A month ago, Japanese-American singer NANO announced her NOTHING BUT NOISE Tour with stops in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and Brooklyn. Having performed at numerous anime conventions in the past, this was her first-ever U.S. tour much to the anticipation of many fans.
On January 27, New Yorkers welcomed NANO back to her hometown for the finale show. Promoted by FAKE STAR USA, this tour supported a charitable cause as they’ve partnered with Peace Winds America to raise funds for disaster relief for the Ishikawa Earthquake. Attendees had the option to donate in person at shows or through this link.
Fans patiently lined up in front of The Brooklyn Monarch for this moment. While inside, many were seen purchasing merch and singing along to Japanese tracks from the pre-show playlist. Starting the evening off was the opener Caleb Hyles as he performed anime song covers such as Kenshi Yonezu’s “Peace Sign” and FLOW’s “Go!!!” For a throwback, he also covered Vanessa Carlton’s hit single “A Thousand Miles” as the room was filled with voices singing along to the familiar lyrics. He then closed off his set with his original song “Darkness Before The Dawn.”
It wasn’t long before NANO made her mark on stage. She was joined by DJ James Landino as she kicked it off with the hits “Nevereverland” followed by “Evolution.” For her opening MC, she greeted the crowd with a “ただいま (I’m home)” and the crowd warmly welcomed her return. The singer expressed her gratitude for having her first U.S. tour and spoke about how it has been a dream of hers ever since the start of her musical journey.
The setlist included songs handpicked from her old and more recent albums. Throughout the show, NANO displayed her powerful rock vocals with tracks such as “No Pain, No Game” and “Magenta” while also incorporating some ballads into the mix. A touching moment was when she shared a story about her childhood mentor and dedicated the next song “Blue Jay” in remembrance. It was an emotional performance as the audience watched NANO pour her heart out into those lyrics.
Midway through the set, James cranked up the speakers with a DJ jam session. The crowd grooved along to remixes of popular anime songs “Sakura Kiss” and “Silhouette.” Following that session, James welcomed NANO back on stage with a “Nothing but noise let’s f*cking go!”
The atmosphere in that room felt exhilarating as the crowd constantly showered NANO their love. During “Fight Song” she encouraged everyone to sing along and even passed the mic to a security guard. She then introduced the next song as one that had been highly anticipated. With the opening verse being sung in acapella style, the song was none other than the famous hit single “Savior of Song.” Fans started chanting along while they waved their glowsticks fervently.
Rounding out the final moments of the show, NANO gave a few words of encouragement, “The word that describes what I’m feeling right now is ‘freedom.’ I’ve never felt this free in all my life and I hope that whenever you need power look to me because I will always be there for you guys,” she concluded, tying that into her next song “Freedom Is Yours.” It was supposedly the last song of the set but not until chants for an encore erupted. NANO explained that she had time for one more song, saving the last for her newest single “Oblivion” as she taught the crowd some of the lyrics. She spent the last few minutes high-fiving fans at the barricade and invited her staff for a group photo with the audience.
Many fans alike were elated to experience this milestone of NANO’s career. As mentioned in one of her MCs, she promised another tour someday, hopefully stopping at more cities. With that being said, fans will await her return.
Quotations have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Photos and words by Angela Leung
