Phantom Siita Showed Houston a Hauntingly Beautiful Performance
Houston’s White Oak Music Hall was filled with fans dressed in full gothic lolita attire, trading Phantom Siita keychains as they counted down the minutes until the girls were set to make their Houston debut. The audience’s excitement was doubled by the constant reminders throughout the venue that they were all going to be part of the group’s new music video that would be filmed during the concert.
The J-Pop girl group, who made their debut in June of last year, gained popularity from their unique “retro horror” concept and ties to Japanese pop star, Ado, who is the group’s producer. Their Moth to a Flame tour, which had two Texas stops, started in Taipei and is set to end in London. Fans were ecstatic that they got to see their favorite group so soon after their debut and it was clear that bringing them on tour so early was a good decision as fans showed up in droves to support them.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
The show opened with a captivating performance of their song “Just Wanna xxxx With You,” which was fitting as the girls were dressed in the same bloodied take on the Japanese sailor uniform that they wore in the song’s music video. From the moment the song started, fans were instantly teleported into Phantom Siita’s horror story. The girls resembled haunted dolls and danced in a manner that seemed to suggest they were being possessed. Even if you were unfamiliar with their concept, the members were able to draw you into their world with every intricate facial expression and impeccably choreographed dance move.
It’s difficult to effectively pull off a horror concept in a music video where you have the help of special effects and creepy visuals, but pulling it off on stage where you’re accompanied only by the music is nearly impossible. Phantom Siita has the ability to make an upbeat song with a retro vibe like “Conflicting” absolutely horrifying with their performances alone. As the girls were performing to a crowd of people who likely didn’t speak Japanese, most fans were unable to understand the song’s dark lyrics, but the tears that threatened to flow out of Moka’s eyes conveyed to them that the song was not as joyful as it sounded.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
Each member was given their own solo stage to show off their talents and their personal music style. Mona and Rinka had the first two solos, with their bubbly covers of Seiko Matsuda’s “Aoi Sangoshou” and Meiko Nakahara’s “Fantasy” which showcased their fresh vocals. Moka and Miu showed off their unbeatable charisma and powerful vocals with their covers of Kenshi Yonezu’s “KICK BACK” and Yasuha’s “Fly-day Chinatown.” Hisui had the most unique solo with her cover of Hikaru Utada’s “One Last Kiss” which displayed her soft, airy vocals.
Since Phantom Siita currently only have one album out, aside from performing the album in its entirety, they also performed a few covers. In keeping with the girls' retro concept, the covers consisted of personalized versions of classic J-Pop songs like “4:00A.M.” and “Suki Suki Daisuki.” However, to any audience members who weren’t familiar with the group’s discography, it would’ve been easy to mistake them for Phantom Siita songs as they made them their own with their detailed choreography and signature full body performances.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
While the members only spoke Japanese, it was clear from the way the audience reacted to them that even if fans didn’t understand every word they said, they still understood their sentiment. Throughout the show, the members would express their love and gratitude for their fans both through their words and with their gestures. The only times a member would break character during a performance was to smile or pose for a fan in the audience. Meanwhile, fans showed their love for the members by cheering every time a member would talk or loudly singing along to each song.
Rather than just being in sync, the members of Phantom Siita were deeply in tune with one another. Part of what made their dancing so memorable was that rather than mimicking each other’s movements, the girls played off each other. This was the case not just with their dancing, but also with their singing. No two members had the same voice. Instead, they each brought their own unique sound that complimented the other members’ vocals in the harmonies and stood out in their individual parts.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
After fans chanted both “encore” and “Phantom Siita,” the group came back with a performance of their producer, Ado’s “Tot Musica.” When saying their goodbyes, Miu admitted to fans that it made her really happy to hear them chant the group’s name when asking them to come back. Finally, the members sang their most energetic song “Zoku Zoku” as a final goodbye to fans.