A Night of Melancholy & Happy Women with Japanese Breakfast
Words by Rosa-Lee O’Reilly. Photography by Tom Grut.
The last thing Michelle Zauner and her band did before going on a year-long hiatus in Korea was dress up as all the characters from The Lord of the Rings.
Somehow, magically, we have come full circle. As usual, we New Zealanders have Hobbiton to thank—this time for offering us the graceful presence that is Japanese Breakfast.
On Saturday, June 7, the Town Hall transformed into a glowing lantern, with Michelle Zauner and her band as the shimmering centrepiece. And she brought with her her very own lantern, which she carried about the stage, illuminating each band member like a night-time ritual.
Zauner's symbolic lamp was a representation of what it felt like being a spectator of the Melancholy Tour at the Town Hall – tucked cozily inside a flickering lantern on a chilly winter's night.
The show began as an intimate, fireside chat. Zauner and her bandmates huddled together on the stairs of the stage like we were all at a school camp—if the school band were to be replaced by some of the most dexterous and emotionally attuned musicians in modern indie rock.
After everyone had warmed up, the band launched into the opening tracks from the latest album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women).
Zauner, half pixie, half sailor, pranced around the stage, yelling guttural yet angelic screams into the microphone as her euphonious vocals reached for the high ceilings cushioned by the red draping curtains.
With a musical multilingualism that transcends that of many other musicians of her time, Zauner played on a new guitar, what felt like every single song—an ode to her sweet yet serious stage presence as a multifaceted woman.
"I wish you had a happier woman / One that could leave the house," she sings, the opening lyrics to "Winter in LA."
This show was not just about showcasing the frontwoman; The Melancholy Tour was a band show—one that felt similar to attending a concert by the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra (APO).
With a lineup that included Peter Bradley (guitar), Deven Craige (bass), Craig Hendrix (drums, keys, vocals), Lauren Baba (violin and synths), and Adam Schatz (saxophonist, a.k.a. star of the show), the stage hummed with collaborative energy.
The band traded instruments like love notes, making visible the deep chemistry between them.
Watching them play felt voyeuristic—like we were eavesdropping on a long-standing musical romance.
By the time the band hit their closer, the energy had shifted from dreamy melancholy to outright euphoria.
"Be Sweet" was the celebratory splash the night deserved—members of the crowd suddenly had their hips shaking and feet stomping as rumbles reverberated through the city ground. It was a joyful reminder that Zauner doesn't just do sadness—that it wasn't all slow-moving and melty after all.
The evening ended with a gong—literally—banging out into the night as a final, playful, euphoric crash.