MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS shine at the Great American Music Hall

At the intimate setting of the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS (Masu Dore) took to the stage to perform for a sold-out crowd that had eagerly waited since the show’s announcement earlier in May. Despite having just completed a North American tour last year, this show sold out almost immediately, demonstrating the band’s enduring popularity. Masu Dore’s post-hardcore sound strikes an oddly nostalgic chord, reminiscent of the alt/indie bands I—and likely much of the audience—grew up listening to.

The band members quietly stepped out to tune their instruments on the rather low stage before slipping backstage. When they returned to start their set at 9:40, they were greeted by loud cheers. Any thoughts of a late start quickly vanished as their energy synced with the crowd’s excitement. They opened with the laid-back ‘Dramatic’ and ‘Sugar’, before ramping things up with ‘New Order’, and even played some unreleased material.

The standout moment, however, came with ‘Aoi, Koi, Daidaiiro No Hi’, which sent the audience into a frenzy. Fans shouted along to every word, particularly exploding at the line “Itsumo”, before headbanging to the driving drums that followed.

Lead vocalist Natsuko was a force throughout the night, keeping the crowd energized from start to finish. She connected with the audience, waving to every section, and tossing heart signs in response to a fan shouting “I love you” in Japanese. With a smile, Natsuko addressed the crowd, saying, “Minna-san arigato, thank you for coming tonight—my English no good!”. She then gave a speech in her native Japanese, which only earned her more cheers, before finishing with, “We are so happy, so, so happy”.

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Natsuko’s dynamic stage presence was balanced by the more composed guitarist, Ogura, and drummer, Yoshino, whose controlled yet powerful drumming kept the mood tightly in check. Natsuko playfully introduced the guitar-heavy ‘She is Inside, He is Outside’ by pointing to Ogura’s intricate guitar work. The same energy carried through to fan favorites ‘MELT’ and ‘1960’, with the crowd chanting a chorus of “Aye aye”.

Their setlist spanned their discography from as early as 2008, building to a climactic end with ‘World Is Yours’. The band thanked the crowd and briefly left the stage, only to return for an encore performance of ‘delusionalism’. As they wrapped up the night, the band showed their appreciation with endless thank-yous before taking a picture with the crowd.

As fans left the venue clutching vinyl records and tour shirts, discussing the performance, it was clear that Masu Dore had not only met but exceeded their high expectations. Despite lineup changes and even a lengthy hiatus, the trio performed like the seasoned professionals they are. With great onstage chemistry, they looked polished and confident, never missing a beat throughout the night. 

MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS wrap up their 2024 North American tour on October 19th in Dallas, Texas. Visit the band’s official website for ticket details on the remaining dates.

Photos by Ammar Chishty

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MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS North American Tour 2024 | San Francisco Setlist

1. Dramatic
2. Sugar
3. New Order
4. Aoi, Koi, Daidai-iro no Hibi
5. She is Inside, He is Outside
6. MELT
7. 1960
8. Ne Iwai Ou (Unreleased)
9. Skabetty
10. End Roll
11. I F A SURFER
12. HuHuHu
13. Slow Motion Replay (Natsuko Miyamoto song)
14. Asahinagu
15. World Is Yours
    
    ENCORE
16. delusionalism

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