A Day of Fail and Win
Yesterday was bad and good. The bad was me being lazy and not getting as much done as I'd have liked, then not thinking about which station I was getting off at, then overshooting when I tried to walk to the correct station. And then the taxi driver failed by taking me to the wrong station, but finally things were sorted out and I caught up with Eda inside the venue (Akasaka Blitz), after being stuck behind some old ladies at the drink bar who were just standing there with their tea, blocking everbody's path. Akasaka Blitz, please to be rethinking your lobby layout, it was way too cramped and hard to move around in, even without the obaasan tea drinkers.
So yes, we were there to see the 4th installment of Pati Nights, which you may remember from back in March, when I renamed version 3.0 Sparkle Fest due to its fabulously sparkly line-up.
This time the billing was not half as shiny (except for the Sparkle Twins and Furukawa Yuuta -- more on them later), but the show was still quite enjoyable. So if you want to read what I think about The Path of Manliness, Shirota Yuu's brother's Lame Silver Shirt of Doom, the giraffe neck, the Sparkle Twins' new look, and Sebastian,
The show consisted of 7 acts, and while it started pretty much right on time, it went on longer than I'd expected it to, and by the time we'd taken a look at the goods table, it was nearly 9:00. There wasn't much by way of fancy lighting or anything, but at least the ventilation was good, and I was nice and cool throughout. But who cares about that, lets get to the good stuff!
First Act: That wasn't their actual name, but I can't be bothered to look them up. My quick post-show notes say simply "3 guys rock music". They played 2 songs, and were fine, neither bad musicians nor possessed of atrocious fashion sense.
Otoko Michi: Who cares what they were called, but this was (I assume) the name of their 2nd song. This act was five guys with very large hair (kinda like host hair but pouffier!) and while they were amusing for one song, especially since the guy at the back right looked like KenKen with a poodle on his head, but they were more like a talent show entry than anything else. Oh, and it may not have come up in their song, but it seems that the path of manliness involves shaving your armpits. XD
アルマ: Since this is Shirota Jun's (brother of Yuu) band, I'm assuming that the name is "Alma" ("soul" in Spanish). Let it be noted that I don't find Shirota Yuu attractive in any way (save for his voice); his brother is a better-looking version of him, but unfortunately seems to allow himself to be dressed by blind clowns in the dark. That's the only explanation for what he was wearing, which I at first took for a wide shirt that alternated wide lighting bolt zigzags of silver lamé (lame! XD) and black and white polka-dotted fabric. Except then I realised that it was actually silver lamé (lame! XD Sorry, that never gets old!) alternating with black mesh, and the polka-dots were another shirt underneath! And then he turned around and I saw that the atrocity had a HOOD! And he had a totally random multicoloured print scarf hanging from his beltloop! *facepalm*
Eda: You know, he designs jewelry... Do you think maybe he designed that shirt himself?
Me: .......... DX
I was so traumatised by the clothing that I can't really say anything about the music itself, though I didn't hate it, so I guess it was good? XD
Honey L Days: Their first song, which was performed by only the lead vocalist and guitarist/vocalist, was really pretty, and had some gorgeous harmonies. The songs that followed had the full band, and were all right, but pretty unmemorable.
Furukawa Yuuta: He got a lot of squeals when he came out. Eda may or may not have added to them. ^_^ I must say, the boy has yoku ganbatta-ed since March, when he basically stood on the same spot for his whole set, not quite knowing what to do with his arms when he wasn't holding his guitar. But he has stage presence now! The whole while, I was thinking, "Wow, he must have been taking tips from Masa! Hey, whatever works! :D" And he ended his set... with a Masa Jump (TM)! XD Good performance, good songs, and I really liked his hair (darker) and his clothes, which made him look normally proportioned (he was wearing jeans and a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows) instead of like a long-armed giraffe. No scarves!
I must admit that I spent a good part of his set watching the female guitarist, because she was absolutely adorable. <3
Sparkle Twins!: They were the reason I cared enough to go to the show in the first place. As the stage ninjas were clearing the stage, we wondered what was in store for us. Last time we saw them, after all, we were treated to choreographed swordfighting and semi-transparent sequined blazers. How could they possibly top that? Personally, I was hoping for fantastically feathered hats.
When they finally walked out onto the stage... NANI NANI??? NO SPARKLES! D: It seems they have matured now and are serious artistes or something, because they'd traded in their feathers and gay doilies for black leather trenchcoats and backup dancers (and they probably stole Yuuta's scarf collection, because they each had 2 or 3 around their necks, plus what looked like an actual tie that wasn't, you know, tied). Still, they're good performers, and their onstage banter was funny. I cracked up when, as they were announcing something to the effect of, "For our last song --" and the audience kept going "EEEEEHHH???", Kazuya shot back, " 'Eeehh' ja nai yo!"
Good lord, are they ever skinny, though! I know that there are plenty of other equally-skinny myuboys, but these guys have such thin faces! Especially Naoya. I bought their CD on the way out and was given a choice of one of three postcards. Of course I took the silliest one, which I'll be scanning shortly.
Dustz: Featuring Fujita Rei, who was in Princess Princess D. Eda had probably mentionned this to me before, but I'd forgotten. While they were performing, however, I kept thinking, "He really reminds me of that guy from Princess Princess D, but it can't be him, because that guy was ugly, and this guy isn't." XD They were fun, and both guitarists had Enormous Hair. One of them was also wearing tights with rhinestones on them, a fact that escaped my notice until the very end of their set, because my view of the stage started at mid-thigh. One of the songs was "Ça, c'est Paris" and I wish I'd been able to understand the lyrics!
Sebastian Matsushita Yuuya: This guy will forever be Sebastian to me. Not because I first saw him in the Kuroshitsuji musical, but because Eda kept calling him Sebastian, no doubt so I'd know who she was talking about. XD I really liked this set. There were no musicians, only Yuuya and his 4 dancers, who at first were in pinstripes and fedoras -- we mourned the fact that they weren't dressed as butlers because seriously, how awesome would that have been?! -- and later changed into more typical hiphop gear. But one of them still had the tag hanging from the button of his cap, causing me to wonder whether is was intentional or not, and distracting me from watching Yuuya.
As Eda observed, "This is what happens when you take a boyband and get rid of the ugly ones and the ones who can't sing." So we're left with a pretty guy who has a nice voice, albeit a soft one. Still, a great way to end the evening! I especially liked the "ch-ch-ch-ch" song, whatever it was, and spent most of the set bouncing around.
So yes, we were there to see the 4th installment of Pati Nights, which you may remember from back in March, when I renamed version 3.0 Sparkle Fest due to its fabulously sparkly line-up.
This time the billing was not half as shiny (except for the Sparkle Twins and Furukawa Yuuta -- more on them later), but the show was still quite enjoyable. So if you want to read what I think about The Path of Manliness, Shirota Yuu's brother's Lame Silver Shirt of Doom, the giraffe neck, the Sparkle Twins' new look, and Sebastian,
The show consisted of 7 acts, and while it started pretty much right on time, it went on longer than I'd expected it to, and by the time we'd taken a look at the goods table, it was nearly 9:00. There wasn't much by way of fancy lighting or anything, but at least the ventilation was good, and I was nice and cool throughout. But who cares about that, lets get to the good stuff!
First Act: That wasn't their actual name, but I can't be bothered to look them up. My quick post-show notes say simply "3 guys rock music". They played 2 songs, and were fine, neither bad musicians nor possessed of atrocious fashion sense.
Otoko Michi: Who cares what they were called, but this was (I assume) the name of their 2nd song. This act was five guys with very large hair (kinda like host hair but pouffier!) and while they were amusing for one song, especially since the guy at the back right looked like KenKen with a poodle on his head, but they were more like a talent show entry than anything else. Oh, and it may not have come up in their song, but it seems that the path of manliness involves shaving your armpits. XD
アルマ: Since this is Shirota Jun's (brother of Yuu) band, I'm assuming that the name is "Alma" ("soul" in Spanish). Let it be noted that I don't find Shirota Yuu attractive in any way (save for his voice); his brother is a better-looking version of him, but unfortunately seems to allow himself to be dressed by blind clowns in the dark. That's the only explanation for what he was wearing, which I at first took for a wide shirt that alternated wide lighting bolt zigzags of silver lamé (lame! XD) and black and white polka-dotted fabric. Except then I realised that it was actually silver lamé (lame! XD Sorry, that never gets old!) alternating with black mesh, and the polka-dots were another shirt underneath! And then he turned around and I saw that the atrocity had a HOOD! And he had a totally random multicoloured print scarf hanging from his beltloop! *facepalm*
Eda: You know, he designs jewelry... Do you think maybe he designed that shirt himself?
Me: .......... DX
I was so traumatised by the clothing that I can't really say anything about the music itself, though I didn't hate it, so I guess it was good? XD
Honey L Days: Their first song, which was performed by only the lead vocalist and guitarist/vocalist, was really pretty, and had some gorgeous harmonies. The songs that followed had the full band, and were all right, but pretty unmemorable.
Furukawa Yuuta: He got a lot of squeals when he came out. Eda may or may not have added to them. ^_^ I must say, the boy has yoku ganbatta-ed since March, when he basically stood on the same spot for his whole set, not quite knowing what to do with his arms when he wasn't holding his guitar. But he has stage presence now! The whole while, I was thinking, "Wow, he must have been taking tips from Masa! Hey, whatever works! :D" And he ended his set... with a Masa Jump (TM)! XD Good performance, good songs, and I really liked his hair (darker) and his clothes, which made him look normally proportioned (he was wearing jeans and a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows) instead of like a long-armed giraffe. No scarves!
I must admit that I spent a good part of his set watching the female guitarist, because she was absolutely adorable. <3
Sparkle Twins!: They were the reason I cared enough to go to the show in the first place. As the stage ninjas were clearing the stage, we wondered what was in store for us. Last time we saw them, after all, we were treated to choreographed swordfighting and semi-transparent sequined blazers. How could they possibly top that? Personally, I was hoping for fantastically feathered hats.
When they finally walked out onto the stage... NANI NANI??? NO SPARKLES! D: It seems they have matured now and are serious artistes or something, because they'd traded in their feathers and gay doilies for black leather trenchcoats and backup dancers (and they probably stole Yuuta's scarf collection, because they each had 2 or 3 around their necks, plus what looked like an actual tie that wasn't, you know, tied). Still, they're good performers, and their onstage banter was funny. I cracked up when, as they were announcing something to the effect of, "For our last song --" and the audience kept going "EEEEEHHH???", Kazuya shot back, " 'Eeehh' ja nai yo!"
Good lord, are they ever skinny, though! I know that there are plenty of other equally-skinny myuboys, but these guys have such thin faces! Especially Naoya. I bought their CD on the way out and was given a choice of one of three postcards. Of course I took the silliest one, which I'll be scanning shortly.
Dustz: Featuring Fujita Rei, who was in Princess Princess D. Eda had probably mentionned this to me before, but I'd forgotten. While they were performing, however, I kept thinking, "He really reminds me of that guy from Princess Princess D, but it can't be him, because that guy was ugly, and this guy isn't." XD They were fun, and both guitarists had Enormous Hair. One of them was also wearing tights with rhinestones on them, a fact that escaped my notice until the very end of their set, because my view of the stage started at mid-thigh. One of the songs was "Ça, c'est Paris" and I wish I'd been able to understand the lyrics!
Sebastian Matsushita Yuuya: This guy will forever be Sebastian to me. Not because I first saw him in the Kuroshitsuji musical, but because Eda kept calling him Sebastian, no doubt so I'd know who she was talking about. XD I really liked this set. There were no musicians, only Yuuya and his 4 dancers, who at first were in pinstripes and fedoras -- we mourned the fact that they weren't dressed as butlers because seriously, how awesome would that have been?! -- and later changed into more typical hiphop gear. But one of them still had the tag hanging from the button of his cap, causing me to wonder whether is was intentional or not, and distracting me from watching Yuuya.
As Eda observed, "This is what happens when you take a boyband and get rid of the ugly ones and the ones who can't sing." So we're left with a pretty guy who has a nice voice, albeit a soft one. Still, a great way to end the evening! I especially liked the "ch-ch-ch-ch" song, whatever it was, and spent most of the set bouncing around.