BLOG -- Radwimps' North American Tour @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre (April 26, 2023)

So a couple weeks ago I attended Radwimps' first concert in Toronto. It was a mix of recognizable songs and new exposures!

Radwimps! Sadly there was somebody's head blocking my view at times. You'll see this head in most of my pics and videos throughout the blog.

Me and Radwimps

This section will be really short because I don't have much history with Radwimps. I think I heard of the name as I grew up but I think I've only listened to their music in Makoto Shinkai's movies (Your Name., Weathering With You, and Suzume). If I have listened to any of their other songs before, I didn't know it was their song.

When my friend told me about a Radwimps concert coming to Toronto, I knew that it'd be sold out right away. On top of drawing the natural Radwimps fans, being attached to Shinkai's movies would definitely draw another type of fan -- the fans who watched Shinkai's movies and developed an emotional connection to the songs in the movies. I fell in the latter.

When I attended the concert, I made sure to keep an open mind since I knew I'd be listening to more than just the music in Shinkai's movies. 

The Little Details

Date of Concert: April 26, 2023

Venue: Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Toronto, Ontario)

Time: 8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM)

Ticket Price Total: $80 (General Admission)

Seating: Mezzanine (with seats), Row AA, Seat 22

7:00-ish PM? -- Doors Open

I did not get there by 7:00-ish PM to see the line start moving. I got there around 7:15 PM and boy was there a long line! I took the streetcar and as it was pulling into the venue, I saw the line snaking around a few buildings! When I got off the streetcar, I was in the middle of the line and had to walk to the end (which snaked around a couple more buildings).

I could understand the long line, because all the non-mezzanine seats were first come first serve on where you could stand. If you wanted a good spot you'd have to line up early. I had mezzanine tickets which had assigned seating so I didn't stress about lining up. I waited for my friend to show up and then we went into the line.

Inside the venue, there were a couple areas to take pictures and the merch table. I went to the merch table. There was a long line so I looked at the table from the side. Some items already looked like they were sold out, and the $120 pricetag on the hoodie turned me off.

When we got to our seats, we were surprised that the first row of the mezzanine seats (the seats we got) were on the same level as the standing area. This means that everybody in the floor area would be blocking my view of the stage unless I stood up, too. All the other mezzanine rows were slightly raised. I call this bad venue design.

This is just part of the line! There are more people in front and at the back of the line.

A shot of the merch table. I would have bought a CD, but I guess it was already sold out.

A sheet of all the merch and their prices. $120 for a hoodie sounds a bit hefty. o.o'

View of the stage from my seat. I had to stand if I wanted to even see the stage.

You can't see but there is a large screen at the very back of the stage to show any visuals.

8:10-ish PM -- Music START!

Yay!

When the lights went down the audience cheered. I expected there to be restrictions on taking videos and pictures but nothing was said, so phones stayed out (including mine). I would have taken more videos and pictures but my phone battery was really low at the time (less than 40%), so I stuck to recording a bit of the start of each song (so I could build the setlist, which is further below) and then taking some pictures here and there plus a few short clips if it piqued my interest. 

For songs I recognized I smiled. For songs I didn't, I'd nod my head to the beat and maybe sway a bit depending on the song's energy. I was pleasantly surprised that their unfamiliar songs were a mix of different styles. They don't just do pop music! Audience participation was encouraged throughout some songs, like clapping and sometimes waving the phone left and right like a light. I tried standing throughout the concert but I got tired partway through and had to sit at times (am I getting too old??? D:).

At certain points of the concert, the lead singer and other members of the band would talk a bit. They mentioned that they initially were going to have only one concert in Toronto, but tickets sold out so fast that they set a second concert date (which also sold out).

When they performed "Zenzenzense", the first recognizable song for me (which is really my bad -- I should have recognized the first song ><), the crowd went wild with excitement. Ahhh, what a nostalgic song for me!

A very short clip of "Zenzenzense".

You might need to click "play" twice to play it.

After "Zenzenzense", I think the lead singer (Yojiro Noda) sat by the piano and started playing the most beautiful, nostalgic tune. The audience went quiet and let the piano notes fill the room. I didn't remember the name of the song but I knew it was from Your Name.. I could feel the emotions from it -- it was breathtaking.

At the end of the song, the piano notes transitioned to the tune for "Sparkle" (another song from Your Name.), and the audience cheered and went wild.

Almost all of "Theme of Mitsuha". I loved this so much. <3

A clip of "Sparkle". It was nice seeing so many people waving their phones.

After "Sparkle", more unfamiliar songs were performed. I sat at my chair, needing a rest. One song with interesting video footage started, but I stayed sitting on my chair. In the middle of the song, it sounded like some guitar battle was going on. My friend (who was also sitting) stood up to watch and motioned me to get up, too. I stood up and saw two guitarists standing really close to each other, playing. Then one of them went to the other end of the stage and the lead singer  went to the centre and would motion with his arms when to stop and start playing. It was very amusing and very fun!

A clip of "Oshakashama". I love the buildup of the guitars and the overall energy. It makes me want to dance!

I tried standing for the rest of the concert. More unfamiliar songs were performed, but the visuals were engaging every now and then. I was very interested in a song that was completely in English.

Some translated lyrics for "Brain Washing".

At some point, the lead singer said the next song would be their last for the night. The audience were sad. He thanked us for coming and hoped to come again and asked if we'd see them again.

"KANATA HALUKA", the last song of the concert. The audience screamed when video clips of Suzume came on.

A very short clip of "KANATA HALUKA" with the video clip of Suzume.

At the end, the audience cheered and clapped. Somebody at the front gave the lead singer a flag of Canada which he used to drape himself with. All the members of Radwimps then gathered to the front, bowed, and then exited the stage.

The lights went dark. Nobody was leaving, though. The audience was cheering "Encore!", and then "One more song!", all the while clapping. After what felt like five minutes, Radwimps came back and performed two more songs.

The show ended around 10:00 PM. My phone battery was at 9%, hahaha... ^^;

Setlist

Here is the setlist for Radwimps in Toronto for April 26, 2023. It differs just a bit from other setlists floating about. If I missed anything, please let me know. My most favourite tracks were "Theme of Mitsuha", "Oshakashama" (especially those guitar battles), and "I I U".

I also put together a Spotify playlist if you want to check it out: 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3c21tlW9CStYSjlIvsB568?si=cfc1be4420e245d3

-Grand Escape (from Weathering With You)
-NEVER EVER ENDER
-TWILIGHT
-Gimigimikku
-Zenzenzense (from Your Name.)
-Theme of Mitsuha (from Your Name.)
-Sparkle (from Your Name.)
-Dada
-Oshakashama
-Brain Washing
-I I U (a song in English)
-Tummy
-One Spring Day
-Nanemonaiya (from Your Name.)

-KANATA HALUKA (from Suzume)
-Kaishin no Ichigeki

Encore

-Dream Lantern (from Your Name.)
-Iin desu ka

Overall Experience

Overall, I had a really good time. It was really nice to be exposed to new, fun tracks. For a Radwimps fan, I'd say this was a must-attend concert. For a fan who has only listened to their songs from Shinkai's movies, the experience will vary depending on how open the person is. Based on this concert I can say that Radwimps plays with more musical styles than just what's in the Shinkai movies (which I like).

If Radwimps comes again, I'll definitely attend. By then I should be more familiar with their discography :)

Thank you so much for reading! As always, feel free to comment. If you were at the concert, what did you think of it? What were your favourite moments? Please share XD

Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)