VIVID LIVE have curated a genuinely stunning and diverse line-up for their 2025 season, and one of the most buzzed acts this year is Japanese Breakfast. It’s been eight years since the acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and bestselling author had performed in Australia, so the fact this was one of the most anticipated shows of the year is understandable. With the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall at full capacity, she walked out onto the stage and lit a lantern that signalled the beginning with opening song “Here Is Someone”. Joined by her band they breezed through songs like “Orlando In Love”, “Road Head”, “The Body Is A Blade” and “Mega Circuit” with stunning live arrangements. The show was accompanied with beautiful lighting that felt very intentional and effortlessly brought you into this world she’s created. Making the entire show feel so seamless and intricately thought out. 

“Are you ready to jiggle in your seat” she announced ahead of “Slide Tackle”, one of the sets more upbeat moments. But as she got halfway through the song and sang the line “Obsessing in the dark”, all of the stage lights went out. At first I thought it was an intentional show gimmick with it happening during that lyric, and an earlier skit with the lantern changing the lighting for a song. But we soon discovered it wasn’t. Apologising to the crowd, she performed “The Woman That Loves You” and “Picture Window” in the dark with minimal lighting coming from the very top house lights, making it super moody. She then took a brief intermission while her team tried to fix the lighting so they could get the show back on track. Returning to let everyone know that they weren’t able to fix the lighting as the network was down, she announced she was going to perform the rest of the show in the dark, and performed “Men In Bars” and “Winter In LA”. Halfway through “Kokomo, IN” while she sang the lyrics “if ever you come back”, the lights came back on to a big cheer from the crowd. Coincidence or planned, I am still unsure. Heading into the final songs “Magic Mountain” and “Posing In Bondage”, it felt too bittersweet that all the lighting issues got resolved in the final moments. But luckily she returned for a four song encore where she closed out the show properly with everyone on their feet singing along to “Posing For Cars”, “Paprika”, “Be Sweet” and “Diving Woman”. 

Even with the technical difficulties, this show felt so intentional. Every bit of it was breathtaking to watch, and you found yourself so immersed in the world of Japanese Breakfast. Hopefully it won’t be another eight years for her to return.

Check out the full gallery captured by Adrianne Armida BELOW:

Photos by Adrianne Armida