that foreign music blog🌎

Last night I got back from one of the best shows I’ve might’ve ever been to. In my life. I’m not saying this because of who was there, but because of WHAT they did. Let me break down the performance a bit:

The show started with Orange Range, most well-known for their song ‘Hana’. I can’t say I’m the biggest fan, but they have a good sound. They’re a rock band that has a good mix of hard rock, rap, and pop; their softer melodies have also been used for anime endings. When I was describing them to a foreign friend of mine, I said that they sound sort of generic, but given their longevity, I began to wonder if they were the first to come out with their sound. I feel that a lot of Japanese musicians sound like them, but even after twenty years, everyone still talks about Orange Range. EVERY. ONE. So, their history probably carries a lot more weight than I realize.

I’m not bashing the group by any means, though. They’re talented—I mean, you’d have to be to have such a strong following and overall influence on music, but I’d have to do more research to fully appreciate them. After all, as I’ve discovered time and time again, my taste changes like the seasons. I could be madly in love with them in the next few months if given the chance. I will say that they put on a pretty good show.

Every song had a light show and choreography for the audience to enjoy. I didn’t know any of the lyrics, but managed to sing a few with the audience during their song “Kiri Kiri Mai”. Honestly, having only heard their pop songs, I was shocked by just how heavy these guys could get and was really happy that I could experience that live; “Kiri Kiri Mai” almost borders metal!

As I’ve said before, part of the reason I go to festivals and things is because they break me out of my obsessions. I’m the type of person who, when they find something they like, sticks to it for a while. It’s not always good to be so focused on one thing–in my opinion–so festivals and the like help me stay open-minded.

It was also during “Kiri Kiri Mai” that Tatsuya Maki of Go! Go! Vanillas came and performed with them. Naturally, everyone lost it when he was introduced on stage, including myself. Later during the show, Tatsuya explained that “Kiri Kiri Mai” was a song that his senior would play before basketball practice in Junior High, and he’d REALLY liked it. He said that after hearing that song, he became a big fan.

Yeah, Orange Range are practically legends. Tatsuya is turning thirty this year, so that tells you how long these guys have been around. Although I’m not a huge fan, I was really happy to see all them perform on stage like that. I could tell that Tatsuya was ecstatic and it’s always refreshing to see musicians from different bands just having fun.

When Go! Go! Vanillas came out for their set, the audience–which had already been quite energetic–pretty much exploded. And for a good reason. The band, despite missing their bassist due to him recovering from a car accident, put on a show that was worth well over the forty-three dollar ticket price. They had lights, smoke, fire, sparkles, confetti–AAAAAND at the end of the show, they let us take pictures!

There are so many reasons that Go! Go! Vanillas absolutely took my breath away that night. During one of their songs ‘Ready! Steady! GO!, which is a punk song that’s sung by the drummer, Jett Seiya, they all switched instruments. Seeing Tatsuya playing drums, Seiya playing guitar, and Shintaro playing bass for that two-minute song really showcased their musicianship. While it might be obvious that musicians in bands sometimes experiment with each other’s instruments, I was still extremely impressed. The only other band I’ve seen do that is KEYTALK, and they’re also a band whose musicianship caught my attention.

Another reason I fell for them is that they’re all just really really good guys. A few times I nearly cried because of how moved I was by their passion for music. They really just got on stage and had a blast–they had maybe even more fun they we did. I was also really touched by how much they all love each other. Since the bassist couldn’t go on tour with them, rather than use a studio guy to replace him, they used a recording and would call out “AND PRETTY ON BASS” whenever his bass solos would sound.

Furthermore, they really love their fans. I’ve never felt so spoiled. Before the show, outside of the venue, they had samples of their upcoming album available for free listen!

Their new album, “THE WORLD” will be released on May 15th and judging from the sample edition, I can tell that I’ll love it. They even played one of their new songs “Do You Wanna?” for us, which is a really fun funk song reminiscent of ‘Sound Escape’. Tatsuya is REALLY good at writing flirty songs like that and I’m sure, just like with ‘Sound Escape’, “Do You Wanna?” will rise to my top five favorites. Frankly, the more Japanese I learn, the more of Tatsuya’s writing I love. All of their songs are all just so fun and free.

Moreover, if you join their FAN CLUB….LIKE I DID….the love doesn’t stop there~ At the venue, we club members had a chance to enter a lottery to meet the band. I won a fan club sticker instead, but I was still happy to get something exclusive. I mean, I could’ve gotten nothing at all—-which is honestly what I expected.

Anyway, last night was like a dream. It’s been a long time since I’ve loved a band like this, and there’s so much to love about these four wonderful men. They’re truly beautiful people and I’m so happy that I found it within my heart to give them a chance. I can’t wait to see them again in June!