[Concert Report] MLT 2012 Shizuoka

please note: i tried to be as accurate as possible, but i didn't tae notes during the performance. please forgive me if the information is vague or possibly incorrect.

PICTURES: our cameras were taken upon entrance at 5:00, but they allowed us to take pictures of the venue at 3:00. faces have been edited for privacy.

“Hey, people, it’s T2P. T2P.” On July 28, 2012, w-inds. appeared in a small theatre in Shizuoka to put on a fun, theatric, and intimate event. They performed at Dai Hall from 6:07 pm to 8:03 pm. Concert goods were sold from 2:00 pm; by 3:00 there were no lines and plenty of merchandise to choose from. Fans escaped the heat by excitedly waiting inside the venue, during which point some dedicated w-inds. fans passed around a Mount Fuji t-shirt for us all to sign. The shirt was indirectly given to w-inds., along with a photo of some of the fans who came.

            The show began with the traditional revealing of the stage set, with music blaring so loud that it vibrated through our hearts. We become increasingly excited as a computer-generated video plays on the main television screen. a simulated aircraft “arrived” and “landed,” from which point the three boys were elevated on a platform from below the stage.

They were clad in black pants with silver detail, and metallic silver jackets. The T2P performance utilized light-play, as each member appeared to control a green LED light as they sang. At the end of the song, the backup dancers made an appearance and took off the silver jackets. Ryohei wore a red t-shirt. Keita wore a two-tone red v-neck t-shirt, the upper being ketchup red and the bottom being a slightly faded red. Ryuichi’s shirt, from where we stood, appeared to be an orangey-red colour. They performed Fly High and Put Your Hands Up without a break in between. We think it was around Make It Rock and Some More that they had their first MC. Here, they did their traditional introductions and got the audience pumped up for the show to come. Some More was played. Before Addicted to Love, Ryuichi told the audience to “sing along if you know the song.” We were dancing and belting out lyrics from the beginning, so this only encouraged us to sing louder. 黄昏 One Way was a beautiful peformance, where Ryuichi and Ryohei sat down on the portable digital screens for a bit. Keita periodically leaned against one of the digital screens as he sang. Ryuichi and Ryohei disappeared during the end of this song, to get ready for their solo dances.

            Ryohei’s solo dance was themed around a New York-style street. He dribbled a real basketball and made a shot – the ball disappeared, but a digital basketball took its place and went through the digital hoop. He then proceeded down the stairs to the main stage floor and took a paint spray can. The word “Ryohei” was digitally written in plain italic red font. He then pretended to push it away, and the name moved to the main television screen and changed to an intricate graffiti design. He proceeded to dance, with a police car sound in the background. Background dancers were dressed as policemen, pretending to try to catch him. Ryohei wore the same black pants and a white and black hoodie, with his beanie cap for his signature headspins.

            Next, Keita appeared on stage in a gray suit and a hat shading his face. His dance was jazz-like in nature, the main television screen being of a mansion in the rain. He danced, sat on a bench and found a bouquet of roses. He took one rose and threw it out to the left side of the audience before exiting the stage to the right.

            Ryuichi’s dance performance relied on the digital screens to create the illusion that he controlled electricity. This became the central theme of the dance, as he played with the forces of white electricity beams.

            Following the dance was New World, during which point w-inds. really kicked up the energy level in their dancing. We could feel the enormous amount of power in each step, which in turn made us dance more and sing louder. Perhaps we fed off of each other’s energy.  They proceeded to perform Re: Vision, and after that was Superstar. They performed Superstar with much passion and energy, similar to that of New World. The chorus had slower choreography, but the lights became red and the dance routine became more intense when the verses came. Somewhere around this time, the longer MC was included. They talked about what to do during the hour-long shinkansen rides: while the audience continued to shout their ideas, Ryohei said that he watched a particular DVD. Ryuichi asked to borrow it, and Ryohei agreed. Keita also asked, and Ryohei doubted whether or not that was a good idea. Other conversations included the fireworks that were on during the performance (Ryuichi made plans with the audience to go see the fireworks after the show), an iPhone commercial that inspired Ryohei to test out its Voice Control feature, and so forth. I vs. I played on the title of the song by having chairs set up in front of mirrors. The boys sang as they looked at their reflections, before the mirrors were moved to reflect the front row audience and the boy’s backs. Listen to the Rain was performed while their music video played on the main television screen. More than Words was beautiful as always, during which time we felt Ryohei showed an impressive control over his voice. SAY YES was a fun and appropriate song to unofficially “end” with, considering its bouncy melody and tastefully romantic lyrics. Ryuichi introduced the backup dancers near the end of this song, as the music continued to play.

            The stage then went dark and the audience chanted for the encore. We only waited a few minutes before Touch the Sky began, and w-inds. reemerged in concert t-shirts, jeans,, and their signature plain white sneakers. Ryohei and Ryuichi wore the white photo t-shirts, Ryuichi in stonewashed denim and Ryohei in dark-wash. Keita wore the white concert t-shirt (with the tour locations on the backside) and standard-wash jeans. He was holding a pink MLT towel. The background dancers wore the same shirt as Keita, only in black, with black pants. Many of them had towels as well. w-inds. and the dancers performed Noise while waving their towels in the air. The dancers then left the stage as w-inds. thanked everyone for coming. The show ended with To My Fans, concluding with the three boys “entering” an aircraft (which was digitally simulated) and “flying away.” The screen then said, “Next Stop: Saitama.”

            And in that manner, the performance of a lifetime came to a close. Two hours zoomed by in mere seconds. w-inds. is always able to give you everything that you want and more, but they always leave you craving for more.  They exceed expectations and leave you hanging. But such is the torture that fans endure; it is the force that drives us to go out of our way to support them and spread their name. There is nothing like seeing a live performance; every breath, every tone change, every slip and success is real. Well done, w-inds. I wouldn’t have missed that show for the world. You’ve taken me to the New World, where you Put You Hands Up and were able to Make It Rock. Let’s Fly High again, up until we can Touch The Sky. You made me feel like a Superstar – next time you invite me anywhere, I will definitely Say Yes.

otsukare sama deshita.