Hins Cheung@Taj Mahal
At 1AM on November 26 (Thanksgiving), I had the pleasure of watching Hins’ concert at Atlantic City. Last year I also went to Hins’ concert at Atlantic City, but the venue at Taj Mahal was much bigger and we also had very good seats so it was an amazing experience.
I think the trip itself was amusing. Since the concert (as wont with these Chinese concerts) is so freakin early (late?), we had to figure out how we would be getting there. Finally, I decided to drive down to AC, watch the concert, then drive back.
I booked a zipcar for the day. I’m not sure if it was because of the holidays, but it was extremely hard to reserve a car and the latest I could book up to was 12PM on the 26th. Regardless, we got the car and drove down to have dinner at Shogun Legends. It was an AMAZING dinner. We had some crazy fresh sashimi (the uni and paradise shrimp was out of this world!) and great cooked food. We were even fortunate enough to talk a little to the owner, who was extremely nice and gave us some insights on how they get their fresh food and their standards for the food. Yup, you get what you pay for.
It was misty and rainy and foggy that night, so the roads were a bit slippery. I only had about 6 hours of sleep the night before and it was the first time I had to drive this far in the dark on NY/NJ roads so it was a bit scary. Fortunately, the time spent in the city was very short and most of the time was on the highways… which, thanks to my training in Cali, I was ok with. On the way back, I was able to catch a nap at my friend’s house before driving back to the city (we made it there 13 mins before the car was due – whew). By the time I got there, I was so out of it that when the guy at the parking lot told me to park on the right side of the ramp, I promptly drove the car to the left side of the ramp, with the 2 girls in the car staring at me and me staring back clueless. Then I got out and let the guy at the parking lot finish the job. Yep, it was bad (in a funny way). But WORTH it.
The concert was amazing. Simply amazing. Hins is one of my favorite singers, and I’m very extremely stupidly picky. There are very few singers I would pay money to see, and he is definitely one them. It’s not just that I’m paying to see HIM live… it’s also to show him support. I always think that if you truly love someone’s music, it should be worth paying for because it’s one of the few ways they know that they have fans out there. And clap for them when you’re there. Hins has a beautiful voice that he has learned more and more to control and manipulate. I would say right now it’s the best balance. He should not go even further with hitting those crazy high notes because albeit I like Mariah Carey, she does get my nerve with her showing off of those high notes. Moderation is the best. There are still some songs for which he cannot completely capture the feeling (perhaps from lack of personal relation), but I think that’s a good thing. We always hope that we can go even further, and for him, who is superior even now, going even further would be an amazing feat.
Showing us his heart.
Vocal talent aside, I also love his personality. Now, I know that it’s very easy to hide the true self and put up a good front, but he’s doing a mighty good job of it if this is not his true face. His little habitual gestures, such as touching his ears and extending his arms (a bit stiff, but adorable), his half embarrassed laugh and smile after he said something that even he thought was a little too playful or silly, and the way he ran for his life back on stage after he was mobbed off stage while trying to shake hands, or his genuine surprise that everyone would wait and call for a second encore. Especially the way he knelt down on stage to thank his fans. Everything is so innocent and lovable, not just from the point of view of a fan who loves his music, but from someone who appreciates a person who can keep his true heart even after so many years in an industry that is known to be rather unkind to those who are in it. It’s so very precious. It’s only possible in someone who knows what he truly loves and is determined to pursue it his way. Yes, perhaps it’s luck (And family background? Though I highly doubt it had much to do with it) that he was well protected and able to keep his true personality while pursuing his dream, but it’s also to be able to not get distracted by everything that comes his way. He is confident enough to make fun of himself, which is a real sign of maturity, and can even brush aside comments that may have caused awkward moments. There’s quite a soul and mind in there.
My friends and I stood up and danced for part of the time. Ok, Hins is not known for his fast paced songs or dancing ability (coordination-challenged? lol), but I think standing up shows him that he is loved and supported. Some of his songs that I like the most are ones that he wrote himself, including 無能爲力 and 斷點. It makes me wonder sometimes what kind of mind and heart there is in that petite body of his, that he is able to harbor such intense feelings and talent. He is truly blessed. And I’m grateful that he is still here to support music, and to crate beautiful music for us. The only thing I would ask of him is that he would write more music. I know he loves creating music as much as he loves conveying it. And I will always support him.
Hins, always my Prince.
One interesting note, I realize that a lot of stars do a great job at doing covers of other artists’ songs, perhaps even better than their own. I think it’s because whichever song you choose to sing (that’s not yours), there must be something that makes you feel connected to that song, whether it be that you love the song itself or you can related to the feelings, and you spend time thinking about it. It’s a good thing. Different renditions of songs by different artists really help to make the song and its hidden layers shine and sometimes remind us that this wonderful song is out there… I’m all about sharing good things. :)
