On May 15, 2024, JROCK NEWS covered SiM’s first-ever US headlining tour, PLAYDEAD in Silver Spring, Maryland. Just last year, I watched them open for DANCE GAVIN DANCE in this very venue. This time, under the same crystal chandeliers, I watched SiM dominate the stage as the headliner on the American leg of their PLAYDEAD world tour. Witnessing their growth firsthand and the profound connection they’ve fostered with overseas audiences was truly inspiring.

This time, SiM brought along fellow Japanese rock band CRYSTAL LAKE, accompanied by guest artists Fame on Fire and Within Destruction. SiM emerged as the final act, ready to bring the house down.

As SiM took the stage, vocalist MAH rushed to tie his hallmark lime green tie, a gesture reminiscent of Clark Kent shedding his disguise to reveal Superman. “I thought I had two more minutes!” MAH exclaimed, eliciting warm laughter from the audience.

The atmosphere felt markedly more intimate than before, fostering a closer, almost familial bond with the audience. The pressure to win over new listeners had eased, and SiM’s reputation was more firmly established. The fans were there for SiM, and the camaraderie was palpable, evident even in the simple act of adjusting a tie.

Vocalist MAH adjusts his signature tie in The Fillmore’s hazy spotlights.Erica (JROCK NEWS)

Meanwhile, the remaining members of SiM—guitarist SHOW-HATE, bassist SiN, and drummer GODRi—navigated through the hazy set to their positions, gearing up for the impending performance. Then, SiM erupted into action with the punky anthem BBT, a crowd-favorite from their latest album PLAYDEAD. The acronym aptly translates to “Bloody Boring Time”, and bucks the mind-numbing complacency of complying with orders and routine.

BBT feels like the perfect introductory handshake from SiM—it’s got a rebellious essence, uptempo rhythm, and danceable groove. Yet, it’s got raw intensity. MAH unleashes ferocious screams, GODRi smashes aggressively on the drums, while SHOW-HATE and SiN infuse the track with SiM’s signature reggae-punk fusion. The infectious earworm ignited the audience into action as the band members echoed out the backing, barking gang vocals.

MAH extended his mic toward the crowd, inviting them to join the chorus. The crowd pumped their fists in time with the beat, captivated by MAH’s charismatic stage presence, drawing them in with his direct eye contact and dynamic gestures. He scanned the audience, cupping a hand to his ear, encouraging their escalating cheers.

Throughout the set, the audience was blasted by flashing neon lights, illuminating the stage with hues of red, gold, and green whenever a reggae riff permeated the air. Guitarist SiN grooved to the rhythm, his fingers relentlessly plucking the bass strings. Employing a blend of slap bass and picking techniques, he seamlessly shifted between styles throughout the set.

Bassist SiN entertains the crowd with a dynamic, technical performance.Erica (JROCK NEWS)

After a breakneck performance of five more songs, MAH paused for a direct emcee session. First, he introduced SiM along with the bands accompanying them on this tour—Within Destruction, Fame on Fire, and their peers from Japan, CRYSTAL LAKE. He expressed his gratitude to everyone seeing them live that day, then segued into a weighty message.

“SiM is more than just an anime song band,” he declared proudly, “The Rumbling is just a word, in a sentence, on a page, in a book, within the library that is SiM!”. With a simple gesture, placing his right fist over his heart, he summoned forth the very smash hit song he mentioned, The Rumbling. This act unleashed the audience’s fervor, sending them into a frenzy even more intense than any moment prior in the night.

Vocalist MAH pours ferocity into SiM’s distinctive style.Erica (JROCK NEWS)

The Rumbling served as the opening theme song for the fourth and final season of the smash hit anime series, Attack on Titan. Undoubtedly, this track catapulted SiM into the global spotlight. It emerged as their most commercially successful single, debuting at an impressive No. 3 on the US Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. Additionally, it clinched Attack on Titan two prestigious awards—”best opening sequence” and “best anime theme song”—at the 7th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2023.

However, as MAH aptly noted, the pull of this song transcends the anime franchise, showcasing SiM’s prowess. The Rumbling stands as a unique gem in SiM’s repertoire, blending strings and a chorus to create a cinematic experience that mirrors the grandeur of the anime series. Yet, at its core, the track retains SiM’s signature funky reggae riffs, encapsulating the band’s essence.

Much like the formidable titans in Attack on Titan, SiM unleashed the raw power of The Rumbling upon the audience, delivering a pulsating, emotionally charged performance. Following this onslaught, SiM concluded their set with the upbeat and infectious track Blah Blah Blah, before bidding a temporary farewell from the stage.

In their wake, the audience clamored for an encore, their chants filling the venue. Before long, SiM emerged from backstage, pulling a cacophony of screams from the crowd.

“Shut up!” MAH exclaimed with a grin, simultaneously prompting laughter and quieting the calls for an encore. Amidst the sea of faces, a voice called out a request for SiM’s song Baseball Bat, drawing a sneer from the vocalist. “You got requests?” he retorted with his trademark teasing, devil-may-care demeanor, “I do what I want to do!”

With that declaration, SiM launched into their first encore track, KiLLiNG ME. For their second and final encore performance, f.a.i.t.h, MAH was joined by John Robert Centorrino, the current vocalist of Crystal Lake. It was the perfect crescendo to conclude the night, leaving the audience buzzing with electric energy as they departed, lingering in the euphoric afterglow of the performance.

This November, SiM kicks off the final leg of their “PLAYDEAD” world tour in the United Kingdom and Europe. Tickets and VIP upgrades are on sale now.

If you missed out on the live gigs this tour, SiM’s livestreamed performance from Irving Plaza in New York is still available to view on demand on Veeps. You can check it out here.

Also, don’t miss out on our upcoming exclusive interview with MAH! Stay tuned for more insights straight from the frontman himself.

Setlist

1. BBT
2. DO THE DANCE
3. KiSS OF DEATH
4. SWEET DREAMS
5. Devil in Your Heart
6. WHO’S NEXT
7. RED
8. The Rumbling
9. Blah Blah Blah

Encore

10. KiLLiNG ME
11. f.a.i.t.h