BRADIO brought back the funk at their explosive live at Zepp DiverCity Tokyo. It was the final show of their 2016 “FUNKASISTA TOUR ~PUMP UP FUNK~” and their last show of the year. The venue was packed and the crowd was ready to go.
With the curtains still closed, a projection of the galaxy flickered to life over it. Then one by one, the members’ silhouettes appeared larger than life and looming over the audience, who began screaming in excitement and anticipation. First drummer Tanabe Yuki, bassist Sakai Ryosuke, guitarist Oyama Soichi and finally, the unmistakeable afro of vocalist Shingyoji Takaaki.The curtains were dropped and they immediately brought the venue to life with the first song “Otona HIT PARADE”.
The members were all moving around the stage, dancing and getting the crowd involved. To the back of the stage, BRADIO’s backup singers Imani and Ebony stepped in time to the beat and their support keyboardist Okuno Daiki jammed in the back. At the end of that first song, Shingyoji officially introduced the band and welcomed everyone.
Sakai jumped onto the platform at the center of the stage kicking off “Heartbeat wo Uchinarase”. All the hands in the crowd lifted high and everyone started jumping and singing along. It was almost impossible not to get swept up into the energy and dance.The instruments all got a moment in the spotlight with a drum, then bass, then finally guitar solo. Each keeping the crowd screaming appreciatively.
At the start of “Flyers”, the ladies struck dynamic poses at each beat as a spotlight swept through the crowd, building the anticipation. As one of their more popular songs, the room was buzzing with life as everyone waved their hands for the chorus. This time Oyama grabbed the limelight with a wailing guitar solo.
They paused at the end and Shingyoji (still breathing heavily from all the dancing), asked the crowd,
“Are you funky? Are you happy?”.
To which everyone responded with enthusiastic cheers. He thanked them for making the tour a sold-out success and then they were ready to go again.
Purple lights set the stage for “Step In Time”, which was a slower and groovier number. It showed off Shingyoji’s impressive vocal range and inflections and the instruments were rich and clear.
They kept the pace mellow with “Yumemiru Energy” then took another break. Oyama told the crowd how happy he was from the success of the tour and he expressed the band’s desire to be number 1 in Japan.
Next was “Playback” which featured a melodic acapella intro from the backup singers. Shingyoji joined in and the three of them harmonized before the instrumentals wove themselves in. The result was a rich sound and relaxed performance with the crowd grooving and swaying.
Even when the music faded, Shingyoji kept vocalizing as he moved around the stage. Then they continued with “Gift” which led with a slow piano intro. Warm spotlights illuminated each of the members as the main melody came in. The lyrics to the song were displayed in simple font across the screen at the back of the stage adding to the stripped-down feeling of the whole performance.The crowd remained still, giving all their focus to the band.
They paused again and Shingyoji told the audience that the band had been trying to decide what to do for their final live of the year. They wanted to do something a little different and finally decided on an acoustic session. Chairs were brought out and everyone got comfortable. Oyama said that they were going to turn DiverCity into a cafe.
The song they chose was “Jasmine”. The bass thrummed through the venue and Shingyoji gave his vocals softer inflections, keeping the atmosphere mellow. For the chorus, Tanabe came in with his drums adding more power to the song. The crowd jumped in and started singing along. Shingyoji engaged the crowd, pointing out a member of the audience and flirting, making everyone laugh.
For the next song, the rest of the members left leaving Shingyoji and the keyboardist. Imani and Ebony came back out in sparkly dresses and made their way to the center of the stage, standing with him. They went into a smooth acapella harmony of “Chocolate Flavor” accompanied by a minimal and melodic piano melody. The three of them sang in unison then Shingyoji left the girls on the stage to serenade the crowd. Even without the band present, the audience gave their full support, cheering them on as they harmonized the rest of the song then left the stage.
The room went dark and the screen lit up with a pocket watch that started a ticking that echoed through the room. The hands on the clock started going backwards faster and faster as the face of the watch started to twist and warp. Then letters began to form in the background. The audience burst into cheers and applause when the letters rearranged themselves to form “Back to the Funk”.The band was back, head to toe in sparkling sequin outfits. Neon lights lit up the stage and everyone let loose for the performance. It would’ve been impossible to keep still.
They followed with “Golden Liar”, using the intro to get the crowd even more riled up with a call and response. The crowd kept moving; first dancing then pumping their fists in unison during the chorus. The vibe was pure, unbridled fun.
Then Oyama and Sakai took center stage having a guitar vs bass face-off. The two of them were determined to show off their cool factor and were even wearing matching sunglasses. The crowd screamed and cheered as they played one after the other, getting progressively more difficult.
They ended on the platform jamming out together then throwing their glasses into the crowd with a flourish.
Not to be outdone, there was a sudden crash from the drums. Then Tanabe went all out on the drums. He whipped the crowd into another frenzy, pounding away with seemingly unlimited energy.
Shingyoji went off to the side with the girls and they all started making praise gestures in response. Shingyoji strolled back to center stage and got the audience to make a pathway.
Then along with Oyama and Sakai, the three of them jumped into the crowd.
The audience could barely restrain their excitement and hands reached forward patting Shingyoji’s afro. They all stopped in the center of the crowd and took turns getting the room riled up with a variety of call and responses. Oyama and Sakai returned to the stage and in a moment of impulse did a quick game of rock, paper scissors and switched their instruments.
He returned to the stage, Oyama and Sakai switched back to their original instruments and they performed “Take Me Higher”. The disco ball lit up overhead and the members’ shiny outfits made them look like disco balls themselves. “Spicy Madonna” a definite crowd favorite had the venue breaking out and going crazy.
Oyama performed a “spicy” guitar solo, moving around the entire stage as he rocked out. The last song of the night was “FUNKASISTA”. There was no stopping the band or the crowd and they gave their full energy until the last note.
When the band left, there was an immediate call for an encore with a portion of the audience screaming “Afro!”
While they waited, a video flickered to life announcing a new album for 2017.BRADIO returned and treated the crowd to a performance of one of the songs from the album titled, “Freedom”. It was a groovy track with strong guitar riffs and by the end, the crowd had caught the rhythm and were dancing along. Still feeling the beat, Shingyoji sang the next MC, thanking the crowd through his unique voice.
Without stopping the music, they performed “Overnight Superstar” then finished the set with a bang, performing “Tonight! Tonight! Tonight! -Kessen wa Konya”. In between, the members expressed their wishes to continue being happy despite the difficulties because in turn, they wanted to keep making their fans and others just as happy.
The crowd couldn’t agree more and they ended the night with a round of photos and an “Afro jump”.
Setlist:
- Otona HIT PARADE (オトナ HIT PARADE)
- Heartbeat wo Uchinarase (ハートビートを打ち鳴らせ)
- Flyers
- Step In Time
- Yumemiru Energy (夢見る Energy)
- Playback
- Gift (ギフト)
- Jasmine
- Chocolate Flavor
- Back To The Funk
- Golden Liar
- Take Me Higher
- Spicy Madonna (スパイシーマドンナ)
- FUNKASISTA
Encore
- -Freedom- (New song)
- Overnight Superstar
- Tonight! Tonight! Tonight! -Kessen wa Konya (Tonight! Tonight! Tonight! -決戦は今夜-)
Photo credit: Yoshihito KOBA
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