice that is undeniably made for rock. She has the signature raspiness to her voice with all the power necessary to throw her melodies across a crowd. Compared to the studio recorded versions, she sounds just as amazing live! Lead guitarist Hiroki Kamemoto is just as impressive with how he jumps across frets to deliver the sickest guitar solos. These two complement each other so well and their partnership really shone through their performance.

In between sets, the two shared small anecdotes and conversed with the audience. It gave a very friendly and intimate vibe! They both expressed their extreme gratitude to be back at Fuji Rock, making their return for the first time since 2018. Not a lot of artists made conversation the way GLIM SPANKY did. Kamemoto asked the audience about their personal experiences with festivals and Matsuo asked how everyone’s health was, seeming genuinely concerned about everyone’s wellbeing.

The two seem very considerate of others based on these interactions, but their care goes far past just their fans. During the set, they took time to introduce and thank all of the members of the band like the drummer and keyboard player. Even the lighting crew got a shoutout on their instagram story later that day! They are very cognizant of other people’s work in a way that is rare to see to this degree with other artists.

Matsuo noticed and pointed out the rainbow sprawled across the sky to the audience mid way through the set. She made a charming comment about how this rainbow is blessing us all to have good luck throughout the weekend. This just goes to show that wherever GLIM SPANKY goes, the good vibes follow.

Fire EX. first formed in the year 2000 including members Yang Ta-Cheng (Sam) on vocals, Chung-U-Chen (ORio) on guitar, Chen Jing-Yuan (JC) on bass and Ke Guang (KG) on drums. Today, lead singer Sam said “We spend 22 years to get here. I wanna cry.” The crowd was moved by his graciousness and appreciation.

Last time Fire EX. was slated to perform, Covid had unfortunately canceled all of their shows for that year. Their fifth album had just been released and they were very excited to perform the songs they worked so hard on, but sadly the universe had other plans. Now after two years, they can finally perform their pieces from UNSUNG HEROES and all of their new releases since then. In particular, they said their song The Light was special to them and they were excited to get the chance to perform it.

Their phenomenal stage presence brings a smile to your face. The band’s constant dancing and interaction makes them incredibly entertaining to watch. They clearly take their performance into account because one song in their set required all of the singers to stay put and harmonize while playing, so they could not move around and interact with the audience as much. Then for their next song, they brought out a fifth guest guitarist to play Sam’s part so he could move around while singing. Although ORio and JC had to stay by their mic stands, you can tell they added the fifth member to keep the energy high and the audience engaged.

They made up for lost time not performing by making this set as special as possible. The guest singers, musicians and humble enthusiasm made for a great show!