Michelle Zauner’s last visit to Summerfest as Japanese Breakfast was in 2023 and she toured off of the success of her Grammy-nominated 2021 album “Jubiliee” and her best-selling memoir, “Crying in H Mart.”

This year, she returned following the spring release of “For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)” And if you were lucky enough to catch her 85-minute Japanese Breakfast set on Saturday night at the BMO Harris Pavilion at Summerfest, you caught her at a very special moment in time. 

She arrived on stage with a lantern, which she lit and placed down on the stage before beginning the performance of their first two songs, “Here is Someone” and “Orlando.” 

It was surely the sign that we were about to embark on a personal journey together.

What the crowd may not have known at that point is that her crew had just returned from a 14-hour flight from Seoul, Korea, which is where she moved in December of 2023 to work on what turned out to be the album "For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)"

“Milwaukee, it’s good to see you again,” she said, “But there are SO MANY bugs on this stage… We just flew 14 hours to be here, and it’s so worth it. We’re a little jetlagged, but once my lantern gets it together, we’ll be set.”

Her voice trailed off as the lantern that she’s been carrying with her on tour flickered back on again and Zauner seamlessly transitioned into a lush rendition of “Honey Water”.

But that’s not all you missed if you didn’t catch the Japanese Breakfast show last night.

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Zauner’s stage presence

The “For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)” album itself signals a safe space for vulnerability. And during her Summerfest show, Zauner used the power of live performance to invite the audience to connect emotionally with the pervasive themes of sorrow, longing and healing. 

Though restrained on the recording, her voice soared as she performed “The Body is a Blade”, and it evoked chills as she performed songs like “Kokomo, IN” and “Posing in Bondage”. And while she didn’t tell as many personal stories during the show as she often does, she didn’t fail to bring the audience into her world, creating an intimate connection that somehow felt personal.

The magic of live music

If there’s one thing that never fails to impress, it’s the talent of Zauner and her band. From glittery synths and punchy drums to saxophone and violin solos, the soundscape they present is impressive. Zauner played guitar for nearly every song and when she got to the encore, she positively shredded it during the performance of “Posing for Cars.”

From there, it was the enhanced arrangements featuring extended sax solos, synth layers, violin and gong that took her performance well beyond the studio tracks, elevating the live experience and making the performance feel as if was truly something special.

The gong

One of the things that’s just a little bit different at every Japanese Breakfast show is also one of the most cathartic moments of their set. The gong isn’t just a sound effect in the song “Paprika,” it’s both an emotional and theatrical release. And Zauner approached with just as much enthusiasm as ever. (You can catch a few clips of her performance, including the gong, on my Instagram feed).

Communal catharsis 

If you’re a fan of Japanese Breakfast, you’ve likely been pulled in by Zauner’s melancholic resiliency. And her Summerfest performance was filled with “sad girl” energy, a powerful mix of vulnerability, yearning, grief and quiet strength.

“Anyone else here who hasn’t cried in 10 years, except on a Ferris wheel?” Zauner asked as she prepared for the next song. “Are there some emotionally stunted people here in the audience tonight… This one’s for you.” 

And she dove into an extra emotionally charged version of “Picture Window.”

And there were more: “Leda”, a song she wrote about connecting with her father after a long absence; “Winter in L.A.” and “Kokomo, IN”

The best part? Zauner opened her soul to the audience, creating a collective empathy and solidarity that made the exercise of connecting with personal sadness or emotion feel like an exercise in resilience, commonality and strength.

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Moments of joy

Despite the somber title, the tour is really about balance. In fact, the set is full of buoyant, danceable tracks like “Road Head” with its swaying rhythm, the funky bassline in “Slide Tackle”. 

Sadness is real. But so is joy. And Japanese Breakfast is proof that we can hold onto both feelings at once.

In this particular instance, Zauner brought all the smiles back during the extended encore featuring familiar favorites like “Posing for Cars”, “Paprika” and the sparkly, joyful 80s groove “Be Sweet” that functions as a communal celebration. 

“Thank you for being the best of crowds to come home to,” she said as she came out to introduce their encore performance. 

“In a way, I always feel like our headlining shows are like being in a long-term committed relationship and playing festivals is kind of like being on a first date. And you’re showing all your shiny stuff. So, it feels really great to share a deep part of our band with you and to have it feel like it’s being really received. It feels like Milwaukee is a town that really loves music, and we really appreciate that… ”

An unforgettable send-off

Ending with Diving Woman?  It’s a powerful choice.

The song is filled with layered guitars, swirling synths, and hypnotic rhythm. It’s dreamy and meditative and evokes the feeling of being submerged underwater. Without many words at all, Zaunder tells the story of the haenyeo, the remarkable female divers who harvest seafood off the coast of Jeju Island in South Korea. They symbolize independence, resilience and strength.

Last night as Zaunder wrapped up a set filled with themes of grief, longing and scant moments of joy, it’s as if she’s reminding the audience of all the strength that we hold inside. 

And as the lantern went out for the evening, it wasn’t just a beautiful goodbye. It was a send-off that was filled with purpose and hope.

One more thing: 
If you missed her Summerfest show, she’ll be back in Wisconsin on Sept. 10 to play at The Sylvee in Madison.

Setlist

"Here is Someone"
"Orlando in Love"
"Honey Water"
"Road Head"
"Boyish"
"The Body is a Blade"
"Mega Circuit"
"Slide Tackle"
"Little Girl"
"Picture Window"
"Men in Bars"
"Leda"
"Winter in LA"
"Kokomo, IN"
"Magic Mountain" 
"Posing in Bondage"
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"Posing for Cars"
"Paprika"
"Be Sweet"
"Diving Woman"