Photographed by Bridget Schaefer, Meccay Photography, for Rise.Tuesday August 3, 2021 – Anthology in Rochester.

Japanese Breakfast set out on tour earlier this summer. They hit the road block we’re all facing – COVID. Obviously. The band’s first two albums gained traction which has only grown with the release of their third album, Jubilee. Plus, lead singer Michelle Zauner released her memoir in April 2021 which casually debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestselling list and has gathered major praise in the past few months. So, faced with a tour of sold out shows, including a stop in Rochester, Japanese Breakfast made a decision in the right direction. All concert goers must show proof of vaccination and wear a mask throughout the shows. And look at that – we all survived. Masks on, we danced and screamed and sang at the top of our lungs.

Movement, texture and pure joy flowed from the stage. Experiencing live music again is something not one of those 500 or so attendees will probably ever take for granted again.