Anime Boston 2024: Queen Bee Brings The Fire To The Hynes

Introduction: Anticipation Overload

In this day and age, it’s impossible to talk about anime music without mentioning Queen Bee. Founded in 2009, the group rocketed to stardom within the community thanks to their musical contributions to more than a half-dozen prominent anime series. Starting with Tokyo Ghoul:re in 2018, Queen Bee’s songs seemed to dot the anime landscape with each passing year, most recently providing the opening for Undead Unluck, and closing themes for Oshi no Ko and Chainsaw Man.

To say that their appearance at Anime Boston was anticipated is an understatement. A line for their concert had already begun to form by 7:00 PM, as hundreds of attendees wrapped around the second floor of the Hynes Convention Center. Within the hour, the queue had encircled the entire level, ending just in front of the escalators. Security staffers held placards denoting the end of the line, as folks eagerly chatted, got some quality time in with the week’s simulcasts, or just idly browsed social media on their phones.

All the while, the excitement built, as the crowd’s murmur rose to a hum, then a chatter as the minutes ticked down. They knew that the night was about to get wild, though they still had no clue as to what exactly waited in that auditorium.

At 8:00 PM, the doors opened, and people started streaming in. Security staffers quickly directed the crowds to their seats, encouraging them to file in an orderly manner. Within ten minutes, the ground floor seats were packed, as the main show floor was filled, and folks began piling into the balcony above. Meanwhile, music videos of Queen Bee’s biggest hits played on the screens at the front of the room. A low rumble of excited chatter could be heard throughout the auditorium.

A Dramatic Opening

The house lights dimmed, and the audience erupted in cheers as Queen Bee took the stage. Avu-chan, clad in a black and purple cloak, slinked toward center stage, her microphone cord trailing behind like a tail. The cheers erupted to a roar, as the group played in the opening chords to Oshi no Ko ending theme Mephisto. As they entered the breakdown, Avu-chan cast off her shroud, to reveal that she was wearing a silver leotard and miniskirt. The room erupted as she strutted along every inch of the stage with a presence that demanded respect and adoration.

Through it all, it was impossible to not be moved by the the powerful synths and guitar riffs, which practically begged the audience to rise up and lose themselves in the moment.

There was little more than a pause, as Mephisto ended, and she moved immediately into Faust. Through it all, Avu-chan continued to feed off the audience’s energy, beckoning the room to cheer and scream along as she danced and vamped, each cheer encouraging them to drive the power of her performance ever higher. Meanwhile, guitarist Hibari-kun and bassist Yashi-chan kept up with her energy, bringing playful riffs as she added to the musical conversation.

The room erupted as the song finished, and Hibari-kun broke into the playful opening riff to BL. The song was a chance to allow her and Yashi to claim the spotlight, as her riffs drove the low-key vibe of the song. Avu-chan, meanwhile, played support, her lyrics providing a compelling counterpoint to the melody.

This harmonious back-and-forth continued into the next song, Dororo opening theme Fire, which saw Avu-chan taking the lead again. Her soulful vocals played off the drummer’s beats, as guitarist Hibari-kun provided an assertive complement during the breakdown. It was impossible to ignore the power behind the group, as every chord, drumbeat, and bassline rocked through the auditorium. The audience was on their feet, erupting in cheers in the brief moments between songs.

Unstoppable Power

The energy of the room suddenly shifted, as Hibari and Yashi played the calmer, more methodical bars of King Bitch. Avu-chan, meanwhile, held the microphone close and started spitting the lyrics with intensity as she strutted around the stage. This was her musical manifesto, her assertion that, for tonight, she was dominating the evening, and the audience was there to submit to her. 

The audience, meanwhile, was happy to oblige, bursting into applause as Hibari-kun immediately transitioned into Inu-Hime. Avu-chan played with the melody throughout the song, jumping between registers between verses, as Hibari and Yashi bounced off one another. All the while, Avu-chan continued to assert her dominance over the evening, strutting across the stage, and beckoning to the audience, as attendees busted out glowsticks and cheered at every musical break.

The cheers grew to a rapturous roar as Queen Bee transitioned into Raven of the Inner Palace opening theme Mysterious. They continued to feed Avu-chan’s energy, swelling into excited whoops every time Avu-chan hung onto the lyric leading into the song’s hook.

For their next song, Hypnotize, the group amped up the energy of the song, with Yashi providing a funky bass line that built a musical pathway for Avu-chan to make her own. Avu, meanwhile, showed her usual swagger as she strutted toward Yashi. Hibari’s guitarwork, meanwhile, sent Avu nearly reeling with catchy, playful riffs. Looking throughout the room, it was impossible to miss the hundreds in attendance getting into the experience. Fans were pumping their fists, performing glowstick wotagei, and in at least one case, headbanging.

The audience erupted again as the music paused for a fleeting moment, during which Avu-chan playfully teased the group. The band immediately kicked into Violence, as the cheers swelled once more. Avu, meanwhile, bounded and bounced around the stage with an indescribable energy, as she beckoned the crowd to join in. With every guitar chord, drumbeat, and lyric Queen Bee just threw fuel onto the fire that had been set among the audience, and fed off their cheers to reach new highs.

This came to a peak as the audience burst into a roaring cheer, as Avu-chan belted out the final “Violence” at the end of the song. 

We Are Queen Bee!

Avu gasped, as she cried out, “Thank you so much!” The crowd cheered rapturously once more, as Yashi started playing the opening riff to Venus. By the time the group had gotten past the opening bars, the entire room was jumping and pumping their fists, as she got into the rhythm of the night. All the while, Avu-chan continued to feed off their energy, her performance amping up as the room got louder and more excited. It was a brilliant, virtuous cycle that saw the hundreds in attendance screaming “Oi! Oi! Oi!” chants during the call-and-response section. Meanwhile, Hibari, Yashi, and the rest of the group bounced along, as she let the moment overtake them.

The band transitioned immediately into Half, as Avu let out a piercing “いくよ！！” (Iku-yo!, lit. “let’s go!”)  By the time the song reached the chorus, the audience was cheering, and some started singing as they got lost in the harmony. Avu, meanwhile, continued to strut around the stage like she owned the Hynes. 

Hibari was particularly sublime during the piece, as he seamlessly switched between hectic shredding and clean melodies.

The song ended and, without a pause, Avu cried out, “Hey boys,” to which Hibari responded with a guitar riff. Avu smirked and added, “Hey, girls!” as the keyboardist began playing the first notes of queer anthem P R I D E. The room hadn’t claimed much as a moment to breathe. Rather, Avu-chan hadn’t permitted the audience to do so. Through the song, Avu radiated excitement, as she invited the room to wave along.

The group immediately broke into Oil, as P R I D E ended. Yashi-chan, Hibari-kun, and the keyboardist just jammed through the piece, backing up Avu’s powerful performance with a raw, unfiltered energy that was utterly intoxicating.

The Grand Finale

As Oil finished, Avu-chan paused, microphone held up high. “Hi, everyone!” she yelled, adding, “We are Queen Bee!” The audience screamed and cheered as the first chords from a reprise of Oshi no Ko closing theme Mephisto kicked in. Everybody in attendance was up on their feet, bouncing, fists pumping as their mistress for the evening encouraged them to join in, and started headbanging to the music. The floor of the auditorium started shaking in rhythm to the hundreds of fans getting into the beat.

It was impossible to resist being drawn into the raw power of the moment. Avu-chan and the rest of Queen Bee were utterly radiant as she drank in the crowd’s passion, which was amped up to eleven. Avu’s singing was intense to a degree that somehow one-upped the rest of the evening, as Hibari, Yashi, and the drummer and keyboardist lost themselves in the moment. All the while, the roar of the room grew positively deafening.

The group paused in a rare respite, as Avu announced that the next song would be the last. There was a momentary sense of sadness that washed over the room, though it didn’t have a chance to linger as Yashi began playing the first bars to Undead Unluck theme song 01. The audience immediately sprang back to life, as they bounced along to the rhythm. Avu-chan, meanwhile, strutted back and forth along the stage, claiming her domain for the very last time that evening as her singing held a hint of melancholy behind the raw power of her vocals.

A pang of sadness washed over Avu-chan’s face, as she sang the penultimate “sayonara-sa.” She climbed up on the rear stage and spread her arms out, as she belted out the song’s final line. She ended the set by slamming her microphone into the ground, in one final display of raw power, before posing cutely for the crowd. There wasn’t a single person seated on the lower decks at this point, as roaring cheers and applause rang throughout the auditorium. The group bowed and hurried offstage, as the whoops and excitement continued to ring throughout. 

People began chanting “one more song” in unison, with a faint glimmer of hope that they could somehow keep the party going. The house lights returned, though, dashing these hopes. Within moments, a sea of people crashed out into the main halls of the Hynes, utterly enraptured by the experience that unfolded that evening.

Additional Photos