See You, Space Cowboy: Anime NYC 2023’s Cowboy Bebop 25th Anniversary Concert

Featured Image Credits:
The Town Hall and Crunchyroll Present Cowboy Bebop 25th Anniversary Concert – The Music featuring The Sinfonietta, conducted by Macy Schmidt, Thursday, November 16, 2023 at The Town Hall
Photo credit: Sachyn Mital, Cowboy Bebop video images © SUNRISE

Date: 11/16/2023

In this day and age, it’s impossible to argue that Cowboy Bebop is a special series within the North American anime community. When the show premiered on Adult Swim on September 2, 2001, it became an instant hit that captured hearts and minds far beyond the borders of the established community. Much like Star Blazers in 1979 and Robotech in 1985, at a time when shows like Family Guy and South Park were treated as the de facto standard for adult-oriented animation, Cowboy Bebop represented what the medium could be.

Publications like The San Francisco Chronicle praised the series, highlighting its “visually appealing look” and “superb storyline” [1]. Meanwhile, NPR’s Fresh Air described it as a combination of “James Bond, the movie ‘Blade Runner,’ old ‘Flash Gordon’ comic strips or Japanese sci-fi animation, like ‘Atera(ph).’” [2] Shinichiro Watanabe’s direction and Keiko Watanabe’s writing received high commendations across multiple publications, as the greater fan community fell in love with the Bebop’s ragtag crew.

Across all audiences, though, Yoko Kanno’s soundtrack for the show was immediately endearing. The score, which was performed by the international ensemble group Seatbelts, melded jazz, funk, blues, and country to create a soundscape that was unlike anything else at the time. Opening theme song Tank! and closing ditty The Real Folk Blues became staple entries on online radio stations like Anime Hardcore Radio, and tracks like Car24 and Mushroom Hunting remained in fans’ hearts as beloved earworms.

With such a powerful legacy, it seems fitting, if not proper that Cowboy Bebop would celebrate its grand 25th anniversary celebration in New York. As the birthplace of bebop jazz, and the city where Yoko Kanno recorded much of the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack, the city holds a deep connection to the title, in addition to its role as a historic epicenter of anime fandom.

On November 16, more than a thousand fans, young and old alike, filed into New York’s historic The Town Hall in Times Square for a Cowboy Bebop concert event that was presented by Crunchyroll and the Town Hall and performed by The Broadway Sinfonietta. The Sinfonietta is an all-woman and majority women-of-color orchestra, which was founded in 2020 by orchestrator and conductor Macy Schmidt.

The venue’s lobby was decked out with standees of the Bebop crew, as counters sold alcohol and merchandise in equal measure. Inside the main auditorium, a theater-sized screen was erected in front of the curtains, which displayed the event’s logo and key art.

The audience politely applauded as the orchestra seated themselves, and as Schmidt stepped out onto the stage. Before she began, Schmidt invited everyone in attendance to “not hold back,” and to “treat this like they would a gathering of friends,” adding, “feel free to laugh when Spike does something silly, or to cheer at your favorite moments.”

The room grew silent for a moment before the orchestra broke into the opening bars to Tank!, and the room erupted in excited cheers and whoops. Behind them, the iconic opening scene played on the projector screen. It was immediately apparent that this was going to be a special evening, as the bassist bobbed her head to the walking bass line, which melded with the warmth of the horn section. There was a richness and depth to the overall sound that immediately set itself apart from Seatbelts’ original recorded work, from the sharp snaps of the snare drums to the piercing trill of the soprano sax in the closing measures.

The audience erupted in cheers once more, as the video continued, into the first episode. Unlike a traditional concert, The Sinfonietta would provide the soundtracks to four episodes across the evening: “Asteroid Blues,” “Ballad of the Fallen Angels,” and both parts of series finale, “The Real Folk Blues.”

For “Asteroid Blues,” it was hard to not be captivated by the lilting, guitar-heavy drawl of Felt Tip Pen, capturing the lackadaisical atmosphere, as Spike wandered the streets of Tijuana in search of his bounty. Later in the episode, during Spike’s showdown with Asimov, one could feel the tension in the room building, as the drummer’s ride cymbal rhythms gave way to syncopated beats, while the horn section continued to build in intensity with each passing moment. The audience erupted into raucous cheers, as the melody reached its climax, and Jet showed up to pull Spike’s butt out of the proverbial fire.

Applause rang through the venue as the episode faded to black, which swelled into a gleeful roar, as Ed’s smiling face showed up onscreen. Suddenly, the band started playing Car24, as an upbeat montage starring Ed and Ein rolled. The alto sax was sublime throughout, commanding the vibe of the piece as a low-key, cheerful mood swept over the room.

“Ballad of the Fallen Angels” immediately followed this playful respite. The applause barely had a moment to subside before series antagonist Vincent stepped into frame and the crowd erupted in cheers. They would arise again minutes later, as Faye Valentine made her debut for the evening. The real stars of the episode, though, were the vocalists, who performed Ave Maria and Rain, respectively. For Ave Maria, the singer brought a powerful presence, that was elevated by the organs, creating a truly ethereal sound that matched, if not surpassed the original work. For Rain, the vocalist played with the organist to create a building tension, a sense of excitement and looming dread, as Spike walked through the cavernous ruined church, where Vincent loomed in wait.

A vocal quartet performed Green Bird during the climax of the episode, in which Spike plummets from the window at the top floor of the church, as his life flashes before his eyes. A somber piano accompanied their song, elevating the performance to a crushing surrealism.

The episode closed with a performance of Real Folk Blues, which saw the entire orchestra cutting loose, backing their playing with a power that earned a rave reception throughout the room. The singer for the piece had a husky, powerful voice that could be likened to a younger Urara Takano. As the screen faded to black, the auditorium once again rang out in cheers, as the house lights came on, and the Intermission began.

Following the intermission, the orchestra performed NYRush against a series of action scenes. The syncopated beats of the drum section played well against the horns, as they lent an untamed energy to the events unfolding on-screen. The trumpet solo, which was set against a walking bass line, was pure energy that continued to ramp up the intensity before finally giving way to a fiery tenor sax solo.

Once the song was over, Melay Araya, the artistic director for the project, stepped onto the stage. She greeted the audience, thanking everyone for attending, while explaining that it was “very much a passion project.” After her remarks, Araya welcomed one additional guest onto the stage.

The room erupted in rapturous cheers and whoops, rising for a standing ovation as composer Yoko Kanno took the stage. Kanno greeted the hundreds of fans, who had gathered closer to the stage, almost on instinct. She explained that New York was the perfect place to host Cowboy Bebop’s anniversary celebration, noting the city’s connection to bebop jazz, and her own experiences during recording. She added that the series, itself, was written by the late Keiko Nobumoto, who passed away in 2021. She added that “women made Bebop cool,” to thunderous applause.

As she took her leave, the lights grew dim once more, as two-parter “The Real Folk Blues” began. The audience was rapt, as a red light began to illuminate the curtains behind the scene, lending to the oppressive atmosphere. As the episode rolled, one couldn’t help but notice how strikingly little music there is in these final chapters. The few pieces that did appear were played to perfection.

Throughout the screening, the Sinfonietta kept building a palpable, creeping dread as the story beats began to play out, and Spike continued the march toward his ultimate fate. The performance of See You Space Cowboy during the final episode was like a dirge, as the orchestra set an ominous mood, underscored with dread. We all knew what was going to happen next, but the anxiety and worry still swept throughout the auditorium.

As Spike staggered out of the building, the vocalists began to sing Blue. Their performance was immediately haunting and sad, which was further accentuated by the low-key guitar melody, accentuated by drums and a somber piano that dominated the vibe of the room. The Sinfonietta was determined to have as few dry eyes in the house as possible and, by all rights, they succeeded.

The audience erupted in cheers and a standing ovation as the final notes played, and everybody took a bow. After delivering their final thanks for the evening, the Sinfonietta sent their eager audience off with one final surprise. They took their seats once more, and began playing the full version of Tank! During this, the orchestra cut loose, chewing the stage at every opportunity. Each solo and breakdown was pushed ever further, to the audience’s delight. The real winner of this musical duel, though, went to the tenor sax, who just dominated their performance, with playful flourishes and instrumentation that carried a cocky, confident swagger.

As the thousands of attendees filed out of The Town Hall, into the chilly city night, there was a shared sensation that something truly special had taken place that evening. The Sinfonietta had done what many had thought to be impossible, as they allowed an audience of more than a thousand to experience the joys of a beloved classic work for the very first time, all over again.

Works Cited

¹ Goodman, T. (2002, February 20). The San Francisco Chronicle. Grown-Ups Deserve ‘Toons, Too.

² Miles, M. (2002, March 1). Fresh Air. NPR.