After touring the U.S. and Europe for most of the year, Michelle Zauner and Japanese Breakfast came down south for the final leg of the Melancholy Tour, stopping in Houston between their ACL Festival dates. The show was originally planned as a solo performance with SPELLLING in the Downstairs hall of White Oak Music Hall, but a schedule change turned it into a small, festival-like event co-headlined by Wet Leg and Japanese Breakfast on the Lawn that Thursday afternoon.

The shift couldn’t have been more perfect. The band immediately drew everyone’s attention with “Honey Water,” reminding the audience of their signature ethereal balance between tender lyricism and expressive musicianship — Michelle’s powerful voice soaring over the group’s harmonious, free-flowing jams. Classics like “Road Head” and “Boyish” blended beautifully with the acoustic shuffle of new tracks such as “Picture Window” and “Mega Circuit,” filling the crowd (and guitarist Peter Bradley) with warmth and energy.

As the sun slipped below and the night began to cool, Japanese Breakfast illuminated the stage — both literally and sonically — with the shimmering energy of “Heft” and “Slide Tackle,” revealing the band’s jam-band spirit, rich with solos and radiant joy. Yet they also allowed space for reflection with more emotional moments like “Posing for Cars,” drawing the crowd into awe before swelling back into the euphoria that characterizes their live sound. They closed their set with “Be Sweet,” “Everybody Wants to Love You,” and “Diving Woman,” perfectly setting the tone for Wet Leg’s high-octane finale.