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Oct 08, 2021 By Laura Studarus Photography by Laura Studarus

Last night, Japanese Breakfast performed at Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There’s a certain poetic pleasure that came with hearing Michelle Zauner’s twisted pop in venue that doubles as a surreal art experience. Ever sat in sideways school bus with video art on the celling while hearing cuts from Sable (Zauner’s videogame soundtrack) performed live?

It’s called creative synergy. And it’s beautiful.

The set was peppered with cuts from her recently released album Jubliee. While Zauner’s recently released memoir Crying in H Mart explored the idea of identity and inclusion after the death of her mother, Jubliee—as the name would imply—is a study in pure joy. The tiny packed room swayed to cuts like “Slide Tackle” and “Be Sweet.” (Under the Radar writer Mark Moody described the album as “painstakingly crafted to perfection”—statement that is very hard to argue with.)

Plus, during set opener “Paprika,” she made hitting a gong look the coolest on-stage flex ever.

The fact one artist can mine joy and sorrow in equal parts is impressive, but let’s face it—the human experience is rich and full of a lot of emotion. (And may we all be as Zauner has been over the last few years in expressing it.) From the spacey vibes of Soft Sounds From Another Planet, to the grief-tinged Psychopomp, feelings and songs were given room to develop, led by the intoxicating blend of thudding baselines, guitar riffs, and Zauner’s sweetly idiosyncratic soprano. The set was so well performed, that as I left I overheard an angry man shouting, “Why is her music so pretty?”

Fair question. Maybe because sometimes we do deserve nice things.