The opening to 2001: A Space Odyssey crescendoed over the chanting crowd as FLOW took the Anime Matsuri stage. It was an unexpected yet appropriate introduction: the band had visited the NASA Johnson Space Center two days prior. Casually picking up their instruments, FLOW proceeded to play as though it was their last performance ever.
GOT’S bass shook the room while KEIGO and KOHSHI belted their lungs out. True to the band’s name, FLOW’s vocalists traded rap lyrics as though they were finishing each other’s sentences. Sometimes their harmonies would blend into one resonant voice. TAKE milked the long guitar chords, throwing his arm in the air like an ’80s heavy metal rocker. The audience went wild over the anime theme songs, “Colors” and “Days.”
“Tabidachi Graffiti” demonstrated that the guys didn’t always crank everything up to eleven. IWASAKI’s steady rhythms prevented a total loss of moment, but TAKE’s light strumming and the stringed accompaniment did create a calming atmosphere that had the audience ready to listen to what the vocalists had to say during their MC. KEIGO talked about loving rock music and anime while KOHSHI focused on a more somber subject, the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. “I felt that music was useless because it cannot help hunger or keep people warm,” he said. “My fear from the continuing aftershocks was relieved when I listened to music. Then I realized music is power.”
Forging ahead, FLOW lifted the room’s spirits with an upbeat cover of Siam Shade’s “1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou.” Then came member introductions, where TAKE stole the spotlight by strutting to the center of the stage with light-up sunglasses. The fans followed his every command, repeating nonsense phrases and throwing their fists in the air. FLOW’s energy never waned and perennial favorite, the Naruto theme, “Go!!!,” was the perfect cap to the set. Band members jumped higher than ever, and KOHSHI led the crowd in a sing-a-long of the chorus. It left them wanting more, and one more song was what they got in the encore. FLOW really did seem to find power in their music—not just to play their hearts out from start to finish, but also to bring the worlds of anime and rock ‘n’ roll together.
FLOW’s camaraderie was evident in our interview, as one member would answer a question only to have his bandmates chime in with more details or personal opinions. Even after a busy weekend they remained enthusiastic, with their eyes on the future.
