Last week, the Japanese band SCANDAL made their triumphant return to North America after a few long years. New York's Playstation Theater played host to their first showing in the US followed by performances in California, Mexico and Texas. We were able to catch the San Francisco show at the Regency Ballroom which marked the first time SCANDAL has returned to San Francisco in approximately a decade. The tour is titled "Special Thanks" and also coincides with the tenth anniversary of their first US tour.

 SCANDAL has been active for just over a dozen years after forming in 2006.  The band has had the same members since the beginning and consists of Haruna (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mami (lead guitar), Tomomi (bass), and Rina (drums). The quartet met during high school in Osaka vocal school and signed with indie label Kitty Records two years later. They soon made their major label debut under Epic Records Japan where they remain to this day.

The band played without any opening act, and the setlist totaled in at just under twenty songs for a solid 90-minute show. Fans were so excited that they started to line up outside the venue since the early morning. I had fully expected the show to focus on their newest album “Honey,” but it turned out that they had incorporated a little bit of everything from their previous albums with “Honey” only making up about a quarter of the setlist. The pace of the concert was fantastic with the band kicking things off with the song "Shunkan Sentimental" which was featured in the anime Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. That really got the crowd going, and the energy carried all the way through to the end. I enjoyed it when they played "Departure" and "Sisters" towards the middle of the concert as it provided a nice change of pace compared with the high tempo songs of the beginning.

Everyone attending seemed to be really having a good time. At the San Francisco show, there were people dancing in the back, and at least one individual was doing full on Wotagei with penlights too. The crowd had their hands up and were matching the band beat for beat throughout the show. I’m sure if the crowd at the front could have followed Mami’s example as she energetically danced around the stage, they would have.  For those who have them, make sure to bring your SCANDAL towel because that will be getting some use. For those who don’t have them, you can pick one up at the merch table. Crowd participation is always fun, and spinning a towel above your head makes its return this tour.

Toward the end of the concert, the band performed a lot of songs from their new album "Honey" and finished off with the timeless classic "Love Survive" from "Baby Action."  What truly concluded the night on a high note was the encore consisting of "Shoujo S" and "Doll." Those are two staple songs that most would expect to hear from a SCANDAL concert, and if anything, no concert would be complete without them. During the encore crowd's energy went through the roof many singing along with the band.

The concert continues onward with a short jaunt to Mexico before returning for the final US show in Texas. Hopefully, they’ll continue to perform in America and add San Francisco to the list of regular tour stops. It’s a rare treat whenever SCANDAL comes to town, and if given the chance, any fan or person even remotely curious should come on out. The tickets will not put a dent in your wallet, and you get a hell of a show.

The full concert run for North America is as follows:

9/5 New York, NY - Playstation Theater
9/7 San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom
9/9 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
9/12 Monterrey (MX) - Escena
9/14 Mexico City (MX) - El Plaza Condesa
9/16 Dallas, TX - The Bomb Factory

Setlist:

Shunkan Sentimental - Temptation Box
Awanai Tsumori no, Genki dene - Standard
Stamp! - Yellow
Your song (English version) - Yellow
SCANDAL BABY - Best Scandal
Platform Syndrome - Honey
OVER - Honey
FREEDOM FIGHTERS - Best Album
Departure - Hello World
Morning Sun - Yellow
Sisters - Yellow
Koe - Queens Are Trumps
Koi suru Universe - Honey
Electric Girl - Honey
Take Me Out - Honey
LOVE SURVIVE - Baby Action

Encore:

Shoujo S - Best Scandal
DOLL - Best Scandal

Album breakdown:

Best Scandal: 3
Temptation Box: 1
Baby Action: 1
Queens Are Trumps: 1
Standard: 1
Hello World: 1
Yellow: 4
Scandal: 1
Honey: 5