An Cafe Concert Report - Fanime Con
When the house finally opened, the line that had been waiting patiently for much of the day on the streets of San Jose, poured in. My group was a little way back in the line, at least in part due to some odd details in how the line was managed, but when we got in, we found ourselves house right, about third row, so despite that we had pretty decent spots for the show. One thing I have never understood though, is why so many barriers have ledges, putting the first couple rows a step up from the rest of the crowd. I understand the concept structurally, it makes it more stable without having to secure it to the floor of the venue. However, it also means that if anyone with much height ends up in the front, you simply can't see over them. And it meant that, for the beginning, my feet kept getting stuck under the little platform, which is distinctly not safe in a rowdy crowd.
The show started with the band Ramen and Rice, a cello and violin duet who played a number of JRock songs, and well as anime and game themes. I would love to see them again...some time when I am sitting down and can just enjoy the music. They were quite good, but that sort of instrumental doesn't work as well when you're in a pit. They did, however, play L'arc~en~Ciel's "Ready, Steady, Go!" which made this L'arc fan a very happy camper, as well as "Sakura Kiss," the opening to Ouran High School Host Club. Which happens to be one of the handful of anime series' I will actively choose to watch.
After Ramen and Rice went off, there were still people filing into the theatre, and so the main show was held for a bit longer, so that everyone could enjoy An Cafe. The wait was broken up by chants of "An Cafe! An Cafe!" and "Nyappy! Nyappy!" as the slightly restless audience waited expectantly for the band they had come to see.
And then An Cafe was announced, and made their way onto the stage: Teruki to his drums, Yuuki to the keyboard, Kanon took up his bass, and Takuya his guitar. And Miku stepped up to the mic center stage, the crowd surged and cheered wildly. In fact, within the first couple of songs I got pushed further center, and up to the second row, onto the small platform. I felt a bit bad, as, while I'm not tall, I'm not short either, and now I was a couple inches taller. But there was little that I could do. I was pretty much jammed between people, once the crowd surge started there was no way for me to control where I ultimately ended up.
They opened with "Lock on the New Sekai," a song that filled the hall with energy as the crowd sang along and cheered. The band seemed full of energy as well, with Miku bouncing around the stage excitedly. Oddly, this was one of the rougher crowds I've been in. Not in a nasty sort of way, but there was a lot of pushing, and the crush of bodies got really intense at times. "Baby King" was second, followed by "Wagamama Koshinkyoku", and the energy never seemed to flag.
There was a break for an MC, with Miku speaking to the crowd in English. In fact, every member spoke English when they took their turns with a microphone. It was clear that they had practiced, though you could also tell, particularly in Teruki's case, that some of them had cheat sheets on hand to make sure that they said what they intended.
The set list was a mix of old and new songs, spanning from Bou era work, to the most current singles. For example, a little under halfway through the set, they played "Esukapuzumu" (Escapism), which was released as a single in 2005, followed by "Orange Dream", from their most recent album, just out in 2008. The addition of Yuuki's keyboard to the older pieces was actually a very nice touch, giving the band a feel that is quite different from a lot of other Oshare Kei bands.
Right before the second MC, Miku pulled out a pair of pompoms and launched into the most recent installment of the series of songs from the band called "Nyappy in the World" in this case, "Nyappy in the World III." As the man ran around the stage waving the pompoms, almost like a cheerleader, the crowd responded, making nyappy hands at the stage, a rather amusingly happy variant on the metal horns you see so often at JRock lives. The song was followed by an introduction of the members, Miku introducing everyone, and then allowing Kanon to introduce him. This was really only a brief pause for talking and short solos, while the audience cheered on each band member individually, before "Kakusei Heroism" began, a song that seemed to be a favorite with the very vocal crowd. It was followed quickly by "Koritsu Hospital", the set was almost complete.
The set ended with a performance of the most recent single, "Cherry Saku Yuuki!" With the crowd's energy still at a peak. Every time the chorus came, it resembled a song sung in call and response, with Miku singing "Suihe libe boku no fune / Cherry cherry cherry saku yuuki?" before holding out the mic to the crowd for a response of "suihe libe boku no fune / sine, cosine, tangento" With the last shout of "tangento!" the set was over, and the band cleared the stage.
However, it was clear the crowd wanted an encore and, of course, the band answered, returning to the stage for one last song, an excellent rendition of the favorite "Smile Ichiban li Onna." hands up, the happy crowd imitated Miku's hand movements, which are simple enough, but it was clear that many had spent time practicing them with the PV playing, making sure they had it just right. Sadly, this was the last song of the night, and when they left the stage, the lights came back up, and ecstatic fans were left standing in the venue, happy, but wishing it hadn't ended so soon.
It was An Cafe's first live performance in America, and I very much doubt it will be their last. They put on a phenomenal show, full of light and joy, for an entranced crowd.