Flanked by two dancers, a guitar player and drummer, Rina controlled the room with the confidence of a pro running a greatest hits setlist, not a breakout artist touring her first full-length. Opener “Dynasty” unleashed screaming and chanting from the audience so deafening that Sawayama paused several times between songs, seemingly overwhelmed by her faithful fans and unable to find a lull to begin the next song. “STFU!” came next and found the crowd gleefully screaming to “Shut the fuck up!” on the infectious kiss-off chorus. Singles and b-sides alike kept the audience ignited, from the skillful pop of “Comme Des Garçons (Like the Boys)” and “Snakeskin” to slower moments with belted choruses, like the reflective “Bad Friend” and “Chosen Family,” the latter sung while the openly pansexual singer waved a pride flag that made it up to her from the crowd. [Variety]
Rina Sawayama wrapped up her North American tour supporting her 2020 debut LP, SAWAYAMA, with three NYC shows with HANA, two at Brooklyn Steel followed by Terminal 5 on Friday night (5/13). We caught the Terminal 5 show, which Rina closed by teasing something new, with signs reading "Rina Is Going to Hell." She also posted the tagline on her Instagram, that she'd otherwise wiped of older content. Stay tuned for more about that; in the meantime, see pictures from Friday night's show by Sachyn Mital, along with some fan-taken video clips, below.