オハイオ集会 2024 [English]
Last Tuesday keeps lingering in my mind and writing while the mind is still fresh is ideal. Plus, it is the birthday of a king, and a subject doesn’t leave their lord waiting. Thus, I write.
I’m glad to have somehow attended オハイオ集会 for 2 years in a row. It’s not easy to fly 14 hours to Japan, let alone the financial and job constraints. But it was certainly well worthwhile.
On that night, I caught a glimpse of the future. The inevitable future of 伊桜ちゃん as an anison artist. It was a set filled with confident and powerful singing, memorable visuals for the artist, and a loving crowd. It was the same feeling I have experienced at May’n, YURiKA, and multiple other anison one-man shows. Compared to last year, 伊桜ちゃん has improved significantly. Even though the set list mostly consisted of songs from the EP, these songs sounded much better this year. The recorded versions pale in comparison to the glory they were on the 19th. Additionally, I could be wrong, but I feel that there were some adjustments to the arrangements of several songs.
Speaking of the EP and last year’s event; during cheki time 伊桜ちゃん asked me which of the EP songs I had liked the best. She was surprised when my answer was 建國. My reasoning was that I feel this song was the best fit to 伊桜ちゃん’s voice in terms of genre and music style. I believe that 伊桜ちゃん remembered this comment, for various reasons. 建國’s style of song also made it a natural choice as the song to play after SouthernStar.
If 建國 is a song decently suited to 伊桜ちゃん’s voice, then SouthernStar is perfection. A song with Japanese rock and metal influences, it works extremely well with 伊桜ちゃん’s style of singing and vocal tone. Personally speaking, it is reminiscent of multiple doujin music tracks that I have enjoyed over the years. I was looking forward to hearing this song live from the moment it was released, and I was not disappointed by the performance on the 19th. I hope to see more music in this style in the future.
There is an expression which says that some people “wear your heart on your sleeve”. It applies quite aptly to 伊桜ちゃん and her extremely animated facial expressions. Sometimes one can see a feeling of longing, others it is a feeling of passion as seen during Feel Alive, or the tearful feelings of joy seen halfway through the solo set, among many others. Though there is one expression that has been burned into my memory. During cheki time, while reading the message I had written, 伊桜ちゃん sported a small, but soft and warm, smile that absolutely melted my heart. It felt like a happy smile.
Speaking of cheki time, various circumstances led to some precious extra seconds to allow for a rapid three-language happy birthday song, a step down from last year’s singing. I apologize again that I couldn’t spend spending a full timeslot singing as it was not possible to re-queue for a second cheki ☹.
I might have looked silly being the only one wearing last year’s event’s cloak, but I promised to wear it before this year’s sweater was announced. Plus, wearing a sweater during a live would kill me! Way, way, way too hot! I was already extremely hot wearing a short-sleeve t-shirt and shorts.
Very slowly I’m picking up more and more bits of Japanese. At least I had enough to say a few words to 嘉那ちゃん which made me happy. :>
Eventually I will fulfil my promise to learn enough Japanese to have very basic conversations.
The 19th was also the last time I’ll see NightOwl until mid-December, which is sad. But, through a miracle (insanity) I’ll be able to attend both December birthday lives, and I look forward to that.
この記事の日本語訳はこちら：https://note.com/lavo_2/n/nad51b0cf2856