Boris and Agriculture Celebrate 20 Years of “Pink” at San Antonio’s Paper Tiger
Written by Amethyst Chagolla | November 11, 2025
Boris Wata | Photos by Amethyst Chagolla
San Antonio - The Paper Tiger opened their doors to Boris and their fans, clearing the floor for moshing, crowd surfing, and dancing all night. With fans waiting in anticipation and energy building in the room, a wave of cheers, yells, and claps rolled out as the lights darkened.
Kicking the night off, Agriculture took the stage to enthusiastic cheers, marking both their support for Boris and the start of their own North American Fall Tour. The Los Angeles–based black metal band wasted no time, launching into an electrifying set that pulsed with intensity. Lead vocalist Leah B. Levinson unleashed guttural screams that tore through the room, met by Richard Chowenhill’s piercing guitar, Dan Meyer’s melodic basslines, and Kern Haug’s thunderous drumming.
After a storm of high energy, the band transitioned into slower, meditative pieces, creating a moment of stillness. Their textured sound invited the audience to sink deeper into each note reverberating through the space.
As they closed with one final burst of energy, Agriculture signaled the crowd to let loose. The audience responded in full force, cheering as the last notes dissolved into feedback. By the time the band left the stage, the room buzzed with anticipation, ready to welcome Boris on stage.
Boris, the three-piece band formed in Tokyo in 1992, finally took the stage for the first of two Texas dates on their Do You Remember Pink Days? tour. With performances scheduled nearly every night, the band’s tireless energy mirrored their philosophy. In an interview with Prefix Mag, they reflected, “We tour so much and release so many albums, I think it is representative of what we're about. Direct communication is something we've lost in this day and age. It's a shame — even interviews are over the phone. I think it's important to see people face to face — that's why it's so important to go on tour. It's something very basic to humans that we've lost lately.”
Boris Atsuo | Photos by Amethyst Chagolla
Each member took the stage in their own way. Lead guitarist and keyboardist Wata entered with quiet composure, while vocalist and bassist Takeshi hyped up the crowd, receiving a roar of cheers. Drummer Atsuo, clad in a striking zebra-striped tracksuit, made a dramatic entrance, wielding a large mallet for the attention-drawing gong center stage.
Blending genres throughout the night, Boris might often be labeled a heavy metal band, but they intentionally resist classification to avoid creative confinement. Their sound pulls from an array of influences ranging from hardcore punk and acid rock to ambient textures and even J-pop. This fusion created an immersive journey for the audience, moving from headbang-worthy tracks driven by pounding kick drums, screaming guitars, and roaring feedback loops to atmospheric passages shaped by delicate percussion, foggy guitar tones, and slow, humming drones.
The gong at the center stage became more than just an instrument, it was a calling to the crowd, signaling the beginnings of each song and a way for drummer Atsuo to rally the crowd’s energy before every resonant crash.
Boris Takeshi | Photos by Amethyst Chagolla
As the night progressed, each song drew fans closer to the band and to each other. Language barriers dissolved as the crowd sang along to lyrics and mimicked instrumental lines. Waves of headbanging and crowd surfers, at times five or more per song, filled the space with kinetic energy. Some fans even brought frog plushies in tribute to the band, one notably joining in the headbanging itself, a fitting symbol of the joyful chaos that defines a Boris show.
Teasing the crowd, the band briefly left the stage, prompting an immediate chorus of “One more song!” that filled the venue. Moments later, Boris returned, smiles on their faces as they greeted the cheering audience. Takeshi raised his drink high, shouting “Kanpai!” before slinging his double-neck guitar back into place and launching into the encore.
The band eased into a series of ambient pieces, offering the crowd a chance to catch their breath after more than an hour of unrelenting movement. Sweat glistened under the stage lights as the room swayed in unison, immersed in the sound. Each piece built in intensity, tension rising alongside the crowd’s anticipation until it finally erupted in a final surge of rumbling drums, screaming feedback, heavy bass, and ecstatic cheers.
As the last note faded, fists and horns rose into the air, a collective expression of gratitude and release. The energy of the night lingered in the air, carried by every fan as they made their way out of the venue, a lasting echo of Boris’ spirit, power, and connection to those who gathered to celebrate “Pink”.
