As someone not super well-versed in the world of J-Pop, K-Pop, and other ultra-popular varieties of what was once considered niche musical stylings, perhaps it was my predilection for heavy music that put BABYMETAL on my radar. Or was it my partner who was fascinated by their single “Give Me Chocolate” when it finally broke through into the mainstream? That does happen from time to time. Either way, when BABYMETAL announced that their tour would bring them through Cincinnati - and that was a genuine surprise - I jumped at the chance to check out the show so that I could write about it and try to capture it in photos.

The relatively quick set from Scene Queen, a pop-core act that was recently in town as part of the Idobi Radio Summer School Tour, was an interesting way to start things out. They certainly had some fans in the audience, but it was apparent just from observing the several BABYMETAL merch lines that the group very much sold out The Andrew J Brady Music Center on their own. 30 minutes isn’t a long time, and I’m of an age and understanding that not everything is for me, so for those that enjoyed the set, awesome. It was poppy, heavy-ish, and entertaining for what it was - I would be curious to see how an act like that would play in a smaller venue.

With BABYMETAL, I had at least a basic understanding of what I was going to see and hear, but was still impressed with their relatively minimalist stage setup - but it was their presence and synchronicity that was both dazzling and felt genuinely outside the realm of most U.S.-based musical experiences.

With the band (read: the musicians playing the instruments) lined up in a row at the back of the stage - the first time I’ve seen that particular arrangement, for sure - the trio of singers and dancers known as BABYMETAL introduced themselves to Cincinnati with an actual introduction song, and portions of their choreography that the crowd was keyed into and performing along with them. The crowd itself was one of the most diverse I’ve seen at a live show in a long time, which I have to say, was just as refreshing as what BABYMETAL was offering on stage.

Wherever you sit on the musical spectrum, I think it’s difficult to ignore the impact and reach of something like J-Pop and K-Pop, but I also think the heavy music version of the genre is still a less explored space (at least as far as I’m aware). I didn’t know that BABYMETAL has been at this since 2010, so I’d imagine that 14 years into their career, coming to America and playing to sold-out crowds in spaces like Brady is satisfying, and more importantly, validating, in a way that’s impossible for most folks to understand. Their mix of hyperkinetic visuals, fun and energetic dance sequences, and heavy metal meets pop songwriting is arguably as fascinating as it is good.

While I’d be hard-pressed to say they were playing only “the hits,” it’s obvious that the crowd was intimately familiar with the band’s catalog based on the cheers that went up as each song started. And, again, the diversity of the crowd was something I both appreciate and actually quite love about this corner of the music world. It’s an accepting and naturally diverse group of fans, and we really do love to see it.

As well, from a purely observational place, the show organizer in me greatly admired the precision with which the stage was arranged and everyone’s time was respected - Punk Rock Time was a thankfully foreign concept - and the energy and joy the performance evoked both on stage and in the crowd was palpable and made for a legitimately entertaining and fun experience for me as both a casual fan and as someone there on a “professional” level. As a necessity, the set was paced well, allowing for blackouts and breaks so that the stars of the show could catch their breath, regroup, and get right back to it. And they went at it hard for the entirety of their set.

Culturally, the introduction of this style of music into the American Pop Music space might have been written off as a lark, but considering the tightly packed floor, banging heads, and the energy flowing on and off the stage, I think it’s safe to say that BABYMETAL, and their fusion of foundational J-Pop elements with various types of metal, has made an impact and will continue to do so for some time. The fans are certainly here for it, in a BIG way.