Fuji Rock 2022, the 25th edition of the festival, saw a return to almost full-scale festivities with nine stages of music and over 150 performances taking place over the three-day event.
With attendees enjoying near-perfect weather all weekend long, a rarity for the festival, as well as the return of international artists for the first time since 2019, spirits were high and there was an overwhelming sense that people were excited to be back at Naeba Ski Resort. Highlights of the weekend included an early-morning set from Mongolia’s The Hu, Awich’s Fuji Rock debut and Jack White’s Saturday night headline performance as well as amazing sets from Snail Mail, Hiatus Kaiyote and Black Country, New Road who we were lucky enough to chat with over the weekend.
Snail Mail, the indie-rock project of Baltimore’s Lindsey Jordan, performed late afternoon on Saturday. One of the buzz-acts of the festival, the White Stage was completely packed for the band’s set which featured a tight performance of tracks from both 2018’s Lush and the new album Valentine. Jordan’s powerful and dynamic vocals were the standout of the set which was the first time for Japanese audiences to see many of the tracks in a live context.
Friday night marked the second Fuji Rock performance for Australian neo-soul band Hiatus Kaiyote. Having previously performed at the White Stage in 2019, they seemed right at home at the Green Stage this year with backing vocalists in tow, delivering a rich and textured performance that brought the crowd to its feet. The first show of a three-month tour in support of their third studio album could have been mistaken for the last show of the tour.
Black Country, New Road’s performance was a highlight for many of the White Stage’s Sunday afternoon capacity crowd. With the departure of the band’s lead vocalist in January of this year, the set was made up of entirely new material, marking a sonic turning point for the young six-piece band. Each member gave their best Jack White impersonation during soundcheck, earning more than a couple of laughs from the crowd, but the set appeared to be an emotional one for bassist and vocalist Tyler Hyde who broke into tears as she delivered the last line of the final song. ...continue reading
