(Photography by James Chen)
In post-performance reflections online, ALIâs charismatic frontman Leo revealed that the bandâs debut performance in the U.S. on July 26 was a dream come true, realized through a series of hard-fought victories. ALI brought love, music, and dance to the Rady Shell in San Diego for Crunchyrollâs Anime FanFest music event coinciding with San Diego Comic-Con.
ALI is a multicultural band in every sense - most of its members come from multicultural heritage, and the bandâs music is an energetic genre-defying blend of funk, jazz, hip-hop, Latin music, and rock. This San Diego performance starts in the signature ALI manner, with the front man missing from the stage while the band plays an instrumental where the brass really gets to shine. The music sounds perfect, and you wouldnât know that a couple of days prior, when the band first rehearsed in San Diego, that they couldnât even get a single song to go right, according to Leo.
Front man Leo emerges on stage and declares:
ALIăĺ§ăăžăďź
ăALI begins now!ă
The crowd is grooving, whooping, and cheering to the funky bass line now with Leoâs uniquely gritty vocals overlaid on top. Some complications in the bandâs history leaves Leo as the sole âofficialâ member, playing shows with a tight-knit group of collaborating support artists in Japan.
Leading up to ALIâs arrival in the U.S., the band informed fans that half of its Japanese support artists would not be able to make it due to problems in obtaining visas that could not be resolved. The bandâs first obstacle on the path to delivering their first knockout show in the U.S. would be to seek support from local American musicians.
Band members who were able to appear in San Diego are: Leo on vocals, Tadashi Iwamaru on drums, MOMONADY on chorus, Jin Inoue on keys, and Anne Futagami on guitar. Supporting ALI in the U.S. were local artists Kazuo the MC, Kyla Wright on bass, along with Michael Fortunato and Jon Hoehne both on trumpet.
The rapper Kazuo had collaborated with ALI both in studio and live in the past, but the talent of the local artists cannot be understated. Considering the combined band had barely any time to rehearse together (Jin and Anne wouldnât arrive in San Diego until just a day before the show) yet were able to sound like theyâd been performing together perfectly for years in front of the actual audience.
The band launches into a modified version of âWild Sideâ, where the male MC verse is replaced by MOMONADYâs verse which features more lyrics in Japanese. The crowd is going wild and completely vibing with the song and singing along. âWild Sideâ is featured as the first opening theme song for the anime adaptation of Beastars.
âCasanova Posseâ, released early this year, was featured as the opening theme song for the fourth season of Dr. Stone, and is yet another hit with the San Diego audience. This live music event hosted by Crunchyroll is taking place at a somewhat unique open-air venue; the grounds basically protrude out into the San Diego Bay. The mound on top of which the performance stage (covered by a shell-like form with acoustic properties), seating areas, lawn areas, and concessions facilities sit is surrounded by the waters of the bay.
Between the brass-heavy anthems and the sweat-soaked grooves, a break in the set put the authenticity of Leo on full display. Leo takes a moment to slow down and speak directly from the soul, pulling out personal notes (on real paper!) to help ensure the message gets across. Leo is not confident in his English ability, but the crowd cheers him on in support.
Thank you for making my dream come true, Crunchyroll!
Ever since Leo was a teenager, he had dreamed of performing live, in the U.S., with his own band. Those around Leo told him that it wasnât something that would become possible⌠but, Leo reveals:
Not giving up is my special skill!
Leo thanks the supportive audience and Crunchyroll once more for making his dream come true on this very day. He declares that ALI will create a beautiful time for all present to enjoy, and urges everyone to have fun.
âLetâs do it!â he says, and a trumpet begins to play the unmistakable start of âVIMâ. A personal favorite of mine, âVIMâ features verses in Portuguese and for this performance is a showcase for the rapping prowess of past-collaborator Kazuo.
The band transitions into âGABBA GABBA HEY HEYâ and Leo glides back and forth across the stage showing off slick dance moves that blend in and out of variations of swing, two-step, and skanking. The crowd goes crazy over this display and follows Leoâs lead by grooving along, with Anne and Kyla on guitar and bass also putting in the footwork.
Before starting âNever Say Goodbyeâ, Leo introduces the American support artists and explicitly thanks them, crediting them for saving his dream. âNever Say Goodbyeâ is featured as the fourth opening theme song for the anime adaptation of Golden Kamuy.
What followed was surely one of the most anticipated things to happen over the weekend, the live performance of âLost in Paradiseâ, well-known for being featured as the first ending theme of the anime adaptation of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Ali closes out the dayâs set with âFunky Nassauâ, which truly shows off MOMONADYâs soulful vocal power as well as the trumpets. However, before that, Leo has a final message for his audience. He confesses that he has been through divorce, he claims to not be good-looking, and he deals with many troubles in his personal life. Leo continues that we are all alike in having our share of problems.
Leo shares that he was able to realize his dreams by working hard and not giving in, by âsweating more than anyone else on stageâ. He assures his audience that if he was able to make his dream come true, then so could the rest of us. Leo shares the realization that
Sometimes, sweat shines brighter than any Rolex or gold chain
Leo urges the crowd to always better themselves, to better their lives, and reassures them that working hard and doing his best is what enabled him to reach his fans in America.
Can I come back here?
Asks Leo, who receives resonating cheers of approval.
éłćĽ˝ä¸ćłďźďźďź
ăCHEERS FOR MUSIC!!!ă