After 29 Years, The Pillows Are Still One of the Best Live Bands in the World

Last night, Japanese alt-rock legends the pillows took to the stage at the Mayan in Los Angeles for the final show of their Mono Me You Sun tour. Sponsored by Adult Swim, the tour served to both market the new seasons of FLCL and to promote the pillows' upcoming 22nd studio album REBROADCAST. With their 29th anniversary as a band approaching fast, the pillows are set to prove that they've still got it - and they do.

Like the rest of the Mono Me You Sun tour, the LA show was opened up by former Smith Westerns vocalist Cullen Omori and longtime pillows collaborators Noodles. Omori's music doesn't fit into the same niche as the pillows', but he and his band put on a good show regardless. Unfortunately, the boring LA audience refused to move even an inch to even Four Years, one of Omori's latest singles and a fantastic set-closer.

The audience's indifference wasn't limited to Cullen Omori. The room was devoid of dancing even for the perky pop-punk of Noodles, and quiet aside from polite claps and the occasional sexist catcalls at the girl group (whose drummer was notably absent - Shinichiro Sato of the pillows filled in for her). Noodles were seemingly unfazed - they played their hearts out in a career-spanning set, a career almost as long as that of the pillows themselves.

Finally, it was time for the pillows.  The band launched into I Think I Can and played an endless barrage of hits taken entirely from the FLCL soundtrack. The audience had finally woken up, dancing and singing along to every song. If they didn't know the words, they'd sing the guitar riffs instead. Vocalist Sawao Yamanaka stopped the set every now and then to profess his love for the fans, his love for the tour, his love for Los Angeles... just generally a lot of love and positivity. The band never once faltered or showed any signs of exhaustion. They were full of an infectious energy from the beginning to the end of their perfectly sequenced setlist. After an incredible trio of Little Busters, Hybrid Rainbow, and Advice, the band left the stage for the first of three times.

When they returned to the stage for the first encore, Yamanaka declared his love for music, earning a cry of agreement from the crowd. The opening melody to Thank You, My Twilight set the crowd alight once again for one of the band's most beloved songs. By now, a setlist from previous shows had circulated enough that everyone knew what to expect next - it was Last Dinosaur, right? But the band had other plans in mind. They launched into a rare performance of Sleepy Head instead. They left the stage once again just in case the fans weren't hyped up enough, and finally came back to close out their set with Last Dinosaur. It was a magical moment at the end of a magical night.

In a recent interview, Sawao Yamanaka confessed that the upcoming REBROADCAST is likely to be the band's final album. If they really do call it quits, it will be a well-deserved break after nearly three decades of incredible music and passionate performances. This night would stand as a beautiful sendoff from the US (they don't tour here very often, and they they pointed out on stage that they haven't been here in seven years). If they decide to stick around, though, they can be sure that they'll always have adoring fans and an audience who will love them unconditionally for years to come. Personally, last night's show at the Mayan was the best live performance I've seen in my life. Few other bands can manage such a perfect combination of catchy hit songs and infectious energy, so late into their career, and make it look as effortless and natural as the pillows do. Their music will always be around to remind you that life is beautiful.

-Rose

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