Digital Love: Concert... Report?
I was told over and over by my friends that my facial expression was blank, both after the concert and sometimes during. I didn't flail or scream or squeal a lot, I didn't feel like I was riding on a high and just needed to keep going endlessly. If you'd asked me before the concert how I thought I would react, I'd definitely say I would cry a million times and scream my head off and leave wanting to keep singing and dancing until finally bursting into billions of fangirl pieces.
That did not happen.
But! What I think happened as a result of this concert was far more necessary. I first came to like Arashi back in 2008 around the time of some personal struggles and tragedy, and since that time have been bounced around in a whirlwind of indecision and uncertainty and general questioning of - who am I, what do I like, what am I doing, what do I even want? That's not to say I've been unhappy, it's more that I've been unsettled. Arashi, though, they've been there. When everything else... Arashi.
So when I walked into that dome, and they were suddenly there in front of me - real people, really talented, amazing people putting on this out-of-this-world concert for all these fans, the only thing I could latch on to (or risk being a complete mess) was this sense of peace.
Have you ever wondered if being an Arashi fan is the right thing to be? Or, not so much is being a fan right, but more - is it okay to put this much time in? Sometimes I feel like not many people in the US will understand me or why I love them so much. Sometimes I think I'm using them as a crutch, letting them be my friends instead of going out and making real ones? Instead of being able to say what happened on Scandal the night before, I want to talk about VS Arashi - and hey! Maybe I'm getting too old for it. Maybe it's been too many years now. I've definitely had those thoughts, and last night I came to a conclusion.
I am happy. I'm not sorry. I'm not going to stop.
There are other things I need to work out for myself, but one thing I'm not worried about anymore is being an Arashi fan. I jokingly said that the pins for the concert goods were badges of honor, but now I'm a little more serious about it. Being an Arashi fan is special. I will wear the title of Arashi fan proudly, now and years from now.
SO! What happened.
They started as what I am calling DIGITAL MONKS. Because there were these sort of monk like hooded figures walking from the ends of the stage to the center, and member colors would flash with their heartbeats - it was so cool.
It took me WAY TOO LONG to figure out that the circles with the numbers inside on the stage pertaining to each member were actually their heartbeats. I thought it was uchiwa related somehow LOL but no.
Asterisk was the opener and Take Off! was pretty much right away too, which was great because singing "A to the R A S H I!" to them and having Sho point at us with "AND YOU!" really got things pumped up. I still love that song so fucking much.
One Step was too early for me to cry I think. If any song got me, I thought it would be that one, but I was still taking things in. What I remember as far as first impressions go?
Aiba stands out! I could tell it was him before I recognized where the other members were. I love his dancing, its just full on energy all the time. His hair also seemed longer - but I don't know if that's just how it was styled or what.
Jun and Nino came by us on the moving carts first. They were both kind of lounging, which made me laugh, but Jun looked so polished and for all those Jun fans out there: YES. HIS HAIR WAS GREAT. More than great. He was the first one I got the attention of, which I only know because I did a weird little wiggly finger wave, which he returned. I wanted to die. I said nothing to my friends at first because I was like "THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME. SHUT UP AND KEEP WATCHING!"
But really though. Also my Nino was there. My precious Nino. Nino is exactly as you would think Nino to be. What you see with Nino is exactly what you get with Nino. So happy to know that to be true. ♥
Nino never saw me the whole concert, lol. Every time he came by he was looking elsewhere but he's amazing sooooo yes. :D
OHNO IS TINY. SO TINY. But he's also hilarious. I can't even express how adorable and funny he was the whole concert. He saw me and
honooko and tangiblewhimsy in the crowd and acknowledged us, but mostly tangwhimz I think because her hair is currently bright blue. XD
At some point when they were going past on balloons, which is when we saw Ohno (I believe this was during a 15 year medley? Yeah! Started with A-ra-shi and the balloons had all these pictures from over the years on them), but it's also when Sho came closest. Let me tell you something right now - that man holds up. OH SWEET LORD is he attractive in person. I seriously thought I might faint on that one. He is stuuuuuuuuuuunning.
He waved in my general direction but with so many people around I was a little less certain about him. So! Jun, yes, Ohno, yes, and one more - Aiba! Which I only confirmed because I nodded at him and he nodded at me at the second go around on the carts. Aiba is also hot. Super hot. I can't talk about how how these guys are it's not fair. It's not fair.
It's not fair. None of it is fair. I can't even go in order here. HAPPY SIGHS.
Here are some bullet points of concert things, it might be easier to follow--
Sometimes it feels like those concert DVDs can go on forever? When you get to the end of Disc 1 and go OMG there is still Disc 2! But it goes by in the blink of an eye when you are there. I didn't want it to end, but ah. So it was.
That's all from me. Forever fan. So grateful that I got the chance to experience this, even just once. ♥ 5x15!! I sincerely hope for 5x20 because this band of idiots is the best thing going.
That did not happen.
But! What I think happened as a result of this concert was far more necessary. I first came to like Arashi back in 2008 around the time of some personal struggles and tragedy, and since that time have been bounced around in a whirlwind of indecision and uncertainty and general questioning of - who am I, what do I like, what am I doing, what do I even want? That's not to say I've been unhappy, it's more that I've been unsettled. Arashi, though, they've been there. When everything else... Arashi.
So when I walked into that dome, and they were suddenly there in front of me - real people, really talented, amazing people putting on this out-of-this-world concert for all these fans, the only thing I could latch on to (or risk being a complete mess) was this sense of peace.
Have you ever wondered if being an Arashi fan is the right thing to be? Or, not so much is being a fan right, but more - is it okay to put this much time in? Sometimes I feel like not many people in the US will understand me or why I love them so much. Sometimes I think I'm using them as a crutch, letting them be my friends instead of going out and making real ones? Instead of being able to say what happened on Scandal the night before, I want to talk about VS Arashi - and hey! Maybe I'm getting too old for it. Maybe it's been too many years now. I've definitely had those thoughts, and last night I came to a conclusion.
I am happy. I'm not sorry. I'm not going to stop.
There are other things I need to work out for myself, but one thing I'm not worried about anymore is being an Arashi fan. I jokingly said that the pins for the concert goods were badges of honor, but now I'm a little more serious about it. Being an Arashi fan is special. I will wear the title of Arashi fan proudly, now and years from now.
SO! What happened.
They started as what I am calling DIGITAL MONKS. Because there were these sort of monk like hooded figures walking from the ends of the stage to the center, and member colors would flash with their heartbeats - it was so cool.
It took me WAY TOO LONG to figure out that the circles with the numbers inside on the stage pertaining to each member were actually their heartbeats. I thought it was uchiwa related somehow LOL but no.
Asterisk was the opener and Take Off! was pretty much right away too, which was great because singing "A to the R A S H I!" to them and having Sho point at us with "AND YOU!" really got things pumped up. I still love that song so fucking much.
One Step was too early for me to cry I think. If any song got me, I thought it would be that one, but I was still taking things in. What I remember as far as first impressions go?
Aiba stands out! I could tell it was him before I recognized where the other members were. I love his dancing, its just full on energy all the time. His hair also seemed longer - but I don't know if that's just how it was styled or what.
Jun and Nino came by us on the moving carts first. They were both kind of lounging, which made me laugh, but Jun looked so polished and for all those Jun fans out there: YES. HIS HAIR WAS GREAT. More than great. He was the first one I got the attention of, which I only know because I did a weird little wiggly finger wave, which he returned. I wanted to die. I said nothing to my friends at first because I was like "THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME. SHUT UP AND KEEP WATCHING!"
But really though. Also my Nino was there. My precious Nino. Nino is exactly as you would think Nino to be. What you see with Nino is exactly what you get with Nino. So happy to know that to be true. ♥
Nino never saw me the whole concert, lol. Every time he came by he was looking elsewhere but he's amazing sooooo yes. :D
OHNO IS TINY. SO TINY. But he's also hilarious. I can't even express how adorable and funny he was the whole concert. He saw me and
honooko and tangiblewhimsy in the crowd and acknowledged us, but mostly tangwhimz I think because her hair is currently bright blue. XDAt some point when they were going past on balloons, which is when we saw Ohno (I believe this was during a 15 year medley? Yeah! Started with A-ra-shi and the balloons had all these pictures from over the years on them), but it's also when Sho came closest. Let me tell you something right now - that man holds up. OH SWEET LORD is he attractive in person. I seriously thought I might faint on that one. He is stuuuuuuuuuuunning.
He waved in my general direction but with so many people around I was a little less certain about him. So! Jun, yes, Ohno, yes, and one more - Aiba! Which I only confirmed because I nodded at him and he nodded at me at the second go around on the carts. Aiba is also hot. Super hot. I can't talk about how how these guys are it's not fair. It's not fair.
It's not fair. None of it is fair. I can't even go in order here. HAPPY SIGHS.
Here are some bullet points of concert things, it might be easier to follow--
- Disco Star is the best solo of all time, maybe. I can't. We were all shouting "DISCO STAR!" when Aiba came out and he did the MOST INSANE AMOUNTS OF HIP THRUSTING EVER and was being a total goober and weirdo and yet somehow he'd run his hand down his body and it was... ung. You guys. Jump on the disco train you will not regret it.
- Sho started his solo asking us questions in English. What is your happiness? What is your dream? Who are your people? - Most of the fans around us were quiet and slightly confused, but we just shouted ARASHI to everything lol. Hey Yea! is still an amazing song. I love Sho.
- Merry Christmas was sort of Santa Nino. I loved it. I can't say much about it other than it was super energetic and made me happy.
- BIGGEST SHOCK OF THE NIGHT - JUN'S CLOTHES STAYED ON. What! During his solo he had a really loose, almost baggy outfit up top that was begging to be ripped off and it never happened. Well played Jun, you damn dirty tease. Also he performed the shit out of Stay Gold and his voice sounds higher in person, which is interesting and also really cute.
- Ohno's solo was about the only time in the concert when it felt like everyone was just... silent. Captain can be mesmerizing in that way, I think. He was a bit far away and I refused to look at the screens much (why bother? THEY ARE THEREEEE) so I didn't see much of what was going on then but it looked good lol.
- THEY PERFORMED LOVE WONDERLAND!!! I am happy forever.
- During Tell Me Why, Sho was close to us which was AMAZING because we got to see that Rap up close. It was everything. Then Ohno's voice at the end with "I'm so sorry" ?? Damn. He is most definitely singing live and he is most definitely incredible.
- When it was time for the MC, Ohno and Nino raced and Nino won, but then couldn't get up. He was eventually asked to please maybe stand up for the MC :D Nino had SO MUCH SHIT TO PROMOTE, but then Aiba and Sho did some promo things as well. They also discussed Aiba's Disco Star dance moves and Sho imitated them - which basically became a running thing for everyone through most of the concert.
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIBA-CHAN!!! They had programmed "Omedetou Masaki" into the fanlights! It looked so amazing. We were part of the K, but not the green, we were part of like a little blue orb. I think they tried to make it look a bit like a Christmas tree? Whatever the case, Aiba was surprised by it and there was cake and singing and it was WONDERFUL.
- They all introduced themselves and their colors, which was cute. Except the best part was Sho introducing himself as the rapper of Arashi and then doing a fucking amazing rap - kind of proving, imo, that he can do this shit live. Only then (either Nino or Jun?) was like "HEY IDIOT YOU FORGOT YOUR COLOR" and he went "Oh yeah, I'm red." LMAO.
- They did a DIGITALIAN remix of Troublemaker and I believe Lucky Man that was really interesting and fun.
- At some point I was hypnotized by Ohno endlessly twirling in the middle of a circle of juniors but I do not recall when this was...
- I did cry. During Monster. I recognize this is a VERY ODD time to burst into tears considering all the other emotional, more appropriate songs that I could have cried during. But I was not expecting Monster, and I love Monster, and suddenly it was Arashi singing Monster in front of me and I lost it. Absolutely lost it. NO REGRETS!!!
- The opening to Hope in the Darkness was so gorgeous and fascinating. They came out one by one and made different instrument sounds based on the movements of their bodies, each in charge of one type of sound. It continued through the whole song. One of the concert highlights for sure!
- Jun came out with a camcorder when we called for an encore and then continued to tease the shit out of us, which made Sho laugh, until finally we got to see them sing more. :D
- During their final speeches, no one cried - not really. But what I remember most is Sho not really knowing what to say, Ohno calling all of us out on having 'Satoshi' on one side of our uchiwas and turning them around to have someone else there (he is funny, I mentioned right? Ohno is the best), and then Nino DID almost cry I promise you. He looked so close to it, but then he cracked a joke about it being Jun's show or something and the moment was gone. Oh also Nino was laughing at the beginning of his still laughing over what Aiba had been saying in his. Aiba is so great. Also Jun was very sincere and sweet and lovely.
- They are getting great mileage out of the outfits they wore for the Hawaii concert - LOL. But I think honestly it was nice they didn't come out in t-shirts like they normally would, but had Hawaii concert outfits. I think they were trying to make the people who could not go feel included :)
Sometimes it feels like those concert DVDs can go on forever? When you get to the end of Disc 1 and go OMG there is still Disc 2! But it goes by in the blink of an eye when you are there. I didn't want it to end, but ah. So it was.
That's all from me. Forever fan. So grateful that I got the chance to experience this, even just once. ♥ 5x15!! I sincerely hope for 5x20 because this band of idiots is the best thing going.