4/5
Rising Sun View.
There's nothing like the morning view in Tokyo...even if my old a## takes his sweet time to wake up and see it. You see, back in college, Incubus (don't Google the name) were one of my favourite bands. They still 'Jurassic Park' triceratops are. A halfway house between the fellow legendary likes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers before them and Linkin Park after. No poor man's imitation, but their own individual band on the run of their own right. Calabasas' finest with classics for days. 'A Crow Left Of The Murder', 'S.C.I.E.N.C.E', which like its subject is so hard. And the absolute Californian classic, 'Morning View', which not so recently (it's about three years now) celebrated its 20th anniversary and next week will see a 'XXIII' re-recording. Way to feel old yet. Recreating that same beachside stone seating position like on their signature set, Brandon Boyd and co (with some new members like a Smashing Pumpkins) recreated their iconic album artwork like a BTS bench in South Korea. Bringing back memories of my first time in Los Angeles, walking Venice Beach, listening to said album. Seeing them on a television set singing 'Nice To Know You' in a Disneyland queue for a ride, the night before seeing, for the first time, the late, great Kobe Bryant and my beloved Lakers play the next day. Knowing I'd finally made it to the City of Angels.
That was back in 2006. The same time I last saw them for my best friend's birthday (like the penultimate classic I 'Wish You Were Here'. 'I Miss You' too...but I'll see you soon), bringing back even more beautiful memories and how quickly time passes into our most precious moment's nostalgia. Hitting me like the flash-bang as this was part of the 'Light Grenades' tour, maybe the band's last big album. Although the critically and cruelly underrated gems of 'If Not Now, When' and '8' were sadly missing off their tightly honed set-list. Like that same show, they began this gig falling into the same 'Quicksand' of the intro that poignantly puts it, "Some people fall in love and touch the sky/Some people fall in love and find quicksand". Right before breaking into 'Nice To Know You' with that same fever you always feel when you hear the Mike Einziger come into the play. All the way, just like the 'View', to the frog marching, beautiful end of 'Aqueous Transmissions' in the same way they've always done it live. After calling out their 'Warning' like her, to not "let life pass you by" with those same doomsday declarers, they end on a Budweiser like call and response, even if the ribbits had to be turned back on after ending abruptly. "I haven't felt the way I feel today/In so long it's hard for me to specify," Boyd sings on their bookending blockbuster. And before we said goodbye again, and that it was 'Nice To Know You', this whole show was better than watching Geller bending silver spoons. Michael's friend, not Rachel's love.
Witnessing newborn nebulas in bloom, Incubus, with their new muse on bass in Nicole Row (who has previously toured with Miley Cyrus and Panic! At The Disco) bloomed in the Tokyo Garden Theatre. One of the best venues in the city, so good to see again after seeing the chronicles of the great American songbook of the one and only, legendary Bob Dylan there around this time last year. After sweet support from Japanese big band Band Maid (that I regrettably missed, running late...I was on a date), Incubus brought out all the big guns, just like fellow Californian Beck did to begin last month in Roppongi's EX Theatre. 'Anna Molly', 'Sick Sad Little World', or the what goes around notion of 'Karma, Come Back'. Meeting us in outer space for 'Stellar', or cropping up with close encounter 'Circles' that really meant something with Richard Dreyfuss references. But for all 'The Warmth' that made yourself for iconic tracks, some who sleep have to be reminded of, like 'Pardon Me'. Or sitting down like Steven Yeun in 'Beef', in order to retake the wheel and 'Drive'. It was also these generational greats covering the classics that really resonated. From coming together over The Beatles, or giving some of Portishead's 'Glory Box' to their own 'Vitamin' supplement. Yet it was bridging their own greatest hit 'Are You In' with the fellow Los Angeles times of The Doors' 'Riders Of The Storm', or bringing out great Japanese artist and guitarist MIYAVI for David Bowie's Let's Dance' that was hard to top. Even Brandon said so himself. It was almost as unbelievable, like Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, who are here again next month (get ready to catch Flea's pop-up Harajuku guitar shop in Fender's new flagship), as the fact that Boyd is rounding a half-century. But best believe he is, you are...and they did. Don't let things like this in concert pass you by. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Set-list Picks: 'Nice To Know You', 'Are You In/Riders Of The Storm (The Doors cover bridge)', 'Let's Dance (David Bowie cover featuring MIYAVI)'.
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