Shukei Tamaki (vocals, guitar) from Hachijōjima, Tokyo, and Sejun Kato (guitar) formed MONO NO AWARE with Ayako Takeda (bass) and Yutaka Yanagisawa (drums) after meeting in college, and their Tokyo–Osaka Billboard Live Tour has been announced. For this show they will be joined by Naoya Shimizu as a supporting musician, delivering a special arrangement that includes piano and other keyboard instruments.

Their sound sits in the pop realm while hinting at diverse backgrounds, with melodies that defy expectations and lyrics rich in wordplay, weaving a free, genre-defying musical voice. They performed on Fuji Rock Festival’s Rookie A Go-Go rookie stage in 2016, and since then have continued to appear at numerous music festivals while consistently releasing new recordings. In June they released their fifth album, The Buffet, their first in about three years. Bassist Ayako Takeda, who had been taking a break since last year, has returned, and with the album in hand they completed a tour including performances in Taiwan; in August they added an extra show at Tokyo’s Liquid Room, and in November an “extra-extra” show on Hachijō Island was also announced, signaling MONO NO AWARE’s ongoing evolution as a live band. This prized club performance is once again on the schedule.