Let’s play two truths and a lie about things that may have (or maybe didn’t) happen at The Japanese House concert at The Catalyst, Santa Cruz on March 19, 2025.
- Lead singer Amber Bain waved back at me
- A small moshpit started during “Sunshine Baby”
- Bain announced she’ll be getting married the next day
The lie will be revealed at the end of this blogpost!
The Catalyst is Santa Cruz’s staple venue; and I knew that the queer, gen-z crowd at Santa Cruz with The Japanese House would be a memorable combo. I was not disappointed.
The Japanese House (found on instagram @thejapanesehouse) is known for bittersweet tunes and depressing lyrics. Switching between such extreme emotions of sweet love songs and melancholy ballads brought cute moments as Bain teased, “I’d like to ruin the vibes by playing you all a really depressing song, would you like that?” to which the crowd cheered happily in response.
Regardless of the song’s depressing content, one part of The Japanese House’s performance that I noted was how happy Bain looked to be performing. Throughout songs she would look lovingly around the entire venue—not skipping anyone’s gaze—beaming a genuine smile that would make anyone’s heart melt. She reciprocated fans’ hearts, kisses, and waves.
Not only was Bain interactive with the crowd, but it was fun watching the band’s interactions with each other as well. They seemed to have a fun friendship that made the concert even better. What makes a live concert better than listening to a recording is when you can watch the group create in front of your eyes. For example, there were moments where Bain would turn around and rock with the drummer, or give spotlight/cheer on the saxophone player during solos.
Before playing “Boyhood” from the album In The End It Always Does, Bain took a moment to remember and honor the meaning of this song. Bain shared her respect and validation for the queer community, especially during the current political state of America. “Shouout Trans rights!” she cheered, and the crowd cheered back.
The final special moment of the night was when Bain came out for the encore. Before playing, she shared that she only plays a country-style acoustic version of “Boyhood” for crowds that she feels would genuinely appreciate it and participate in singing—and that she would repeat the chorus “as long as he (the drummer) will let me, before he gets sick of it.” Maybe it was the queer fanbase turnout, but obviously the crowd was ecstatic. The crowd sang along for minutes and ended the night in a beautiful moment of community.
The lie is number 2, “A small moshpit started during ‘Sunshine Baby’”.
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