MY ROYAL DATE IN TOKYO
- by Anne Chow aka Tumbles .
The pre-show kicked off with a practice verse of the b-day song in Korean. Hangeul lyrics scrolled on the big screen to guide us, but we didn't need any help. We kept perfect time, literally over a thousand female voices rallied in unison. heh, a few more male voices would have made a fuller chorus, more balanced harmony.
Following our quickie rehearsal, SiKyung's upbeat
Everyday Birthday streamed in the festive background. What an appropriate start. Everyone kept their eyes locked on the stage as we eagerly waited for SSK to pop out. Those 10 mins of increasing anticipation crawled by slowly, but the moment eventually came ...lights out! As soon as SSK stuck his foot out, the crowd erupted in wails and shrieks (I did my part \^O^/).
He strolled out in a white sports jacket over a soft pink shirt and dark relaxed jeans that looked 2 sizes too big. He wore simple horned-rims ~~classy! Right away he jumped into
여우야interrupted a few times by our excited outbursts ~woooweee. Before he went into his next song, he turned from us and headed for the water bottle. While he drank from it, we clapped and yelled and cheered! hahaa~ it just felt like the right thing to do.
He encouraged our excitement by gesturing with the bottle in between gulps. From that point on, we cheered every time he went for a sip and then laughed at ourselves afterwards. ahhh, it felt so gud to be among my fellow kyungies V^o^V.
Photo copyright (c) Anne Chow "Tumbles". Apparently Anne risked her life ^^ taking this photo at the Concert. We at ssk.singapore truly appreciates her brave and calculated move. BRAVO ANNE!!
The 2nd song was his eternal crowd-pleaser
좋을텐데. As in all his live-audience performances of that song, he directed the mike at us so we could fill in the title parts. It's actually more thrilling than it appears on TV.
After we chimed in the final "
좋을텐데", he applauded and thanked us ~aww, how polite. Then he introduced himself and spoke in fluent Japanese (heck, even sounded native to ignorant me). He must have said something witty because the audience was roaring. My mom and I sat next to some really active and unrestrained fans. Too bad I couldn't understand what they were trying to tell me. They even prepared heart-shaped signs and glittery posters constructed from Sikyung's portraits.
The next songs were
I Believe,
두사람, 그대 내맘에 들어오면, and
넌 감동이었어.(Aini:"Ah....my favourite song!"*faints*) .
In between, he would say a few lead-in words for the following song, mainly to explain its sentiments, significance, arrangements, etc. He spoke mostly in Korean with the help of a translator who would come dashing out at SSK's beckoning. At times, he spoke directly in Japanese, to the delight of the local crowd. I, on the other hand, was left bewildered >_<. By the 7th song, Desperado, I had waved my purple glowstick to the point of exhaustion ^^; His version is by far the most passionate I have ever seen, it's also a perfect showcase for his versatile voice. Next up was
내게 오는 길. He tried to introduce his "debut song" in Japanese but couldn't stumble thru the words. Someone in the front row clued him in and was rewarded with a generous hug!!! (Aini:*faints* again!) This is the song that defined SSK, so naturally we swayed our bright wands and joined in the singing. We missed a word here and there, but who cares, right? During intermission, the screen showed clips of him composing in the back seat of a van while dancing his fingers as if playing a piano. I think those scenes are cuts from the new Samsung Yepp video.
Photo Copyright: Haruki Shimokoshi - taken off Oasis JapanThe stage was now arranged like a stripped-down mock radio set consisting of some basic broadcast furnishings ~ simple writing desk, a few chairs, wired microphones, and lighted “on air” sign in the backdrop for ambiance. Blue Night’s familiar “logo song” signaled the start of the 2nd half…
푸른밤이여 날 데려가주렴 이곳엔… …[푸른밤 그리고 성시경] 입니다
SSK re-emerged in fashionable red & black frames, casual white graphic tee and relaxed denims. His gray suit jacket looked like a good idea, but it wasn’t properly tailored for those long arms and broad shoulders ~such injustice to his physique! hmm, perhaps it’s time to consider new coordinators/stylists. Nevertheless, he still looked ubber good. Once again, we welcomed him with full enthusiasm ~~WOOOeee.
As in his nightly broadcasts, DJ Sung engaged his naturally temperate tone and read a long, deep passage that concluded with “사랑을 말하다”.
Then came the interactive fanmeeting, a segment apparently modeled after his regular 클럽 다크서클 radio feature. Instead of chatting with callers on the line, he plucked out 3 audience members (pre-selected based on their S.O.S letters) on stage for one-on-one sessions to address their various relationship issues.
Here is where his boyish charm stands out. He gently teased his guests and sneaked in a few witty jokes between consultations. At the end of each discussion, our thoughtful host stretched out his inviting arms and sent each off on a warm hug of encouragement! Each time, we squealed in both delight and envy. hey, what issues?! A single blissful embrace from SSK is enough to bring world peace! ~heh
One VIP guest he greeted on stage was none other than Kim Hyung Suk, whom he had presented briefly earlier in the concert. Ah, kpop’s midas who made the Sung Si Kyung of today, a practical fixture in Sikyung’s music career from the very beginning. Of course, I joined in saluting this great mentor with applause. Someone then brought out a small white cake topped with some number of lit candles. We know what that means ~time to review our pre-show warm-up. Again, we offered our tune of congrats, this time accompanied by KHS on keyboard and our own timed clapping.
생일 축하합니다~ 생일 축하합니다~ 사랑하는 우리시경~ 생일 축하합니다 ~ woooweee~yay
Not an overwhelming masterpiece (remember, limited resource of tenors & basses), but still worthy of the bright angelic smile we got as reward. Then with his powerful singer lungs, SSK drew in a huge gulp of air and blew out all the candles in one long continuous whiff! He bowed and expressed his appreciation in both Japanese and Korean. The talk show wrapped up, it’s back to acoustic live…
Kim Hyung Suk took to the piano to perform brilliantly what he described as his favorite instrumental piece. Then SSK, perched on a stool on center stage, returned with a beautifully rendered Japanese ballad. A bright spotlight was aimed at him in the completely dark stage. Its effects brought on a hushed awareness in the normally energetic crowd.
I didn’t catch the song title or name of original artist, but the lyrics starts with “Tonight…”. Ideas, anyone?? I hope he includes it in a future album. After that came 오, 사랑 (simple guitar accompaniment) and
우린 제법 잘 어울려요.
In between, he humbly remarked that he lacks the dancing skills of Bi/Rain and doesn’t have the body to compare either ~awww. In the middle of the performance, he surprised us when he broke out into awkward hops and un-rhythmic steps ~obviously improvised. hahaaa, was he trying to moonwalk too?? aah, the things he would do for his fans! Since Sikyung dances are rare treats, we showered him with cheers of approval. What a refreshing sight indeed!
After things calmed down, he stood in front of us with some final words. He tapped his stomach and promised to drink less and exercise more.
^o^V He told us the decision about enlisting is still up in the air, but he plans to release one more vol around end of this year. He also said he’ll return to Japan again. The crowd rejoiced at the news while I wanted to leap up and shout “go farther!!!” But I already have a black mark for that exclusive snapshot
>.<Someone then started a chain of saranghae’s. I echoed at the top of my voice…”SARANG HAE!!” A male voice at the top level countered “
너무멌있어요!”(
Translation: Very good looking!). SSK let out a bashful chuckle. With that, he left the stage.
We tried to coax him back by chanting his name over and over again ~Sung Si Kyung…Sung Si Kyung… SUNG SI KYUNG... We must have repeated his name 15-20 times but he finally came back out ~whew. He gave his encore song
거리에서 everything he had left ~such heartfelt emotions. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the words. I was trying to live for the moment, knowing this is my last glimpse for a very long time. He hit the final notes and walked off the stage.
Lights on…
Photo copyright (c) Anne Chow "Tumbles". Anne and Kyung (err....his poster)...and a bunch full of Kyung souvenirs.....We want!Aini: "Aw..........
부럽다......" Dear Anne, Thanks for the extensive, detailed (squeals and all) coverage of D-Day. We could actually visualize the whole session as if we're next to you - purple neon sticks and all.
Note: All Videos uploaded by Tumbles except "내게 오는 길" (uploaded by Blurgal35)
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