A home for my words.

Growing up in New York City and then returning once I graduated college, I grew to appreciate how living in one of the world’s most famous cities meant that acts — however large or small — would come to your stomping grounds to perform. As I began moving more, I realized every place was not so fortunate. For many people, seeing their favorite artist live means traveling a decent distance. One performer that I’ve remained loyal to seeing live wherever I’ve lived is Justin Nozuka.

Justin Nozuka

I was introduced to his music through during my freshman year of college. His music has elements of soul, folk, and R&B. A quick Google search on his style of music will also pop up terms like “alternative,” “indie,” “contemporary,” and even “pop.” His huge hit, “After Tonight,” had come out three years prior. I had a lot to catch up on and that’s exactly what I did.

My favorite musical era of his was his You I Wind Land and Sea (2010) era. His songs about relationships, those with family, friends, lovers, and one’s own self spoke to me. And I equally adored the influence nature had in his lyrics. I recall waking up early one morning during my study abroad experience in Nepal and sneaking off to listen to his music alone. As he sang “The sun falls behind the greatest mountain / And every moment passing by is a new color in the sky,” I smiled as large as possible. There I was, in a nation that indeed had one of the world’s greatest mountains. The words felt more fitting than ever.

Likewise, nearly a decade later when I arrived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I quickly stored my backpack so that I could rush to the sea. The moment I saw the waters emerge in the distance, I felt just like what Justin Nozuka said in his “Heavy Stone” song on the Run to Waters album (2018): “I saw the ocean and I felt myself soften.”

He was also the musician I listened to in order to scare away bears and calm my nerves during that hike outside of Kyoto, Japan! If I ever had the chance to speak with him, I’d just want him to know that I’ve taken his music with me all over the world.

Brooklyn, NY: Rough Trade NYC, 2014

I was in college at Providence, RI but saw that Justin would be performing in my home city: Brooklyn, NY! I’d been a serious fan for four years at this point and Megabus tickets were cheap. I let my mom know I’d be crashing and made it a quick weekend trip. Rough Trade is a cool venue. The front is a large record store and then tucked behind that is a music venue. Back in these days, I enjoyed going to a concert solo and then chatting with the other attendees. There’s a special kind of community that forms while waiting online and standing in a venue before a live music show!

Denver, CO, 2019

I was living in Boulder, CO at this time and Justin was coming to play in Denver. I’d spend that summer playing “No Place in Mind” countless times. I’d take off from my apartment with few plans beyond knowing that I wanted to go for a bike ride or a hike. It was exactly what the song was about and I presume perhaps even what it was made for.

What was cool about this concert was that I actually won tickets to the show! There was a competition where fans would create their ideal set list, decorate it to their heart’s content, and then post it. I was normally either off of social media or using it sparingly, but this was my favorite artist we were talking about here. Incredibly, I won two tickets. A friend in Boulder agreed to attend with me despite the snowstorm conditions. It was so bad the tour had to skip the Utah show lest they risk getting stuck and never being able to make the drive to the following venues. I was nervous the Denver show would get canceled, too.

My friend and I ate at my favorite place in Denver, a tiny ramen bar in a basement that unfortunately didn’t survive what we often call “the covid years.” Under the right circumstances, I can be a social butterfly and this was one of those times. So when I saw that a gentleman was sitting at the bar eating solo, I checked in with my friend if she’d be okay with our chatting him up. She has a very bubbly affect and was open to it. Plus, I’d waited until we were all almost finished with our meals so that it would be easy to bail out, if needed. Whaddaya know…the guy ended up being the tour manager for Justin!!

We saw the tour manager again at the culmination of the show that night. My friend pointed out that he might actually be open to introducing us to Justin, but I was too timid and just happy that the night had been an overall success.

Phoenix, AZ: The Rebel Lounge, 2024

At the time I write this, Phoenix, AZ is the fifth largest city in the United States of America. There are a few good music venues as well, so I’ve managed to a see a number of acts while living out here, including Allen Stone (another one of my favorite living musicians) and Tinashe. Hearing that Justin was coming into town gave me the chance to learn about The Rebel Lounge venue for the first time. I took a Waymo to and from the show and saw one of Justin’s brothers, Philip, selling merch in the front.

Summary

Three concerts over the course of a decade; not too bad. I haven’t seen Justin Nozuka internationally yet, but that feels like a natural next step 😉

I’ve rocked with him as a fan through various hair stages (long, short, blonde, etc.), influences, and subject matters. I’ve loved them all. Sometimes he drops an album about a season of life that I don’t find myself to be in personally, but then a few years later is resonates deeper than the initial listen. Other times he releases what appears to be a just-in-time album. As a self-proclaimed “lyrics person,” I especially enjoy the experience of how many of Justin’s lyrics seem to play out as I mouth along.

I’ll leave you with this 2014 recording:

Who is your favorite musician to see live?