[Sound Address Vol.3 Staff Live Report]

Good evening, this is Mori from the Futo staff.

This time, we will introduce you to "Otobanchi vol.3" held at Futo on June 6th, 2025!

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[What is a sound address?]
The collective name for a sound-related project organized by Jiyucho. A live series of UNPLUGGED (raw sound) events held mainly at Futo in Kuramae, Tokyo.
The performers are artists that the members of Jiyucho and Futou are fans of or have connections with. They will give you a chance to relax and enjoy the moment, and give you an opportunity to feel honest. After the live performance is over, We aim to hold an event that will gradually warm your heart.

▲Sound Address vol.1 When TOMO NAKAYAMA and Oono Yuuki were invited

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This time, Otobanchi invited the unit "showmore" consisting of Manami Nezu (Vo.) and Atsushi Inoue (Key./PD). And to make the most of the live performance, we also had cellist Shuhei Ito and singer-songwriter ZIN , who focuses on R&B/SOUL, perform alongside us.

▲Two-person unit : showmore

▲Singer-songwriter: ZIN

▲Cellist: Shuhei Ito

(I'm actually a big fan of showmore myself. When Shohei, the owner of Futo, put their records in his shop, I thought it would be a wonderful time to have a showmore live show at Futo, so I asked him to do it.)

I hope that this report will convey at least some of the excitement of the day!

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June 6th, four hours before the live show.

The performers arrived at the venue and the rehearsal began. Even though it was just a rehearsal, the melody played by the four of them made people passing by the store stop in their tracks. The staff setting up the venue, including myself, were also drawn in and found ourselves listening intently.

"Beautiful. Beautiful..."

Inoue-san casually blurted out a comment during rehearsal. When I heard it, I got goosebumps, knowing that the original would be even more beautiful than what I had just heard.

One hour before the performance.
"Oh man, I'm looking forward to it!"
The performers were talking as they left the venue and headed to their dressing rooms.

Opens at 6pm.
Many customers had already arrived before the doors opened.

Guests sat down to chat and enjoy the drinks and the atmosphere. (By the way, the wine was from Murofushi Winery Kyoei-do, Yamanashi, where vocalist Nezu is originally from. The beer was from VISTA, a brewery in Kiyosumi Shirakawa. Did you enjoy it?)

▲ Second photo, left: Kyoei-do's wine, right: VISTA's beer

By the way, this time at Otobanchi, we have collaborated with showmore to create postcards that can be sent one year later !

The photo used is a simple yet somehow captivating view of the couple from behind. The side where the letter can be written features a postmark from a sealed lamp and handwritten sheet music by Nezu. We created this letter with the hope that you will be reminded of Nezu's flowing singing voice and enjoy the time you spend writing your letter while immersed in showmore's world.

▲ A postcard created in collaboration with showmore. On the side where you write your message, there is a handwritten score and lyrics by Nezu.

With postcards filled with such sentiments and drinks in hand, after 6:30pm, a sense of excitement began to fill the air throughout the venue, with people saying, "Not long left...!"

It's 6:55pm and the four of them are waiting backstage, looking calm and collected.
Nezu-san was catching his breath as he walked, Inoue-san was considerate of my time-consciousness and told me that "in the jazz world, performances often start late," Ito-san was preparing his cello, and ZIN-san was admiring the leaves of a potted plant at the back entrance... It seemed like I was the only one who was nervous as I opened the door to the venue... (laughs)

It's 7pm and everyone heads to the stage.
(I managed to open the door successfully lol)

The applause died down, and in the silence that followed, Nezu took a deep breath and began singing the first song. In an instant, the entire venue was drawn into the music.

The front row seats are about 1 meter away from the performers.

"The live sound from this distance is amazing..."
I'm sure there were many people who felt this way.

I often go to live concerts myself, but this was actually my first time experiencing a live performance with live sound. The sound without microphones or amplifiers makes the performers feel more real, and seeing each note carefully woven in front of you naturally makes you concentrate more as you listen, trying not to miss anything.

Just as the four people on stage become bright in an instant when they are cheerful, and become calm in an instant when they are calm, the performers and the audience work together to create the atmosphere in the venue and weave the songs together.

Also, because it is a live performance and jazz, arrangements are added based on the atmosphere of the moment (Nezu's singing style, Inoue's piano solo, Ito's cello solo, ZIN's chorus arrangement, etc.!).

"Live music really forces you to concentrate, and both of you have a lot of energy."
At the beginning of the live show, Nezu and Inoue gave MCs.
The audience nodded in agreement, feeling the same way. And then I.

After a few more songs , it was time for this special feature: " Improvisation from your own story ."

This project is being sold as an optional ticket, and the winner will be chosen by lottery to have their letter read for the first time on the day of the concert, and music will be created on the spot... (Even we, who planned the concert, were surprised by showmore's suggestion of an improvisation! They read the letter on the spot and immediately created a song...!)

This is already tears.
I saw people wiping away tears and sniffling all over the venue, so I'm sure I wasn't the only one shedding tears...

▲Nezu reads the story and is moved to tears by the warmth of the content.

There are two episodes.
The first letter was from a husband and wife who attended the concert, and it turned out that the day of the concert was the wife's birthday, and it was a letter of congratulations and daily gratitude to her. The song begins with Nezu singing "Happy birthday to you," and then Inoue's delicate piano, ZIN's gentle chorus, and Ito's expansive cello overlap. Gradually, the arrangement is added, and the song becomes more exciting.

- thank you as always -

- You're my mom and dad, but to me you're my beloved girlfriend -

- I want to convey my love to you, my sweetheart -

- happy birthday -

The warm, loving lyrics resonate with the music. Words that are difficult to say but that are deep in your heart are sublimated into music, and the time passes like a scene from a movie.

The second letter takes a different tone and asks, "What is love?" "Maybe words aren't necessary for this," says Nezu, and the song harmonizes with Inoue's piano, Ito's cello, and ZIN's chorus. In stark contrast to the first letter, which delivered "words" alongside music, the second letter is delivered without the use of "words."

Until now, I have tended to prioritize communicating things through words, but this was a moment that made me realize gently that there are some things that can only be conveyed without words.

- What is love? -

- What is love? -

The performance ends with a final repetition of the murmuring voice.

"I don't know what love is though"

Nezu said this,
The song "I" begins with the lyrics, "I don't know how long love will last."

When I saw this happening, I couldn't help but scream in my head, "I'm getting goosebumps! This is just too good!"
This flow doesn't seem like an improvisation.

tears.

Before we knew it, the hour and a half had passed and it was time for the final song of the main part of the concert.

The last song is "Circus," one of Showmore's signature songs. For me, it's the song that introduced me to Showmore, and it's a song I have a strong attachment to, as I've listened to it many times and projected myself into it.
Everyone sings along to the final chorus.

▲The final song begins with some fun conversation.

It is precisely because Futo is a place where time usually flows slowly and quietly that the images appear fresh and clear in a good way.

The song ended and the performers left the stage to applause. The moment they were out of sight, the applause for an encore began. Outside the venue, showmore, ZIN, and Ito all smiled and said, "It's the best!" and "It's so good!" as they quickly headed back to the source of the applause.

▲The performers appearing during the encore

The encore was "In the Mirror," a song co-produced by showmore and ZIN.

Nezu's delicate and powerful singing voice and ZIN's ephemeral and gentle singing voice.

▲ZIN singing the solo part

Inoue's piano and Ito's cello further add color to the two singers' voices, and the song ends with Nezu and ZIN harmonizing together.

There was a moment of silence, as if holding a breath, and then thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.

After the performance, the audience commented, "It was amazing..." and wrote down their impressions on postcards.
I was outside the venue, but I received many truly grateful comments from customers as they were leaving, such as, "I cried many times," "This is definitely one of the top three concerts I've ever been to in my life," and "The venue, the live performance, and the event were all wonderful."

▲After the concert, customers looked at merchandise and wrote letters.

Jiyucho Futo was founded by the owner Shohei and the manager Yuki, and is based on the concept of "savoring the everyday with honest feelings." Up until now, they have organized various events centered around the connection between the two. However, this live performance was an event that started from my personal desire to "do it!" Although the two agreed to "let's do it!", I was excited but also anxious about whether I, a staff member, was the right person to do it, and whether it would work out as a result of the connection between staff members.

But when the concert ended, I found myself filled with joy and thinking, "Ah, that was good."

In our busy days, we tend to forget to savor our true feelings and accept the true feelings of others. This time, I experienced this firsthand through "words" and "music."

Things that were possible because of Futo, showmore, ZIN, and Ito...
Each and every customer who was interested in this live performance.

Thank you very much.
It's simple to say, but I hope my overflowing gratitude reaches you.

I hope that you, who have read this to the end, have a wonderful day today.
Have a good day!!

Sakura Mori, staff of Jiyucho and Futon