The latest in JBrekkie news: our hometown hero Michelle Zauner performed on The Late Show this week. The Philly-rooted artist played “Kokomo, IN,” a tender ballad from her third (and Grammy-nominated) studio record, Jubilee. The appearance was in promotion of Japanese Breakfast‘s billing on The New Yorker Festival, which occurs this weekend.
Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner has been a huge part of pop culture since her explosion onto the national scene with 2021’s Jubilee and her best-selling memoir Crying In H Mart. She’s a rock star, an author, a fashion muse, and now movie producer, with a screen-adaptation of her book on the way. On her way to the top, a funny milestone was her appearance on the The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where she explained to Fallon herself the meaning of her song “Jimmy Fallon Big!” from 2017’s Soft Sounds from Another Planet. “Our bass player [from former band Little Big League] left to join another band that was more popular,” said Zauner. “‘We’re going to be Jimmy Fallon big,’ he said.” At this point in her career, who can count the number of Japanese Breakfast television appearances?
A fun fact about “Kokomo, IN,” that becomes particularly relevant with Philly Music Festival just a week away, is that the band premiered that song at PMF 2020, the year the whole fest came together over livestream. A lucky few were allowed in Ardmore Music Hall for the taping, where it was abundantly clear this record would make an impact.
Watch Japanese Breakfast’s live performance of “Kokomo, IN” on The Late Show at the link below. Ticket holders for the upcoming sold out Halloween show at The Fillmore Philadelphia, this will get you get you very excited.