Music

BAND-MAID live Blu-ray “TOKYO GARDEN THEATER OKYUJI” raises the bar

August 7, 2023

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Dive into BAND-MAID’s live Blu-ray TOKYO GARDEN THEATER OKYUJI and prepare to be mesmerized! Can’t make it out to a show during the second half of the 10th ANNIVERSARY TOUR? This disc promises to immerse us in a virtual white-glove BAND-MAID experience.

On January 9, BAND-MAID electrified a crowd of 8,000 at a sold-out Tokyo Garden Theater. This fourth live recording not only immortalizes the unforgettable night but also commemorates a 10-year milestone for the waitstaff-turned-rockstars. Although each of the previous releases have raised the bar higher and higher, TOKYO GARDEN THEATER OKYUJI exceeds all expectations. It’s a worthy capstone for the band’s first decade and a must-own for every new or seasoned fan.

From start to finish, the performance explodes with 26 hits. Vocalist and rhythm guitarist MIKU also orchestrates her ever-popular “Omajinai Time” call-and-response intermission. The beautifully arranged set taps into the band’s discography from 2016 to 2023. With such clean and immaculately balanced audio production, viewers at home feel as if they’re perfectly positioned in the theater. This mix cuts right to our emotional core.

The band struts confidently throughout the two-hour-plus runtime, serving every song with charisma and passion. It even sprinkles in fresh twists, with some clever intros to the next song in the queue that might fool even its most discerning “masters and princesses” fanbase.

This setlist packs some of BAND-MAID’s best recorded takes to date. Notably, the ballad Memorable debuts at this show and enchants with solemn, lilting piano. MIKU joins with tasteful licks on acoustic guitar and lead guitarist KANAMI soon afterward on electric. SAIKI’s lead vocals emerge from deep down in her heart. This tribute to the special relationship with the audience sweetly echoes the preceding song About Us, a love letter to fans from the dark days of the lockdown.

Contrasting the above sentimental pieces, BAND-MAID sets the stage afire with not one but two blockbuster instrumentals onset and from now on. Whenever SAIKI takes a break off-stage, the rest of the band keeps blazing through with skill and ferocity. Even KANAMI’s usually bottomless energy looks drained by the end of these remarkable displays of shredding.

Every track cries out for attention. Here’s a sampling of a few more memorable moments.

alone: BAND-MAID may have captured a live performance that’s every bit as compelling as the studio version.
Sayonakidori: MIKU graces our ears with powerful vocals and tracks gorgeous guitar harmonies together with her sensei KANAMI.
Following the last notes of endless Story, SAIKI declares, “Saikou!” (“The best!”) She just knows she and the band nailed a flawless performance.
The last two tunes NO GOD and Choose me rocket fuel us to the big finale, fully satisfied. NO GOD dazzles with a stunning intro where each member takes her turn to showcase her virtuosity. To help bring some respite to every fan’s throbbing heart rate, SAIKI croons the opening verse of the closer Choose me, a capella. Again, BAND-MAID delivers its best live performance of the hard rocking classic. KANAMI fans will rejoice over the prominence and clarity of her two solos in the audio mix.

The limited edition of TOKYO GARDEN THEATER OKYUJI adds a bonus disc with a documentary on the band’s 13-stop 2022 US Tour.

From the first show in Seattle to the finale in Chicago three weeks later, this documentary provides a taste of each stop: the venues, the long lines queued up hours in advance, and mini interviews with local fans. These all convey the electricity and the enormity of the tour as the quintet made this epic 5,800-mile journey in a double-decker tour bus dubbed “The Black Cat”.

Within the journey lies the strenuous growth of the five band members as individuals and as a band. We learn how taxing a tour of this scope can become, as an exhausted KANAMI takes an unscheduled break in the middle of the penultimate show. Yet, we also come to appreciate how much BAND-MAID loves what it does. The bandmates reveal their affection and respect for one another as well as their gratitude for their masters and princesses throughout the past 10 years.

The whopping 90-minute documentary ends as BAND-MAID reflects once more on what the tour has come to mean, promising to come back soon to the US and to continue giving its all to fans worldwide.

TOKYO GARDEN THEATER OKYUJI is available on DVD and Blu-ray. The Limited Edition includes the above documentary. This edition also delights with elegant packaging and an exclusive 100-page photo book. Those who just want to enjoy the concert can opt for the Regular Edition in either Blu-ray or DVD.

Be sure to check out BAND-MAID touring North America right now! And keep visiting JROCK NEWS for the latest updates!