1 – Jack White
There’s nothing else I can do than to bow down to this man. I grew up listening to The White Stripes, but I hadn’t paid too much attention to Jack White since those days (Sorry, man). But after seeing him perform right from the pit, I have newfound respect and love for him. Not only was his whole stage setup (black, white, and blue!) iconic, I couldn’t stop my jaw from dropping every time he riffed his guitar; nonetheless, with his eyes closed for the majority of the time. It was an honor and a joy to experience the musical genius perform at Fuji Rock!

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2 – Japanese Breakfast
I’ve been waiting to see Michelle Zauner perform in person for so long, and I sure wasn’t disappointed. I’ve followed Japanese Breakfast since the beginning, mostly drawn by the band name and shocked to find out that she wasn’t Japanese, but Korean American instead. What’s race got to do with it? Well, as a fellow mixed-race Asian-American, she represents someone like myself, doing something she loves and being an incredible creator. She recently added “author” to her many titles and boy, did her novel “Crying in H Mart” really hit a note with me. So again, just being in the same space as her was a dream of mine, and to see/hear her live on top of that was fantastic. The ultimate peak was when the band played their Fleetwood Mac cover of “Dreams”. I got goosebumps!

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3 – Global metal bands
There’s something abut coming to Fuji Rock that makes me feel like I’m cool enough for heavy metal. Last year, I covered Japanese metal band, SiM and was hooked. So this year, I made sure to check out both Bloodywood from India and The Hu from Mongolia. Not only was it awesome to support bands that came to the festival from so far away, it was seriously spectacular to watch them perform this genre of music while incorporating sounds from their home countries.

BLOODYWOOD REPORT
THE HU REPORT

4 – Return of Thursday and evening fun
It’s so good to have Fuji Rock’s old traditions back. Last year, we barely had much of a celebration on Thursday night besides the fireworks. But this year, we had the Bon Odori as well as the special guest artists performing at the Red Marquee. People flocked to Oasis for some food and fun, and I could see many happy faces who were probably reunited at and with Fuji Rock for the first time in three years. While music stopped at midnight last year (sigh), this year, it went long into the night, which have always been some of my best memories of Fuji Rock, so I’m glad the late-night fun was back again. Let’s *hope* that Crystal Palace will be back by next year!

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5 – New food and drink options
Speaking of food, there were quite a few new vendors this year. While it’s always great to come back to the same delicious stalls, I loved being able to try new dishes. I especially loved the all-vegan food stall, Righteous Burger. The vendors themselves were so excited to be there, too! There were new drink stalls, like Iichiko sake and the Highball bar. They even served up a special “Fuji Rock Highball” which was rimmed with salt and kinako (roasted soybean flour) that I’m still drooling over now!

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Hopes for Next Year
1. Water re-fill stations: In an effort to look out for festival goers and Fuji Rock’s value in sustainability, I really hope to see water re-fill stations in the future. This year was especially *HOT* and I had to witness some folks struggling from heatstroke. The last thing we want is for people to have to cut their weekend short due to the lack of water supply at the festival. Fuji Rock branded steel water bottles and refill stations all around the grounds? Yes please!

2. Merch tent expansion and education for bringing kids to music festivals: How do these two topics go hand in hand, you say? I’ve noticed that not enough young children were wearing protective noise-canceling ear muffs. I even saw a girl suffering because her ears hurt. At western festivals, ear muffs for kids is a must, and I hope to see Fuji Rock continue to be an advocate for safe and ethical festival fun for the whole family. If we had merch tents in more than one spot (i.e. in front of the main entrance), not only would there be less queueing, families would be able to buy the Fuji Rock branded ear muffs no matter where they are inside the grounds.

– JPEGMAFIA

I’m glad JPEGMAFIA’s assault-on-the-senses White Stage performance went down on Friday afternoon instead of late in the weekend because I don’t know if my tired body could have handled all the bone rattling bass, skittering chopped up beats and ear-splitting, lightning quick scream-rap three days into a festival. My brain can’t seem retain any memory of a particular highlight, probably because the whole set was just pure non-stop energy. He ended each song drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, and he made sure we were all right there along with him. In terms of raw and in-your-face edginess, nothing else I saw this year came close. It hurt so good.

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– DONGURIZU

I had honestly never heard of wild and wacky hip-hop duo DONGURIZU until hours before their Saturday Red Marquee appearance, but I got intrigued after clicking on a youtube video of the pair’s pulsating hip-house floor filler “NO WAY” and decided to find out what they were all about. It ended up being the most fun I had the whole weekend. The reason? Rapper Mori and producer Chomo were up there having even more of a blast than I was.

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– MURA MASA

I’m always impressed by Mura Masa’s ability to hand pick his collaborative vocalists from a smorgasbord of worldwide backgrounds with unmatched skill. Rough-around-the-edges Slowthai’s grime/punk in “Deal Wiv It”, Charli XCX’s ultra-catchy bubblegum pop on “1 Night” and the Jamaican dancehall floor-filler “Blessing Me” with Pa Salieu + Skillibeng all draw from vastly different musical influences. Then HOW IN THE WORLD did only two women (guest vocalists Fliss and Cosha) channel the personalities of all these wildly diverse performers so perfectly and still inject their own vibrant persona and flair into each and every song? Big-time hats off to these two majorly talented ladies. Plus we got some sneaky previews of upcoming, yet-to-be-released material which also sounded fantastic.

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– DINOSAUR JR

Though I know their bigger hits well enough from back in the day, I wouldn’t exactly call myself a Dinosaur Jr fan. But with all the original members performing on stage together and the fact that they’re a literal living legend of a band still going hard today, you didn’t have to be a Dinosaur Jr super-fan to truly appreciate and understand the gravity of what was going down.

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– KIKAGAKU MOYO

Kikagaku Moyo is one of those bands that have found greater success overseas than in their own native Japan. I count myself lucky to have witnessed one of their final performances and was impressed by their distinctive and complex building jams, so much so that felt surprisingly easy to lose yourself in their meandering, swirling structures. Though it seems their time as a group is quickly coming to a close, as skilled and talented as they all are, I’ll bet we can expect some very interesting solo work from these adept musicians.

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– HOPES FOR NEXT YEAR

Please please please bring back Palace of Wonder. I understand that in these trying times we can’t have massive crowds packed into smaller enclosed venues, but I’ll cry real tears if the offbeat atmosphere of the Crystal Palace Tent and accompanying Palace of Wonder area are lost and gone forever. Also, dropping in on Jim’s Vinyl Nasium in its beloved shack-type form near Naeba Shokudo was always a late-night treat. I want that back, if Jim is up for it. If we’re going to talk performers for next year, I’d like to kindly request invites sent out to HAIM, Jungle, Parcels, Frank Ocean, Brockhampton, Hot Chip, Still Woozy, Vaundy and a group_inou reunion for 2023. Oh, and an exact repeat of this year’s near-perfect weather would be nice.

Their set was shortly after the rain had cleared, so more people finally came out to enjoy them right in the open-air pit.

At first, Cody Lee’s songs gave off retro pop vibes as well as funk groove. Lyrics transpired relatable Tokyo scenes – simple joys like walking along the streets of Shinjuku or waiting for friends at a train station – right onto the stage in Naeba.

“There’s a special feeling in being able to experience Fuji rock in person,” said the male lead, Hibiki Takahashi, “we want to end the set with a song that gives you the same feeling as the first time you meet someone you really begin to like.”

The band kept up the same happy energy as when they first started, although their music was much more heavy rock by the end. To witness that transition and to still somehow keep a consistent sound that reflects the band is impressive.

The lead singer/rapper/poet/flute player, yutaozaki told the audience that this is their first time performing at a festival, and how it’s an honor to have it be Fuji Rock.

The set began with the captivating sounds of yutaozaki’s flute, which is classically trained. As the drums (Suga Akase) and bass (Ryo Yonemitsu) join, yutaozaki switched to rapping lyrics as beja on keyboard joined the rest in their song titled “the ray of youth”.

The band prides themselves in each member having a unique and original sound, and what brings them all together is the flute at front and center. For their second song, “ubiquitous”, more jazz influences are heard even among the rapping by yutaozaki.

As the stage lights turned red, so did the music with darker and heavier tones to match the mood. The second half of the set included various musical monologues by yutaozaki singing, rapping, and talking about the struggles of the pandemic and the beauty to play in front of an audience. Peaceful bells created a sense of pause over the second half before he dove back into an poetic monologue about life. This, titled “Do you head the hymn?” concluded the newcomer band’s set.

All in all, the band brought a new breath of “poetic justice” to the stage and the festival, as they experimented with various genres from jazz to rock to rap to classical.

This year, they appeared on the White Stage at the perfect time – sunset. Whilst the sky turned hues of orange and pink, they began their set with “SE aftergrows”.

The band’s eclectic sounds some from the mixture of using the steel percussion, giving them a tropical vibe, and combining it with techno and club sounds. It makes one feel as if they’re both on the beach and inside a club at the same time in smooth transitions that transport its listeners to another dimension.

This time on stage, they also brought on a harp to accompany the trio in a melodic harmony that married the sounds of the steel drums, harp, and electronic tunes. At the peak of the show, D.A.N. played “Native Dancer” as the crowd swayed to the sounds. The set wrapped up with “No Moon” and “Tempest”, as the sky continued to turn darker and off they sent the audience – put in a trance – to the evening of the first night.

As the closing set on the Green Stage on Saturday night, the set started off with an epic guitar riff by White. Artistically, the screens on both sides of the set showed black and white videos from the stage, while the stage itself was lit in blue; White wore a blue shirt and flung his messy blue hair around as he barely opened his eyes while gliding his fingers across his sparkly blue guitar.

He played his single, “Tip From You to Me” from his new album titled “Entering Heaven Alive”. The backdrop was sprinkled with stars while White’s silhouette floated around. There was an all-white statue of a man with a guitar on stage that White would sometimes sing to; a unique prop that made the audience curious (who is he? What does it mean?).

When “Fell in Love With a Girl” came on, everyone screamed and started dancing like happy maniacs.

For a minute, White stepped off stage. While the crowd waited, everyone started chanting, clapping, and singing the intro to “Seven Nations Army” – an iconic White Stripes song. When White came back on stage though, he played “Steady As She Goes” as the crowd swayed back and forth. In a extended version of the song, he even whispered into the statue’s ears.

The backdrop continued to displayed various imagery all in the same tone of blue. Then, a realistic tiger appeared, who was treading back and forth and upside down. At the same time, the band began to play “Seven Nation Army’ and the crowd began to sing along right away. In the version that lasted about six minute, not a second went by where you couldn’t see big smiles on everyones faces.

White left the scene after saying “God Bless You Japan and Fuji Rock, arigato gozaimasu”. We were left in shock after; was that for real? Did that epic set just happen? One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend, possibly drawing the largest crowd, White and his band delivered an unforgettable set that we’ll look back in for years to come.

Their live performance today at Fuji Rock marks one of the first performances of the band’s newest album titled Life is Yours. The album is so new, in fact, that the music video of the title track Life is Yours was released just two days ago. Go check it out here!

FOALS played a couple of songs from the new album, including the single 2am. The song was released only six months ago, but it already has over 10 million streams on Spotify. And although it was an incredible performance of an incredible song, today’s audience was far more invested in hearing the old classics from the band’s ample repertoire.

Spanish Sahara had people jumping out of their seats at the beat drop, Mountain at My Gates was a major people pleaser, and as previously mentioned, My Number was very well received. The end of the set was super memorable with Philippakis coming down to ground level to play amongst the crowd. He even took a selfie with a fan while shredding it on their rock song What Went Down. Drummer Jack Bevan was also working the crowd by throwing out some of his drum sticks to the crowd! I’m sure he created core memories for the lucky few who caught his drum sticks.

The last couple of songs were sparse with vocals, instead opting to heighten drama and end the set with a bang! What Went Down and Two Steps, Twice were the exact types of songs you imagine when you think of epic rock music. FOALS gave their fans exactly what they wanted! Let’s hope they don’t have to wait eleven years to come again like last time.

A lot of nostalgia was evident throughout the audience, with a large crowd overflowing the pit, to hundreds dancing all the way in the back woods.

They opened their set with “Hana” garnering immediate response from the crowd as they continued to gather in dozens every second. By their third song, “Locolotion” many were standing out of their chairs to move to the beat and hip-bump with their besties who remember their music as kids or young adults.

They even unveiled their new single, “Kiri Saite Fuu” which proves how their long two-decade history doesn’t hinder them from continuing to make music. Members continued to make note of how amazed and grateful it is to play at Fuji Rock – no other than Green Stage – and for so many people showing up in support.

Midway through the set, the mood shifted from party to influential as they talked about Okinawa’s history. This year is a “turning point year” for the southernmost island of Japan, as it marks 50 years since the war and U.S. occupation ended, which are historical events that deeply affected the locals. “[As Okinawans] We’re the last generation to hear the war stories of Okinawa from our grandparents, and we want to pass those stories and messages down to the next generation,” they said, before they played “Ryukyu Wind” with lyrics that inspire said messages.

The band went on to play their funky song, “Sushi Tabetai” about eating sushi, loving Japan, and sometimes cheating on the national food with pizza. Perhaps there’s a hidden message there? But whatever it may be, it rallied the crowd as many raised their hand to show their love for the country (in a light-hearted way). By this time the crowd couldn’t stop waving their arms in the air and some, even rolling on the ground out of excitement — truly a crowd pleasing set!

By “Shanghai Honey,” one of their most famous songs, everyone waved their towels in the air (many having actual towels, some waving air towels) and the crowd looked like one colorful and succinct wind.

Again, Orange Range thanked their fans, and fans truly thanked them back in one of the best “blast from the past” sets of this year yet.

This politically-charged band made waves at this year’s festival (for those who understood English) with their advocacy for following one’s dreams and against sexual assault, just to name a few.

Bloodywood’s set began with explosive drums and lyrics in both English and Hindi. While flailing their hair and classic metal manner and wearing traditional Indian-wear (for some members), the band members interacted with the crowd throughout the set in inspiring fashion.

While chanting and hip thrusting, the band sent out a message first, on journalistic freedom and freedom of speech. They then went on to send out a message: “…Lifetime of trying is a better feeling then a lifetime of what ifs….set out on the impossible dream [like we have] and follow the dreams of your own…because you’re not meant for tomorrow; you’re meant for today.” While accompanying the tunes with a flute, traditional drums, as well as guitar and drums.

Lead singer and founder, Karan Katiyar encouraged the crowd to join in on their message by singing along in a melody of “oooh”’s as the band went on to talk about “predators” meaning sexual predators that we must combat. “They hide between us and prey on the weak…have the difficult conversations with friends and family and [gain visibility] in the public [about the issue].” They even quoted Martin Luther King Jr. encouraging riots — in the sense that society must make big statements to overcome issues — together and as individuals.

More on Bloodywood:
An Indian metal band formed in 2016, Bloodywood began as a parody band for pop-songs-turned-metal that gained traction on YouTube. Once they started writing their own music, there are still remnants of their old tunes that match the energy of their influences such as Linking Park, Raise Against the Machine, System of the Down, and Limp Bizkit as they combine traditional Bollywood sounds with screamo and rap.