Lalala Festival, August 23, 2025 – JIExpo Kemayoran
by Dita Rachma
Photos by Dani
Jakarta’s night had completely settled in, but the atmosphere at JIExpo felt like a dreamscape – where nostalgia, sorrow, and awe intertwined. As the opening notes of Introducing Palace Players filled the air, the crowd erupted in cheers. Mew, the Danish band we’ve known for three decades for their floating soundscapes and surreal visuals, had finally returned … and only to say goodbye.
For many Frengers, myself included, this moment was more than just watching a concert. It was a ritual of farewell to Jonas Bjerre, the voice that has been one of the souls of Mew’s imagination for 30 years. His clear, angelic tone, seemingly from a place not entirely of this world, remained intact that night: soaring, fragile, and beautiful all at once.
That night’s setlist felt like a journey through time for Indonesian Frengers. Following the grand opener, the band continued with Special, The Zookeeper’s Boy, and 156, two defining tracks from their golden era, And the Glass Handed Kites. The transitions between songs were almost seamless, underscoring Mew’s identity as a band that builds emotional landscapes rather than simply performing one song after another.
The biggest surprise came when Jonas introduced a new song, Gliding, from their upcoming album. It began with gentle synth harmonies and a floating tempo reminiscent of Visuals, but with a warmer, more reflective tone. Amidst the bittersweet atmosphere of farewell, Gliding felt like a final message of peace.
For me personally, the most transcendent moment was when Mew performed Rows – the long and intricate piece from +- (Plus Minus). It’s a song rarely played live, and hearing it that night felt like meditating within waves of sound. The stage visuals displayed organic shapes and fragments of light moving in harmony with the music’s dynamics, as if the entire concert hall had become a living organism.
Technically, the sound quality at JIExpo deserves praise. The complex layers of Mew’s music, vocal textures, ambient guitars, shifting tempos, were clear and balanced. There was no unnecessary distortion, even during the loudest moments of Apocalypso.
And when the lights dimmed and the final echoes of Comforting Sounds faded away, I stood still for a long moment. It felt strange.. like finishing a book you’ve deeply loved. Yet amid the silence, there was gratitude: that I got to be part of Mew’s long story, to witness their farewell in Jakarta, and to send them off with love – even as my legs trembled.
A Long and Warm Relationship with Indonesia
For Indonesian Frengers, the 2025 Lalala Festival performance meant more than just another show. Since Mew’s first visit to Jakarta in 2003 (though I personally only caught them years later), their relationship with Indonesian fans has been marked by warmth and mutual respect.
Unlike many international bands that come and go, Mew has maintained genuine communication with their fans here through social media, personal messages, and even physical releases that often receive passionate responses from Indonesia.
The concept of “Frengers” — not quite a friend but not quite a stranger — perfectly captures the spirit of that relationship: intimate, close, yet wrapped in a kind of mystique. Every time Mew performed in Jakarta, it always felt like a family reunion .. rare, emotional, and wordlessly understood. This connection, nurtured for more than two decades, made their appearance at Lalala Festival feel like a final gathering between old friends.
An hour after the concert, around thirty Indonesian Frengers gathered for a meet and greet with Mew’s full touring lineup: Jonas, Silas, Johan, Dr. Watts, and Mads. In a small room, fans finally had the chance to talk, ask questions, and listen to stories directly from the band.
“You guys have always been so warm to us,” Jonas said with a gentle smile. There were group photos, signatures, laughter – simple moments that carried deep meaning. As the session ended, most of us couldn’t hold back tears; we knew this might be the last time we’d see this formation together.
Later that night, I collected personal notes from several Indonesian Frengers – a simple question: “What would you like to say to Mew and to Jonas personally?” The answers varied, but all were rooted in love, gratitude, and hope that their music would continue to live on.
Those messages became the closing of this piece: a small testimony from thousands of hearts that grew up with their sound.
Thank you so much, Mew! Don’t stop, Jonas!
And to all of us: stay connected — mewxinfo and Indonesian Frengers, always.
✦ Letters to Mew: From Jakarta, With Love✦
Ari Ignore
For Mew: Never stop creating. Even though Jonas’s voice has become an inseparable part of our ears and hearts, your music will always matter.
For Jonas: Thank you for being there through every feeling; joy, sadness, and everything in between. Your songs have always been my source of strength.
Adjie Kecil
For Mew: Thank you for all the music you’ve created over the years. Your songs have always defined and soundtracked every moment of my life, through all the ups and downs. Thank you, too, for coming to Indonesia so many times; we’ll be eagerly waiting for your next work!
For Jonas: Mew won’t be the same without you, but we’ll always support each of you, no matter what. ♥️
Timotius Marbun
For Mew: I dread every day the fact that I couldn’t attend your farewell show in Jakarta. You’re one of the few bands that have accompanied me from my teenage years until now – as I have my own family. Stay connected, Frengers forever!
For Jonas: Keep on creating. I’ll be watching and supporting your next endeavors!
Febio
For Mew: Your music has been with me through thick and thin, and growing up with it has been a privilege. Your lyrics are poetic and thought-provoking – the more I try to decipher them, the more I’m drawn in. When your lyrics meet your music, it’s pure magic. Your art is truly a gift from above. Thank you for creating something so beautiful.
For Jonas: The thought of Mew without you is unbearable. I truly hope you haven’t permanently left the band.
Ano
For Mew: I first heard about Mew from a classmate in high school, it was The Zookeeper’s Boy. I couldn’t stop listening to it for weeks! Then one day I saw the Special music video on TV, and that made me a fan. I started searching for more of your songs, and Special has always been my favorite.
Back then, I was a loner and very introverted. Mew helped me open up, connect with people, and make friends – some of whom are still in my life today. Your music connects me to the world beyond my own. Now in my 30s, I’m still a big fan. Thank you for making masterpieces that have carried me through good times and bad since I was 15.
For Jonas: Your songs helped me through so many moments, both happy and hard, since I was 15. Your music, not only with Mew but also Apparatjik and your film soundtracks continues to accompany me on every journey. Thank you, Jonas.
Ariana Anggraeni
For Mew: Thank you for creating music that has been a constant companion through so many stages of my life. Your sound is timeless and continues to inspire me after all these years. MEWNeverDies! FrengersForLife! Thank you for being Mew!
For Jonas: Dear Jonas, thank you for making Mew’s songs sound so rich and unique through your voice. If you could name your voice, what would it be? Your tone will forever be a legacy and legend for us Frengers. We wish you the best in your new chapter and thank you once again for creating Mew for the world.
Bocud
For Mew: Keep the spirit alive, even if the road ahead may feel heavy. Jonas’s presence will always be deeply missed.
For Jonas: Please come back to Mew someday, okay? We’ll be waiting!
Irfandika Pratama
For Mew: Thank you for coloring my days with your music and your beautiful vocals. I wish this lineup could stay together until the very end of each member’s journey.
For Jonas: Please don’t leave, because as people say; Mew without you is like soup without salt: it just doesn’t taste the same.
Tia
For Mew: Your music accompanied me when I first started my career, it gave me spirit and strength to move forward.
For Jonas: Thank you for your beautiful voice through Mew.
Petricaraujo
For Mew: Thank you for being a lifesaver through so many moments in my life with your music over these past years.
For Jonas: Good luck on your next journey. I hope one day, you and Mew will cross paths again.
Ratna Untari
For Mew: Keep inspiring us, always.
For Jonas: Don’t forget your Indonesian Frengers, we’ll always be here for you. ❤️
Niko Bimantara
For Mew: Through Mew, I’ve learned to embrace life’s journey, sometimes sad, but mostly full of joy.
For Jonas: Thank you so much, Jonas! You’re truly amazing, and I feel blessed to have known your masterpieces.
Alfit
For Mew: Why do you guys keep coming to Indonesia but never have a solo concert here? Now Jonas has already left!
For Jonas: Thank you, Om Jo, for your angelic voice. Enjoy your well-deserved time off, but if someday you feel like performing again, please make it a solo concert so we can have you all to ourselves, not just as part of another festival crowd.
Indraf
For Mew: Please make more loud songs again! At least a 50:50 balance with the mellow ones.
For Jonas: Just keep creating, that’s all we need.
Lingga Ramadhan
For Mew: Without realizing it, Mew became one of my top three favorite bands, alongside Muse and Deftones. I’ve followed Mew since 2005, and the first song that truly struck me and made me stay ever since was The Zookeeper’s Boy.
I just want to say thank you for your music. I literally grew into adulthood with your songs and that means so much to me personally. Almost every day, I still play one or two of your tracks randomly from my playlist, just like I did years ago when I first loaded your songs into my phone or listened to them on Winamp.
I’m deeply grateful for your music and your presence. And thank you for coming to Indonesia so many times! ❤️
For Jonas: I really, really, really wish you all the best for the future, Jonas. Hope everything goes well for you.
Dita Purwitasari
For Mew: Hi guys, thank you so much for being with me through thick and thin. Your music has accompanied me through so many important chapters of my life; from college, to my first job, to career changes, relationships, marriage, and whatever the future may bring.
I don’t listen to your songs all the time, but I always find my way back to you.
For Jonas: I’ve known you for about 20 years and have seen you in many shows. It makes me a little sad to see your hair thinning… but may you always find success and happiness in everything you do in life and in your career.
Nanda Kamilina
For Mew: It’s been 22 years since I stumbled upon your music. Your songs became the background of my growing years, the kind that quietly shapes how I see the world, how I understand myself.
I found people who feel the same heartbeat, the Indonesian Frengers. What started as small talks about melodies and lyrics turned into friendships, and those friendships became family. A family built on sounds, feelings, and memories your music gave us.
Thank you for seeing us, for appreciating every tiny thing we do, and for giving us something so real to hold on to.
We’ll be around forever.
For Jonas: Farewell Jojo! So proud of what you did with Mew. ✨
Shida Aruya
For Mew: Mew, I really wanna thank you all, from the deepest part of my heart, for being there for me in the past 20 years. I first listened to Chinaberry Tree in a mixtape given by my friend in 2005 – it was the third song in the list, and after one listen, the rest is history. It blew my mind that a band could make such music – weird, ethereal, yet so moving. Your songs became a part of my life. When I am sad, you are there. When I’m happy, you are there. I’m grateful for that. I’ve been blessed to watch you live several times and even meet you – Jonas, Bo, Silas, Dr. Watts – all so kind and humble. You deserve all the good things in the world.
Through Mew, I met so many wonderful people in Indo Frengers – hundreds, even. Some have become my closest friends. Two-thirds of my life so far I’ve spent with Mew, and I’ll continue doing so.
Love from Indonesia!
For Jonas: Jonas, you are a very special human being! Thank you for letting us experience your music and art. They’re on a whole different level. Wishing you all the very best, always.
Emil
For Mew: You’ve been such a big influence.
For Jonas: Thank you for creating a band like Mew.
Odua
For Mew: Hello lads.
Only a few of my favorite international artists ever took the chance to perform in our country even once – but you guys did, ten times. Words can’t describe how grateful I am.
Had I known it would eventually end, I’d definitely find a way to attend all of them.
So thank you for always thinking of us, for every creative decision, for keeping the band together even through tough times and most of all, for being good and humble human beings.
I’ll respect whatever decision you take as you move toward a new journey.
Whatever happens, it won’t change the fact that I’ve found contentment through almost all of your works since 2003.
Can’t help but be curious about what the new Mew might bring.
See you again, hopefully soon.
For Jonas: Hej, Jonas. Every positive word I’ve ever said about Mew also applies to you. There’s no denying that you’re one of the biggest parts of what makes Mew so special. I’m not sure what made you decide to stop, but I only hope it’s because you wish to explore new paths. That’s understandable.. after all, you’ve completed music. You deserve a good break: side quests, spending time with your loved ones, free from the weight of records and tours. Looking forward to more Tachys, Apparatjik, Diamonds for Eyes, and solo projects. (Also, Skyscraper is a masterpiece. Please do more like that.)
Aan
For Mew: I still owe myself the chance to see your concert. I wanted to bring the ticket and show it to my late best friend’s grave, the one who introduced me to your band.
The last song he played before the accident was Cross the River on Your Own.
I still hope to one day watch your show live, and hear that song again.
For Jonas: Jonas, could you come back – just for one more concert – and sing Cross the River on Your Own for my friend? I hope this message reaches you.
Irna
For Mew: Thank you for the music. Your songs have been with me since 2003, through good and bad, highs and lows. My constant companion. The one I always run to.
Through heartbreaks, failures, losses and not only in the sad times.
I was also listening to your songs while getting ready for my wedding.
As the makeup artist worked her magic on my face, you were putting your magic in my heart.
My favorite band, helping me step into the happiest day of my life.
For Jonas: Thank you for your magical voice and the songs you’ve written. They’ll always stay in my heart.
thank you Dita, and all Indonesian Frengers for experiencing this together.