jo · @neongreenribbon
5th Feb 2015 from TwitLonger
my memory of sapporo and sendai while observing Gemini at night.
Sapporo Citizen Hall.
i didnt take notes of order or impressions but four renditions have stayed long after ramen and beer. Cappuccino, Words i want to say, Im your man, and Let me be the one.
i liked that Cappuccino was sung a notch slower as if to savour the lyrics, like how i would sit with friends and have a coffee on a lazy morning. and i sure appreciated that the beat was less hard hitting.
And then there were Words. wow. what can i say. This man can sing. can emote. can mesmerise. can take me to the song that i almost forget the singer. the pure sincere delivery of the heart behind the music and lyric.
Third, I'm Your Man. To be brutally honest, i skip this song sometimes when running through my playlist. But today, i feel the voice from the abdomen, the strength of conviction.
(Later, in Sendai, when he added the final phrase, 'kimi ni mono dayou' meaning I'm Yours, it certainly felt absolutely spot on)
This being the first concert of the Gemini series i'm watching, i begin to notice for the first time, he's singing earnestly to carve out a space for his soul to breathe. Like that is his priority before entertaining us. So then by the time he ends the encore with Let me be the One, im wildly cheering for his spirit... Live Little one, live courageously. you are always loved.
Day2
Sendai Sun Plaza Hall.
Wah... that he was here in 2013, now 2015 and last night he promised 2017. and i can guess why he likes this place. Sitting on third floor of a circular deep ricebowl shaped arena, the sound rises as a rock concert. The sea of green lights is certainly not as far stretching as in a 10000person capacity stadium but the roundness of the sea of green emanating from first floor, seond floor, third floor makes it the most memorable of greenlights.
Right from the first break after belting a string of songs, third floor called for attention. and he did not disappoint. he looked up at the third and second floor every now and then.
For me, the highlight of the evening was more just the very lovely Im Your Man during encore, but also that stretch of time he was moving around fans. And it was a long time. Starting with Lucky Guy on the third floor, he did more than just come within 5metres of every fan on the third floor. He also leaned over the balcony railing and serenaded to first and second floor fans. and on the second floor he did the same. Thrice.
The priceless part was when LG ended and Beauty Beauty came on. At that moment he was at the second floor railing and stood there singing quite long bit to first floor. Kind of like romeo juliet reversal of location.
But prettiest of all moments has to be when he sang the words 'beauty beauty' to two young girls separately. what a blessing to these little children. And in that ricebowl shaped arena, everyone of us on the second and third floor were witness to such a beautiful moment.