The Tokyo Concert Experience

Acting is her main gig, but as many before her -basically every single one of the French legendary actresses- she also has a music career. In her case, music is not an afterthought. Each of the three studio albums Charlotte Gainsbourg has released as an adult have been critically acclaimed and rightfully so. At her show in Tokyo she showcased her latest: Rest, playing it almost in its entirety. The show started with the first few notes of “Lying With You” played on a loop until the vocals kicked in. On stage four large square frames that doubled down as lightning sources surrounded the musicians, as if they were playing inside an open cube. The stage concept fits the somber mood of the album, that contrast lyrics about grieving with disco music. The frames on stage open their edges and, as the show progresses, go from static to blinking strobe club lights. Personally I thought it felt claustrophobic and didn’t quite work; it felt cumbersome in a Spinal Tap kind of way.