Going to concerts

April 4 · Joker Xue

I think I will always be moved by the way he kneels to thank the audience, and by how much care he puts into his shows. I hope his songs will always be part of my life. And I will always remember the first concert I ever went to, the one I went to alone.

Being on your own can feel lonely, especially when you are surrounded by happy couples. Fortunately, the concert itself was so good, with so much going on, that I could forget that familiar loneliness for a while.

The Wanshou Zhi Wang theme ran through the whole show, from the costumes and storyline to the final message. For my very first concert, I got a stage surrounded by the audience on all four sides, unobstructed views, huge screens, a piano, and wire work. It felt well worth it.

The songs in the first half followed the story, so they were less familiar to me. I had found the set list on NetEase Cloud Music beforehand and listened a few times, but I still didn’t know them well. They were also quite different from his love songs. Perhaps I simply didn’t like them as much. The costume changes and animated sequences between sections went on a little too long, and I did get bored during those intervals.

The second half brought interaction with the audience and some of the big hits. These were the songs I knew. I found myself humming along and joining in with everyone else. I don’t sing well enough to feel comfortable singing loudly, but I could still enjoy it.

Then I would watch him running around the stage in clothes far too warm for the temperature, hurriedly grabbing a drink of water, and find myself wishing he could have a longer rest after all. I could see the care. I could feel the effort. That was enough to leave me feeling that the evening had been a complete one.

World peace. I hadn’t expected to be surprised again at the very end. Someone so grounded in the work in front of him could still hold such an enormous dream, and use a concert to share it, hoping to influence more people.

Perhaps I was a little awkward because it was my first concert. Perhaps being alone was a little lonely. But if I could choose again, I would still go to his concert on my own.

“I once loved you so deeply.”

April 25 · David Tao

Tianhe again. This time, David Tao. And this time, I wasn’t alone.

I’m not really a David Tao fan. I may have been hearing half the set list for the first time, though there are a few of his songs that I do love. A friend wanted to go, so I promised that if he managed to get tickets, I would go with him. After all, how easy could it be to get tickets for someone that popular? I had paid a reseller an extra two hundred yuan just to get into Joker Xue’s concert.

And then he actually got them. A reward from fate, and a favor from a friend, I suppose. Haha.

I have to admit that the atmosphere was extraordinary. Yes, I had only been to two concerts, but I would still put this one in the very top tier.

No unnecessary transitions, no long gaps. One man, a guitar, and a band. He sang from start to finish, barely lingering even when he needed water or a change of clothes. It was such a good experience that even a casual listener like me was won over. I would go again.

My friend had done very well with the tickets: we were quite near the front of our price section, and getting in and out was convenient too. There wasn’t an audience-participation segment. Maybe his songs are just too difficult for the rest of us to sing, haha.

It was hard to believe that he was already over fifty. His energy and stamina far exceeded mine, and I was only twenty. I was listening to the music, enjoying the atmosphere, and drawing some fresh energy from it myself.

“Love is like quicksand. I don’t struggle.” Until we meet again, if we get the chance.

May 30 · Bilibili graduation concert

A friend invited me to the Bilibili graduation concert at the University Town stadium. It was only a few minutes’ walk from school, so I said yes without a second thought.

I didn’t know all the performers, but I did recognize Da Zhang Wei, Leo Ku, Joey Yung, Huang Xiaoyun, and Chris Lee. I also came away with a new song I liked, Meihao de Shi Ke Bu Keyi Fasheng Zai Wo Shenshang — roughly, “Could something wonderful happen to me?” Hearing it live won me over.

I seemed to have caught the flu that week and hadn’t completely recovered. There were things on my mind that evening too, which made the crowds and noise feel particularly overwhelming.