The Final Show: Parting Ways After Three Weeks on the Road

I woke up to the sound of rain—something I hadn’t heard in a long while.

I’d assumed the inland parts of the U.S. would be hot, but mornings here are cold no matter where we are.

Today marks the final day of our tour. We’re scheduled to play the pre-party stage at Austin Psych Fest in Texas.

It was this very offer that set the entire U.S. tour in motion. I first discovered the festival when Kikagaku Moyo played it back in 2014, and it’s been a dream of mine ever since.

Now, we’re finally about to step onto that stage. It’s the last day of a three-week journey. It’s raining for the first time in ages. Everything—the festival, the ending, the weather—seemed to collide at once, and I felt like I was floating, unable to plant my feet on the ground.

We left our Airbnb in Oklahoma in the rain—it was a bit more expensive than our usual spots. Since Austin was quite a drive, we got an early start.

Our first stop was a cozy organic café, where we grabbed breakfast to go. I had an avocado bagel that turned out to be amazing. With only a few dollars left in my wallet and nothing left to save for, I finally let go of being frugal.

We were headed toward Austin, but the highways were jammed in every direction—likely due to the rain. So much for a breezy final drive. It was becoming obvious we wouldn’t make it in time for our scheduled arrival.

Mikey called Matthew, Etran’s tour manager, and learned they were also stuck in traffic. Mikey asked him to see if the schedule could be adjusted if they made it to the venue before us.

The rain kept coming down harder. Austin Psych Fest was planned as an outdoor event, and I couldn’t help but worry—what if it got canceled? Without the performance fee or merch sales, we’d slip right back into the red. Watching the rain streak across the window, all I could do was hope the skies would clear.

In the end, the traffic didn’t let up, and we arrived at the venue well past our scheduled 5:00 p.m. load-in—closer to 6:30, right when doors were opening.

We jumped into action, unloading our gear and rushing to set up the stage. A few early guests had already started to arrive, but we had no choice but to press on. We began sound check and tried to run through a song for rehearsal—but the moment we started playing, the venue lost power completely. Maybe it was the rain. The PA team and staff moved quickly to troubleshoot.

Power eventually came back, but just as we resumed playing, it went out again. Rehearsal never really happened.

Oddly, none of us panicked. There’s something about the final day of a tour—it always ends up feeling a little out of control, and somehow, you just learn to ride it out.

Since it looked like it would take time to fully restore the power, we stepped off the stage and decided to go into the show without a rehearsal. Normally, that would feel reckless—but after three intense weeks on tour, we knew we could handle it. That hard-earned confidence was the tour’s quiet gift to us.

Despite being part of a festival, Hotel Vegas in Austin turned out to be smaller and more intimate than we’d expected. That helped ease our nerves. The crowd slowly grew, and by the time we took the stage, we felt ready in our own quiet way.

The performance held together beautifully, even without a soundcheck. At this point, it was second nature—we simply played what we had been playing night after night. And in between the familiar phrases, something new and alive would sneak in.

Ikeda’s sax solo that night stretched longer than ever before. Maybe it was his way of saying goodbye. It went on so long, I laughed on stage. When it ended, the crowd erupted in cheers. I took the mic and said in halting English:

“This is the last show of our US tour. And the next song is our final song.”

In a blink, it was over. The tour, the music, the moment. We stepped off stage in a swell of applause and relief, knowing we had truly reached the end.

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Today is the last time I’ll see Etran’s live performance. They continue to push the crowd to dance with unrelenting energy. People forget time and place, their smiles never fading as they immerse themselves in the joy. It’s a sight I can never grow tired of. I find myself dancing along with them.

Today’s earnings totaled $1,600. Considering the rain and the small venue, it’s about what we expected. This amount now represents the profit from our U.S. tour. It’s more than enough. We had originally anticipated a loss.

Since it was our last day with Mikey, we decided to take a photo in the booth. Four of us squeezed into the small space, but after three weeks in the van together, it didn’t bother us at all.

After the event, we went over to say goodbye to the Etran crew. They greeted us with big smiles and thanked us. We hugged them and expressed our gratitude as well. Truly, thank you so much.

Before parting ways, they handed us bracelets from their merch booth as a gift. They’re precious to me. Every time I look at them, I’ll be reminded of these days.

Etran and their tour manager, Matthew, suggested we take a final group photo together. It turned out to be a very joyful moment. Etran still had another three weeks of touring in the U.S. before heading to Europe. Their stamina is truly impressive. I respect them a lot.

By around midnight, we had finished packing up and decided to leave the venue. Since we were flying out early the next morning, Mikey was going to drive us to the airport.

We arrived at the airport in about 10 minutes. It was so close! I wanted to take a bit more time to savor our last drive, but with the cold air from Mikey keeping the window open, it wasn’t so bad.

After dropping off our bags outside the departure lobby, it was time to say goodbye to Mikey. Sure, there were moments when he annoyed me, but overall, he’s a great guy. We hugged him goodbye, and I thought to myself, I’ll reach out when I’m in LA next time.

With only the three of us now, it feels a bit lonely.

It’s 1 AM, and our flight isn’t until 7 AM, so we have six hours ahead of us. On top of that, check-in starts at 4 AM, so we still have three hours to wait. We began rechecking our luggage and preparing for the flight. Since the area was empty, we changed into our travel clothes.

I packed my bags carefully, making sure to check the weight and sealing them together with the plastic tape I had. I was extra cautious, determined not to incur extra fees like I did on the way here. There was no rush, plenty of time ahead.

The packing was completed fairly quickly, but the waiting felt like it stretched on forever. I thought about writing in my journal, but it felt too early to put everything into words. Some memories need to stay untouched for a while, preserved as they are.

Turning everything into words can be a daunting thing. Words break down, organize, and tidy up events, making them too neat. The actual experience is much messier, more chaotic, and imperfect. And sometimes, I believe it’s important to simply savor those moments in their raw, unfiltered form.

This was one of those moments.

To be continuned.

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