Like many bands, Anamanaguchi was stopped in their tracks last March as the world ground to a halt just weeks before their April 3rd performance at Brighton Music Hall. So when the band finally made their triumphant return this October, fans seriously showed up. A never ending line of oddball characters ranging from punks to gamers wrapped around the block in anticipation of the show, now over a year in the making. And for many fans, this wait extended even further, way back to the band’s 2014 performance at The Sinclair (though they more recently played two smaller shows: one at Northeastern’s private venue afterHOURS in 2016 and another at the Boston Center for the Arts as part of Game Over in 2018).

Fans flocked to the merch table and began staking out their spots in front of the stage as soon as the doors opened. But up first was Texas-based DJ trio Wavedash. Taking inspiration from artists like Skrillex, Madeon, and Porter Robinson, the act was a perfect fit for Anamanaguchi’s audience (not to mention their name). Bass boomed and lights flashed as the crowd bounced up and down for the entire set, testing the limits of the creaky wooden floors before settling down for a group selfie with Wavedash to conclude the set.

As crew members disassembled the DJ equipment, Anamanaguchi set up and kept fans entertained at the same time, flashing messages and trivia across their multitude of LED panels. When everything was finally cleared and ready, Anamanaguchi stepped on stage to “[ U S A ],” the first track from their same-titled 2019 album, to roar of approval from the crowd. The band was clearly ecstatic to be back on the road, as the dreamlike strobes lit up their stoked faces. Between songs, guitarist Peter Berkman shared his struggle to understand Massachusetts geography as he attempted to correctly address the crowd: “Boston, Cambridge, Allston, Brighton–––where the hell am I?” Other highlights from the show included the band’s now viral TikTok song “Miku,” as well as “Endless Fantasy” and “Prom Night.” After a brief break, the band returned to the stage for a two song encore of “Meow” and “This Is the End.”