It was almost 9pm and the crowd was enraptured by an ecosystem of hundreds of tiny radiant lights sparkling from the Brooklyn Bridge. Yet, as soon as Amber Bain stepped on the stage, it was clear that she was the most incandescent star amongst them all, and she was here to deliver an utterly transcending performance of a lifetime. English synthpop and folktronica artist Amber Mary Bain, professionally under the moniker The Japanese House, performed at her sold-out show on The Rooftop at Pier 17 on July 27 – gloriously guiding her audience through a journey heartache, loneliness, yearning and unfulfilled desires.
The night started with one of her most popular songs “Touching Yourself” from her sophomore album In the End It Always Does. While the guitar and sax in the background make it sound like a fun lightweight pop song, the verses harrowingly grappled with the isolating feeling of not being able to forge a connection with someone no matter how hard you try to.
The set featured artists vocals from artists like Matty Healy from The 1975, Charlie XCX and members from MUNA and Bon Iver, perfectly complementing Bain’s signature layered vocals, experimental guitar riffs and electronic pop instrumentals. Her music fluidly infuses intimately confessional songwriting, potent storytelling and tender vocals, creating a highly nuanced and immersive listening experience.
A perfect example of this was her performance of “Sad to Breathe,” which started out as a gentle instrumental exploration on heartbreak, and then completely mutated into a catchy upbeat pop song. Bain also played “Boyhood,” a song about trying to embrace and find oneself amidst all the chaos, while also leaving the listener contemplating and reflecting on their alternate paths and experiences that brought them to this point in time.
The stage was decorated with colorful orbs, and the lights beautifully contrasted the gorgeous NYC skyline and the East River in the backdrop.
The encore section of the concert featured four songs, including a country acoustic guitar rendition of “Boyhood.” Bain played her latest single “:)” and prefaced it by saying, “It’s about being in love, about being gay. It is my favorite song to play,” which gained a lot of head nods and laughs from the audience.
Before bidding the crowd farewell with fan-favorite “Sunshine Baby,” Bain expressed her gratitude and emotionally declared that this was her favorite show she had ever played. Then the lights dimmed, and the whole venue screamed the lyrics “Sitting in the back seat/ Driving with my sunshine baby” – creating an ethereally cathartic moment of casual magic.
The Japanese House – The Rooftop on Pier 17 – July 27, 2024
Setlist: Touching Yourself, Sad to Breathe, Something Has to Change, Morning Pages, Follow My Girl, Boyhood, Baby goes again, You Seemed So Happy, Over There, Friends, Worms, Chewing Cotton Wool, Saw You In a Dream, Dionne
Encore: Still, :), Boyhood(Acoustic Version), Sunshine Baby
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