The image shows a view of the Cleveland skyline from North Coast Harbor on a bright, slightly overcast day. In the foreground, a paved parking area with red bricks and white space markers leads to a sandy public square. Several young, leafless trees are scattered across the sand, interspersed with wooden picnic tables and a white bench. The background is dominated by iconic skyscrapers, including the tall, pointed Key Tower, the historic Terminal Tower spire, and the modern 200 Public Square. To the left, a large white boat is docked.

Hanabie.: 24 Hours in Cleveland

ByJoshua Fast

A Detour Between Japan Chapters

In the middle of working through my 2025 Japan trip, I’m going to take a short detour. A quick 24-hour trip to Cleveland, Ohio. A city that, if I’m being honest, I could only associate with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and not much else, but somehow, even here, Japan still found its way into the story.

An Ohio Historical Marker stands in the foreground against a clear blue sky. The bronze, rectangular plaque is topped with a decorative "Ohio Historical Marker" emblem featuring a buckeye. Titled "BIRTHPLACE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL," the plaque's gold text explains how Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed coined the term in 1951 and organized the first rock concert in 1952. The marker is positioned on a grassy area next to a paved walkway. In the soft-focus background, a white truck and modern city buildings are visible under a bright, sunny sky.
Ricoh GRIIIx

I’m a huge metal fan. Genre doesn’t really matter, I can usually find something I like anywhere. A few years ago, I stumbled into BABYMETAL completely by accident. Kawaii metal, yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Japanese idols singing and dancing over a full metal band while double bass drums hit you square in the chest. It’s absurd, brilliant and sent me down a rabbit hole I didn’t expect.

Somewhere along the way, I found Hanabie..

Formed in Tokyo in 2015, Hanabie. blends metalcore, hardcore, fashion and J-pop energy into something that they have now dubbed Harajuku-core. Unlike BABYMETAL, they write and perform their own music, guitar, bass, drums, everything. It’s aggressive, unpredictable, and somehow still kawaii. Yes, the period in their name is intentional, not a typo. It’s pronounced “Hana-bee-eh”, with that slight extra lift at the end that makes it feel Japanese instead of flattened English. The first live video I watched on YouTube was enough, I knew I needed to see them in person. The problem? They don’t tour the U.S. often. When they dropped a new set of tour dates in December and I saw Cleveland on the list, Friday, March 27th at the House of Blues Cleveland and that was it. No overthinking. Two stage-left balcony seats, purchased immediately.

Cold Air, Lake Erie and Lunch

In my head, Cleveland was a three-hour drive. It was not. It was closer to four and a half without even factoring stops. I think my brain stopped at Toledo and just called it good. Still, easy morning, smooth drive. We pulled into the hotel around 2:30, checked in, and made a quick plan, lakefront, lunch, back in time to reset before the show.

A vertical, eye-level shot captures the Key Tower rising majestically at the end of a narrow, shadowed alley in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The skyscraper’s blue-tinted glass facade and distinctive pyramidal crown, featuring the red KeyBank logo, dominate the center background against a bright, hazy sky. Tall, weathered concrete and brick buildings line the foreground, casting deep shadows over the asphalt. Wisps of white steam drift from vents on the right, adding texture and motion. Parked cars and yellow bollards are visible near the alley’s exit, framed by the surrounding urban architecture.
Ricoh GRIIIx

I grabbed the Ricoh GRIIIx, and we stepped out into a 36-degree Cleveland afternoon. Cold, but bright. I’d like to add that I’ve never been a compact camera person, I don’t really even enjoy using my phone for pictures. I like to feel the weight and presence of a camera hanging from a strap. It makes whatever I’m doing feel intentional, like I’m out to shoot. I’m also trying to simplify things a bit, lighter gear and trusting jpgs instead of dealing with piles of raw files once I get home. Even more practically, not walking into a concert venue looking like I’m about to document a war. For this trip, it paid off. The jpgs I shot came out fantastic, especially from a camera that can live in my front pocket and is effectively smaller than my phone. I’ll admit, I cheated a little for the concert and worked through the raw files but come on, these are shots from a camera designed for street photography with a 40mm equivalent lens taken from a balcony with a partially blocked view. More on that to come.

A close-up, eye-level photograph captures a heavy, black cast-iron mooring bollard anchored to a light-colored concrete pier along the Cleveland, Ohio, waterfront. The bollard features a double-horn design with a wide, rectangular base secured by large bolts. Directly above it, a thick, black metal chain link fence sweeps across the frame in a shallow arc. In the background, the turquoise waters of Lake Erie ripple under a bright, slightly overcast sky, with a distant, thin coastline visible on the horizon. The scene is bright and highlights the industrial maritime textures
Ricoh GRIIIx
A wide-angle, daylight shot features the striking, geometric architecture of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at North Coast Harbor in Cleveland, Ohio. The building’s white, tiled facade and dark glass panels dominate the center-left. To its right sits the rounded dome of the Great Lakes Science Center, with the downtown Cleveland skyline and high-rise buildings rising in the background under a lightly clouded sky. In the foreground, the calm, dark waters of a marina are filled with empty wooden docks extending into the harbor, creating a sense of quiet urban symmetry.
Ricoh GRIIIx
An outdoor photograph captures the "Free Stamp" sculpture, the world's largest rubber stamp, situated in Cleveland's Willard Park. The massive, burnt-orange sculpture rests on its side on a green grass lawn. Its white, rubberized face features the word "FREE" in large, blocky, mirrored letters angled toward the sky. In the background, a grand, classical stone building stands behind bare winter trees under a bright, partly cloudy sky. The scale is emphasized by a dark car parked nearby, highlighting the sculpture's monumental size and its playful, pop-art design.
Ricoh GRIIIx

Cleveland, at least the slice of it we saw is genuinely beautiful. The architecture stands out immediately. Older buildings with real detail, not just glass and steel boxes. A gothic church sat directly across from our hotel ringing its bells every 15 minutes like there weren’t people trying to sleep across the street. We walked down toward the lake, caught a glimpse of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame behind construction fencing, and let the wind off Lake Erie remind us it was still very much winter no matter what the calendar might say. Lunch was at Winking Lizard Tavern, a name that sounds like a joke but takes its beer list very seriously. Food was solid, nothing life-changing, but the beer selection was the real draw. I ordered a Destihl Brewery Blueberry Crumble, which somehow tasted exactly like a blueberry muffin in liquid form. It shouldn’t have worked as well as it did. But it did.

An close-up, angled shot of a small, whimsical bronze figure by artist Tom Otterness. The smooth, rounded character wears a small bowler hat and a collared shirt with a necktie, and it is shown climbing or peering through a large, flat bronze plate. The plate has stylized, blocky letters cut out of it, and the figure appears to be holding onto one of these letter shapes. The entire sculpture has a uniform, reddish-brown patina and is set outdoors against a blurred background of a city building and garden.
Ricoh GRIIIx
An overhead, slightly angled shot captures a casual meal set on a light wood tavern table. In the foreground, a tan plate holds a Buffalo chicken wrap, sliced diagonally to reveal a tightly packed filling of chicken and sauce within a flour tortilla. Beside it sits a small white bowl overflowing with savory seasoned wild rice. A tall, clear glass of Destihl Brewery Blueberry Crumble beer, featuring a deep reddish-amber hue and a thin white head, stands behind the plate. A colorful menu and white napkins complete the cozy pub atmosphere.
Ricoh GRIIIx

Deathcore, Goblins and Hanabie. Delivers

We made it to the venue around 6:30. The House of Blues Cleveland hits that sweet spot, large enough to feel like an event, small enough to stay intimate. Our only miss was the balcony placement. Stage left sounded great in theory, but a rail partially blocked the view. Not a dealbreaker, just one of those things you’d adjust if you had a second chance.

The opener was Enterprise Earth, straight deathcore, heavy and technical, with a frontman who clearly enjoys the crowd as much as the music. The standout moment wasn’t even on stage, he mentioned he’d be at the merch booth after the show meeting fans. That kind of accessibility still impresses me.

A wide-angle, high-angle shot captures the deathcore band **Enterprise Earth** performing live at the **Cleveland House of Blues**. The stage is bathed in deep blue spotlights and atmospheric haze. In the foreground, the drummer plays intensely behind a silver kit, flanked by a bassist to the left and a guitarist to the right. The vocalist stands center-right, gripping a microphone and gesturing toward the crowd. Behind them, large black speaker cabinets feature white occult-style eye illustrations, and the band’s intricate, spiked logo is projected prominently onto the back wall.
Ricoh GRIIIx

Next up was Nekrogoblikon.

If you walk into this one blind, it’s an experience. Melodic death metal… fronted in part by a guy dressed as a goblin. Not metaphorically. Fully committed goblin costume. Their whole identity leans into this bizarre, theatrical energy they’ve branded as “goblin metal.” It’s chaotic, crude in the best way, and incredibly tight musically. They even collaborated with Reel Big Fish, which immediately earned them credibility in my book. It just works, they put on a hell of a show.

A vibrant, wide-angle stage shot of the melodic death metal band **Nekrogoblikon** performing at the **Cleveland House of Blues**. The stage is dominated by a massive, lime-green inflatable goblin head with pointed ears and a jagged grin, positioned center-stage. Members of the band, including a guitarist, keyboardist, and crouching vocalist, are spread across the platform under bright purple and white spotlights. To the left, a person in a full goblin costume and suit stands on a riser. The background features a large, illustrated backdrop with the band's name in a dripping, stylized font.
Ricoh GRIIIx

And then Hanabie.

Every once in a while, expectations and reality line up perfectly. This was one of those times. Yukina walks on stage and doesn’t look like someone about to tear a room apart, until she opens her mouth. She somehow produces a voice that feels physically impossible for her size. The contrast is almost disorienting, her scream cuts through everything, sharp and controlled, then flips into clean vocals without losing intensity. Matsuri absolutely shreds without overplaying, threading technical riffs through songs that are already shifting styles mid-measure. Hettsu locks everything down with a low end you don’t just hear, you feel it in your chest. In the back, Chika is just grinning while casually dismantling the drum kit like she’s having the best time in the room. It’s tight and fun in a way a lot of metal forgets how to be and they look like they’re genuinely enjoying it. That energy feeds the room, and by the time their set wrapped, there wasn’t really a question.

A high-energy, wide-angle shot features the Japanese metalcore band **Hanabie.** performing at the **Cleveland House of Blues**. The stage is filled with golden-yellow haze and bright spotlights. The four band members are captured in dynamic poses: the drummer is active on an elevated riser, while the bassist and guitarist flank the center. In the middle, the vocalist crouches low on a platform, gripping her microphone. The band’s vibrant, Harajuku-inspired outfits—featuring leopard print, stripes, and bright colors—contrast sharply against the dark stage and their aggressive, white-and-red graphic backdrop.
Ricoh GRIIIx
A high-angle, wide shot captures the Japanese "Harajuku-core" band **Hanabie.** during an energetic moment at the **Cleveland House of Blues**. The stage is flooded with cool blue lighting and thick fog, creating a cinematic atmosphere. On the left, the bassist strikes a wide stance, while on the right, the guitarist raises both arms in a celebratory gesture. The vocalist stands center-stage on a riser, arms outstretched and smiling, wearing a vibrant outfit featuring a pink feathered boa and striped leg warmers. In the background, the drummer is visible behind her kit under the band's large graphic backdrop.
Ricoh GRIIIx
An action-packed, wide-angle shot captures a high-energy moment as **Hanabie.** performs at the **Cleveland House of Blues**. The stage is illuminated by warm, orange-gold lighting and dense haze. In a remarkable display of athleticism, the vocalist is frozen mid-air in a high jump at center stage, one arm raised while singing into her microphone. To her left, the bassist leans into a heavy riff, and to her right, the guitarist shreds while perched on a riser. The drummer is visible in the background, adding to the synchronized chaos beneath the band's large, stylized backdrop.
Ricoh GRIIIx

10/10 show, no notes.

We came to Cleveland for a show and left with more than that. A city that surprised me, a venue that delivered, and a band that absolutely lived up to the hype. If Hanabie. comes back through the U.S., I won’t hesitate. Next time, though… I might aim for center balcony.

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