MEI SEMONES TAKES THE STAGE AT RECORDBAR
I was first introduced to Mei Semones’ album “Animaru” at the end of 2025. I saw it come up on several lists as a top album of 2025 and decided to check it out. I was far from disappointed with what I found. Semones’ debut album beautifully combines jazz, chamber pop, and J-pop. The soothing vocals, idiosyncratic delivery, and unconventional song structures create an extremely dynamic listening experience.
A few short days later, I saw an announcement for Semones' spring tour, including a stop at recordBar in downtown Kansas City. I knew this wasn’t a show I wanted to miss. I sent the “Animaru” album to my friend Ash, telling him to check it out and let me know if he wanted tickets to go see it live. He was in.
Later that same week, I miraculously found an “Animaru” vinyl on sale at Cargo Largo, a discount store in the Kansas City area. I was shocked to find it surrounded by Taylor Swift records and Marvel movie soundtracks. $20 later, it was mine. In just over a week, I had gone from never having heard of Semones to counting her among my favorite artists. “Animaru” quickly became my go-to album for studying, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys artists like Laufey and Beabadoobee.
RecordBar reminded me much more of the DIY venues I’ve seen, rather than the larger theaters and arenas I’m used to attending concerts in. I arrived around 40 minutes after the doors opened and claimed a spot in the corner right in front of the stage. It was an intimate setting for a concert, especially for a show that featured an artist with such mindblowing vocal talent.
The opener, Brooklyn-based singer, guitarist, and songwriter John Roseboro, took the stage solo at 8 p.m. Without a band, Roseboro’s vocals and guitar ability put on a strong opening set. I had checked out his discography briefly before the show. I really enjoyed “80 Summers” and “Gethsemane,” which translated into a captivating live performance. Roseboro’s crowd work on “Crumb,” asking the crowd to repeat the chorus “One of one, one in a million…”, was a standout moment from the set. You could really feel the crowd support growing throughout the show, which reflects really strongly on Roseboro’s ability as a solo performer. I’ve heard Roseboro compared a lot to Steve Lacy, and he certainly has the same soft, lullaby vibe.
Oddly, he was joined on stage by Semones at the end of his set to perform their duo songs “Johnny,” one of my favorites from the night, and “Waters on March.” When the set ended after a memorable 35 minutes, Roseboro left the stage to a much warmer reception than when he initially took it. I found the decision to have Mei join the end of Roseboro’s set a little odd. Having the headliner appear for two songs only to head quickly backstage created some confusion from the audience that could have easily been minimized by just having Roseboro join Semones later for a brief cameo.
Mei Semones and her band, featuring Noah Leong (viola), Claudius Agrippa (violin), Noam Tanzer (bass), and Ransom McCafferty (drums), took the stage at 9 p.m. I was somewhat surprised to find that Semones wasn’t a solo act.
The set began with a series of songs I didn’t know. I made the mistake of not listening to Semones’ EPs “Kabutomusi” and “Tsukino.” The first third of the show featured a lot of solos for each member of the band, which really helped the pacing. The onstage connection of the band was on full display in these moments, and it really felt like Leong and Agrippa in particular leaned on each other to keep the energy up. While I didn’t know many of the songs, this chemistry, paired with Semones’ beautiful vocals and bilingual lyricism kept me invested.
Around halfway through, Semones introduced the audience to some unreleased tracks. The band played two tracks, each running an impressive eight minutes. Both were extremely drum-heavy compared to the rest of the night, which may be a sign of what future releases from Semones will sound like. I always enjoy hearing unreleased or unpolished songs at shows, and this was no exception.
The final third of the set was by far the highlight of the night. Songs like “I Can Do What I Want” and “Rat With Wings” all culminated in beautiful, intimate performances. My favorite track of the night was “Dumb Feeling” which features a really epic build-up that allowed all members of the band to shine. After an impressive hour and a half show, the band left the stage to thundering applause before predictably returning for an encore of “Sasayaku Sakebu” one of my favorite songs from “Animaru.”
Between Semones’ striking vocals, the tight chemistry of her band, and the intimacy of the recordBar stage, the show felt less like just another tour stop and more like a rare, up-close glimpse at one of music's fastest growing stars. I’ll make sure to attend any future dates. It took Mei Semones just a week to go from a new discovery to a must-see artist for me, and this show made it clear she won’t be playing in venues this small for long.
