The night was an exciting one as fans lined up outside of Bayou Music Center on Friday, May 23rd. One Ok Rock would be performing their DETOX Tour, and this would be the band’s return to Houston after three years. Many fans traveled from far distances to be able to see them live, either for the first time or many times.
Opening the night, the pop punk band hailing from Sydney, Australia, which had toured with them before, Stand Atlantic, took the stage. With high energy, their first song, “KISSIN’ KILLER COBRAS,” got the crowd incredibly energetic. The breakdowns within their live instrumental made their stage even more exciting, adding extra spice to their already high-energy performance. Bonnie Fraser, lead singer/rhythm guitarist, really showed up with her contagious charisma and skilled, smooth, and strong vocals.
“Houston, how are you feeling? As we said before, we are Stand Atlantic, and our one job today is to warm you guys up!”
– Miki Rich
The other band members, Miki Rich on bass guitar, David Potter on lead guitar, and Jonno Panichi on drums, meshed well. Each member got the crowd engaged with each song and showing incredible synergy onstage. Standout songs from their performance are “KISSIN’ KILLER COBRAS,” “WARZ0NE,” and “CRIMINAL”. They truly warmed up the crowd for the main act of the night, ONE OK ROCK.
The venue was full once One Ok Rock began, with each member entering the stage one by one as smoke filled the view. The instrumental of “Puppets Can’t Control You” filled the ears, and Takahiro “Taka” Moriuchi’s vocals took over the venue. One Ok Rock is a Japanese rock band that this year celebrates its 20th anniversary as a band.
With their long-standing reign in Japanese rock, they have a loyal fanbase that supports their every release and stage, which can be seen in this concert with the engagement and enthusiasm from the fans waving their arms in the air and singing along to the lyrics. Their next song, “The Beginning,” is a fan favorite with its beautiful and touching lyrics.
“Hello, Houston! It’s been a while, but we finally made it tonight. How are you? I’m so excited to be here with you. Are you guys excited for tonight? Who wants to have fun tonight, Houston?!”
Takahiro “Taka” Moriuchi
Taka connected phenomenally with the fans throughout the night. Fans could tell how much he enjoyed himself on stage and live in the moment. His incredible vocals conveyed each song to perfection. He got the crowd moving and singing along throughout the night. The other band members are guitarist Toru Yamashita, bassist Ryota Kohama, and drummer Tomoya Kanki.
They are incredible musicians and were able to showcase their talent in the intricate breakdowns in the songs, as well as moments in between sets, where it was just them playing and freestyling. Taka also took moments in between songs to speak to the crowd and showed his great appreciation to them for being there and supporting their career, especially finding joy in many being able to see the band for the first time.
Standout songs from the band’s performance are “Save Yourself,” “Make It Out Alive,” “+Matter,” and “Stand Out Fit In”. These songs really had the crowd moving and singing along, and are some of their more iconic songs within their vast discography. With their newest release DETOX having been released in February of this year, and hearing songs from the album being sung along to, really shows how successful their album release has been.
They ended their set with an encore performance with the songs “+Matter” and “We Are”. By the end, they threw guitar picks, drumsticks, and t-shirts to the crowd. They also took a group photo with the crowd in the background. As the band members left the stage, it was for sure a night fans would remember fondly.
I am a creative based in Houston, Texas. I am a University of Houston Alumni working as a Marketing and Communications Specialist for a local agency. I enjoy discovering new music, regardless of genre, as music is the universal language. In my free time, I enjoy thrifting and discovering new stories waiting to be explored.
