I'm not sure what to say about the weekend I had.
I'm still trying to gather my thoughts on everything that happened but I know this...
I had an amazing, memorable experience that I will have many smiles remembering and retelling the events that had past.
A lot of you know that I love music and at one point or other while we were hanging out I tried to get you to listen to whatever I was into at the time. Music like political punk, hardcore, Russian Rap and folk, German punk (hehe that was fun), Scottish Rock, K-pop, and now J-Rock.
Within J-Rock there are sub-categories...one of which is Visual Kei. Right now Visual Kei bands are pretty much cute boys who wear make up, know a few metal riffs and wear extravagant clothes that you might see in a modernized vampire movie.
This past weekend a Visual Kei artist that I really respect came to California for a few dates...2 of which were in San Francisco which I attended.
Miyavi has a really fresh twist on Visual Kei...even evolving the genre.
I found Miyavi on Youtube while i was looking up people playing guitar. Miyavi kept popping up so I watched his
slap guitar videos. One thing about MYV that I absolutely respect about him among the many things....is that he doesn't just play the guitar....he has fun playing guitar. You can see it in his face in his body movements...he's not just playing notes....he's having fun and rocking out. I love that....it's not seen a lot anymore.
Now on to this past weekend.
My friend and I arrive the night before the show on Sunday and stay the night at her brother's apartment so we can get there early to wait in line. I read a translated version of MYV's blog asking why we would wait in line all day or even stay the night? For general admission shows it's what you have to do if you want to be up front to see everything....to me it's worth it. I'm short and would otherwise miss majority of the show because the ONE AND ONLY 7ft. man would be in front of me blocking the view.
We spend a total of 11 hours in line for the Sunday show and 13 hours for Monday's show. We made a lot of new friends from all over the US: Texas, Michigan, New Mexico even a few from Japan. I love MYV's fans they're really sweet, nice and friendly people. After a total of 24 hours in line....I am SUN BURNED! BUT I did get to see the people dress up as Salmon from a SF parade that was going on.
While waiting...the opening DJ was outside waiting also....nearly as long as we were.
DJ Tetsu brought out his guitar from his trunk of his guitar and started to play everything from XJapan to System of a Down to Hotel California which I tried to play first on his guitar but told me I was in the wrong key and took it back. I didn't say I played guitar "WELL" but I'm sure I was in the right key. XP Tetsu was a good guy...everyone he entertained in line SCREAMED for him when he finally got to play in side. Check out
DJ Tetsu's band. The second night Tetsu's friend
Christian was opening DJ. Christian was great he played all my favorite songs and even played one of his own. Christian is COOL...the man is a singer in a JRock band...Japanese isn't even his first language....AWESOME! He even "freak danced" with Tetsu on stage....threw his Acid Black Cherry towel and Jacket into the crowd. Crazy cool.
So this was one highlight....the intro (warm up) music they played was Reggae. This was great because for MONTHS I've been saying that I would love to hear MYV's interpretation of reggae....so I know he likes reggae but some songs of MYV's influenced by reggae would be amazing!!!!!!!! And if MYV shaves his head and does his own version of reggae I would say that he is listening in on my conversations...or is a mind reader. I've gotten shot down quick everytime I mention a bald Miyavi....whatever...I think he'd look good. Just 2 things I hope for.
On to the actual show...
There is a projector screen in front of the stage.... the lights dim and the video for "Hi no hikari sae todokanai basho de" plays....everyone is excited and screaming the lyrics. The intro music plays and everyone is getting louder and more excited.... One by one the Kavki Boiz come on stage....Tyko starts it off and in the corner coming up the stage comes a tall shadowed figure....face hidden by a hand fan and shield by an umbrella. His walk is poised and seems almost like a dance. Miyavi pops his face from behind the fan and his gaze is intense......that image is more clearly burned into my memory then anything else. In that short moment I thought to myself, "This is Miyavi...." I totally understood the character he was playing and saw him as an artist. He really did ROCK me with the kabuki rock style. There were a few problems with sound.....I was watching MYV play but I couldn't HEAR him play. At one point of the show when he changed guitars he flicked one of the strings and no sound came out....flicked it again...and still nothing....he then put the guitar to his head and banged his head against it. This entire time his face you can see his unshaken and his body movements again seemed like a choreographed dance. I don't think he even blinked... I watched Miyavi's fingers, his face, body movements the whole time....he was this kabuki character....his fingers gliding flawlessly across the neck of the guitar. This man is the real deal...he is IRON MAN (LOL) I think of Miyavi first as an artist, second as a guitarist, then a singer and entertainer. Just amazing...Miyavi's Live is ART.KAVKI BOIZ
Tyko is just great. At first I though of Tyko as a "bad ass" but after he and MYV did a "battle" he became a teddy bear to me. Tyko knew how to get to the crowd. He's the first beat boxer I heard live....I think I'll go see other ones too....I really was amazed his mouth could make those sounds. I was totally into his raps...throwing my hands up and bopping my head. Really fun. Hige.....Mr. Bass. I think he's a Jazz bassist....I was watching him whenever my favorite bass parts would come in one of MYV's songs. From watching him you can tell he's a very serious person when it comes to playing the bass. His fingers are great....I'd like hands like his....especially when I learned bass for that one month to help out a band. My hands are too small for bass!! RYO!! Drums....the heart beat of a band. Ryo is cool. I think he's the only drummer I've ever seen NOT to have a weird face when playing. Ryo's head would be still or bouncing but his hands and arms would be moving around like an octopus. Whenever I saw Ryo's face he would be looking at the crowd....I think he saw some funny characters...because at some points he would have a smile on his face. CUTE! Oh...SARO. He is HAPPY FEET
I really don't think he should be "sorrow" because the entire time he had a huge smile on his face. I LOVE the look in his eyes. It's intense but it's like a happy, silly, dorky, excited look....I've never seen anyones expressions like that....SARO IS A GENIUS!! His battle between MYV was great....it was just like 2 kids playing around and having fun. That man makes me want to learn to tap. I thought this was cool...I didn't know Saro did percussion. At one point of a song I hear bongos....and I'm like, "What the hell? where are the bongos coming from?" I look over at Saro and he as this electronic pad thing by his dance platform...amazing. AND AND....Saro can control the sound of his tap....YOU CAN DO THAT?! no way!!!! so it's like pedals for guitarists. Seeing Saro live I realized that the tap dancer is not just a side performer....he is PART of the band. His body, his feet, his movement....are all his instrument.....his music notes...Saro is awesome. DJ TeddyLoid
Why oh why didn't my mother give me turn tables when I was 18? TeddyLoid is very talented...so much talent condensed in a tiny body. I remember him with a mic for one of the MYV songs and I thought..."HE SPEAKS?!" lol. I LOVED DJ Teddy's Dance Party during the "Intermission" when MYV was getting ready for the 2nd Act of the Kabuki Rock. His mixes are so great....they're really fun. I never would have thought someone could mix any Miyavi song to sound just as good as the original. Teddy has style...I'd love to go to one of his real dance parties he DJs....He's a great addition and will only get better...he's only 18. MYV was talented at 18 too and only got better and better....I'll see Teddy again in another 10 years when he breaks barriers on the limits of DJs. I want to hear this kid beat box. Miyavi's Live is ART. There is no other way for me to express it other then saying it is ART...He is ART. Entering the stage in character blowing my mind with this Kabuki Rock Style. Gahhhh.....AMAZING. On Monday's show the emo kid next to me was fun. He was the kid that yelled out to Miyavi.... "Sashimi!!" MYV: " What?" "SASHIMI!" MYV: "Sashimi? (0_o)? hehehe....ShhuuT the FUCK up! XD" It was so stupid and yet so damn funny. I loved his interaction with the crowd. During a 10+ minute long version of "Are You Ready to Rock?" MYV went to both sides of the stage and center for a few minutes playing so close to the crowd. So close that we all got to touch him. The man is completely hairless and smooth....I'm jealous. I want to know what he does so I can do it too. I do have to apologize though....about people grabbing his "Junk" "MYV-jr" the crotch area....I don't think that's cool....especially if he has a girlfriend too. Maybe MYV fans can get him a chastity belt? hehehe. BOOM-HA-BOOM-HA-HAH was a fun song....on Monday's show before the Boiz said anything the crowd was already doing the hand signals they taught us before...and the crowd that wasn't there the night before caught on quick. Miyavi just had a big smile on his face....and was kind of like....YEAH! because we were ready and leading ourselves. I remember his expression when that happened. For another song Miyavi asked everyone to "BANG-YO-HEAD" I remember him looking right at me point his finger to his head and and say "bang-your-head.....bang-your-head" a lot of crowd interaction....AMAZING.When the crowd would scream, "I LOVE YOU!" MYV would say, "I love you more~" I loved it when he said, "You guys know that my English sucks right?" "YEAH!~" But don't worry...we understand you. MYV came back out after the intermission for the 2nd Act of Kabuki Rock Style....looking like Axel Rose. 
I'm checking out his Flying V and it looks so weird to me then I count....1, 2, ......7-strings?! A 7-string flying V....Gosh that so "Rock N Roll"
I've never seen one played before....MYV is just coolness. Suddenly MYV starts to play his guitar from behind his head....then swivels his hips like a belly dancer....so funny!! He's face was so serious that I had to laugh a little.
He kicked my ass during the 2nd Act....but I still wanted more!! Encore! Encore!.... On Monday's show the crowd got a treat....Miyavi sang "We Love You" and said "This song is from me to you..." While we were outside we heard this song during sound check so we were aware he was going to play it so everyone in line were told to hold up the Miyavi post cards from JRock Revolution's Baka_Neko. So as soon as he starts to play this song we get out the post cards and hold them up....and suddenly you see this big fat grin on Miyavi's face.
The crew on stage, the Kavki Boiz......start to move around like "what's going on?" Their cameras come out....one of the stage techs hold up a giant fan that the fans brought him which says "San Francisco <3 Miyavi" Manager-san gets out the posters that all the fans in line signed that said "Miyavi Rocks" and "We Love Miyavi" and tapes them to Teddy's table. This was the first time in the show were the audience was the main attraction....everyone on stage was watching us....not us watching them. I think they were all amazed. I saw and FELT how Miyavi was feeling....he was really touched by it......I loved the way one girl I met during the show said it...."It's like one big hug" I think at that moment....we were like one big hug for Miyavi. That was an awesome experience. MYV has everyone's ear.....and he fills them with things worth listening to...."Follow your dreams..." "Don't loose to life" "Live life to the fullest" I especially loved his buttons on his beanie. "Fuck Race" and the peace sign....very hippy I loved it. But he didn't end it like that.... In true MYV style he was going to go out in style....... End the show in a BLAZE OF GLORY.Neo-Visualism took every ounce of energy I had.........I DANCED. That was such a fun song. I can no longer listen to that song with out going crazy. My favorite shows to go to are American hardcore shows. I get bruises, cuts, I'm sore....I came back with a black eye once from a crowd surfer that kicked me in the face, bruises from the guy that stage dived right on me....but they're fun. These Miyavi shows....I'm still discovering new cuts and bruises I got from the show. There was a guy and a girl behind me after the show and they were talking about how they were pushed around....someones hair was pulled...all kinds of things that happen in a pit.....
I turn around and say, "Yeah but the show was fucking awesome right?" and their expressions changed and they were like..."Oh hell yeah!!"
I've been to so many amazing shows, met so many musicians that I admire, I've had crazy, amazing things happen to me at shows but after Monday night's show.....I couldn't remember one that was more fun then the Miyavi shows.
I respected Miyavi before I saw his live.....but after seeing him in his element....I know what a TRUE artist is....a TRUE musician....a TRUE guitarist....Miyavi is everything I admire about artists and entertainers....I admire him more and more. I will be a supporter of his for a long time. As long as he carries a guitar in hand and is true to his art form he can take on the world....and WIN!
pictures from Miyavi's Myspace,
DJ TeddyLoid's Myspace
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