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30th November 2009
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.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.
One interesting note, I notice 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 relate to the feelings, and you spent 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. :)
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27th October 2009
Voices for the Soul
I have always been obsessed with voices. That’s why I say that I love all music, as long as it’s good music. I especially like live music, although those usually come pretty expensive. However, as with food and travel, I think experiences are priceless and if you are able to spend some money to gain them, then you should definitely go for it.
Last year I went to quite a few concerts -
1) Eason - 2/26
2) Hins - 8/27
3) MUCC - 12/15
4) Jay - 12/21I’m sure my friends are no stranger to my Jay Chou obsession. I ended up crying at Jay’s concert, but all of the above concerts were 100% worth watching. There’s just no word for that warm fuzzy exploding feeling in my chest that I get whenever I’m listening to live music. It’s as if a different me comes alive within me. It’s a sort of exciting, thankfulness, and just contentment that come with knowing that I am standing in front of people who love their arts as much as I love mine, and they are able to share it with other people, which is what I’m trying to do. I appreciate anyone with the passion to drive themselves forward on a “road less traveled,” but are especially thankful that they exist to show us that it is possible to attain your dreams.
To me, music is the source, container, and storyteller of life. Appreciating music is like appreciating life itself, because we identify with the lives that music tells with its unique language. This isn’t an ode to music, but I think just something that all music lovers know but don’t always express. I always remind myself that it is for this reason that I became a radio host, it is for this reason that I translate lyrics, and it’s for this reason that I still shell out those dollars to go see concerts. I hope you will do the same.Aside from singers and music, voices themselves trigger something in my heart. It's as if a voice can physically touch me and make me tremble, joyous, sad, angry... in love. That explains the obsession I have had with Seiyuus (voice actors) since young. If I close my eyes, I can visualize an entire world just by a person's voice. Perhaps that's why I love(d) being a radio host. My voice is nothing special, but I know that through my voice, or my words, I can bring comfort to many many people. Such is the amazing thing that is the human voice.
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21st August 2009
VAMPS in SF!
Well when I heard that VAMPS was going to have a concert, there was no question that I was going. The problem was finding out when I would be where (considering all my traveling) and then booking my tickets for that. When I confirmed that I would be in SF on 7/25, I immediately bought tickets to their concert.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="216" caption="The line down Sutter."][/caption]
The line was INSANE! I didn't bring a camera because at the MUCC concert they asked people not to take any pictures and there was a LONG line to check your camera in (we skipped it.. cough). I didn't want to have to go through that again.
To relieve you the pain of having to sort through my fangirl squealing, I have found this post by another fan which pretty much summarizes how I feel about Hyde. Below are some general thoughts on the concert itself.
The concert was held at the Regency Center on VanNess and Sutter, the inside of which actually looks a lot like The Fillmore in NYC, where I went for the MUCC concert last December.
It's been 10+ years since I fell in love with Laruku and STILL I am SO in love with them (Hyde). He still looks the same, acts the same (SO CUTE), and SOUNDS the same! His amazing voice has not been completely destroyed by his incessant smoking! His English is still... err... it has improved since Baltimore (Otakon) where he screamed out "Do you like CRA[beep]S!?" Everyone went into a O_O phase... until we realized that he meant "Crabs"... ahem. Then we laughed.
This time he managed to convey the following:
1) SF is his city because... dun dun dun dun - it has HYDE street! (whoot!)
2) The SF streets are pretty steep (wonder if he rode the cable cars...)
3) He likes the Castro (everyone laughed, not sure why, maybe I'm missing something), Fishermen's wharf... and...
4) He had to buy a lot of clothes because (he paused)... it was SO COLD. He turned to the crowd with a really perplexed look and said, in a cute, helplessly confused way: I don't get it... (yea... I think a lot of tourists agree with you)
5) SF is beautiful :)
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="216" caption="Crappy camera phone = =+"][/caption]
I had the same overwhelming feelings of joy when I saw this concert as when I saw the MUCC concert last year, except this one had HYDE!!! I LOVE concerts, or any live music in general. It just has so much... LIFE in it. And you can have direct reactions from the crowd around you. I guess this is the same as why guys like sports events. It's the spirit of the crowd and link with other people that's so awesome. My heart just soaked it all in (I physically felt tingling in my heart, though that's an illusion of course), despite that I was there alone, I enjoyed every moment of it.
VAMPS music is much harder than Laruku music, a bit more than what I like, but still good. I enjoy all music as long as it's good. They did covers of other songs, including a Beatles song. Hyde's English is not great, but his voice would make everything sound good. <3 (I'm obviously biased)
A few things...
1) When you're at a ROCK concert, trying to cover your ears whenever someone screams around you MUST be tiring... (DUH!) WHY someone would do that... beats me (I was having too much fun screaming).
2) Screaming and waving your hands show the artist how much you enjoy their music. The worst thing for a musician (band) is if they play their music and it's dead silence in the audience. You might as well not go to a concert then.
3) C'mon, when you are explicitly TOLD not to use a camera, don't wave your massive SLR around. No one will feel bad for you even if you have a broken nose (not from that day) and are escorted out by security.
4) People certainly take advantage of any/every occasion they can cosplay at...
5) My MBT shoes make it extremely hard to jump up...
6)And I missed my MUCC concert mates (cutie, Sarah, and Chun)... >_<While I still have the energy to jump around and cheer for people/bands/groups I love, I will savor and enjoy every moment of it.
P.S. Jack, they're certainly not Laruku, but it's still Hyde. and I loved it. K.A.Z. was awesome too!
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Sze K. Aka Chan's Posterous
歸去，也無風雨也無晴。
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