go see more concerts or live performances

I first heard the harp played live during one of my outings to the MPO. I thought it to be a wonderful instrument with an almost magical quality. So I jumped at the chance to see a harp recital played by Katryna Tan, one of the most leading harp performers in South East Asia.

Her recital was varied enough, which included classical works of Debussy and another classical composer I can’t recall. Katryna also played a spanish folk song which was equally delightful. But her best piece for the night has got to be a jazzy rendition which was not originally included in her program. No doubt her talent is amazing. I’m so glad I caught this despite the horrendous traffic that delayed my journey home.

I’m sure I’ll see more live gigs in the future, but I’ll mark this complete for now. I am kinda choosy about who I go to see, especially when time is a constraint. Yet to check who else is coming around, INXS will be here in August, but not sure if I’m that big a fan to check that out.. we’ll see, I might cave for the sake of friends :) Robbie Williams will be in Singapore some time in November. F already has tix, not sure if I’ll buy the spare one he has and again, Robbie’s okay in my book but nothing more than that. So, for now, I declare this done.. still reeling from the Coldplay concert. Aah.. such pure, unadulterated joy :)

Last night, I joined Ell and her boyfriend to go see an acapella concert performed by a local group, Six2Eight . I’m familiar with acapella, mostly songs peformed by the Flying Pickets but have never seen one live. I didn’t have much expectations and since I am yet to fully recover from my cough, I wasn’t sure I could muster adequate enthusiasm for the evening.

But I was looking forward to see Ell again, a co-worker who left recently for another company. And I brought along her souvenir from Marrakech, a green crystal necklace which I thought would look good on her.

I arrived early but luckily I had a book with me. I’ve never liked waiting but being early was only prudent, especially since it was my first time in KLPAC. Ell and her boyfriend arrived just in time after the last call. Making our way into the hall, I thought how wonderful it’d be to see Jason perform here. Oh well, one could always dream.

The show started on time. The first rendition was “Let’s Twist Again”, definitely a popular selection to get us into the mood. I think I warmed up after the forth song and clapped along heartily though I refrained from singing since my vocal chords were totally out. The moment of lift-off for me was when they sang “Fake Viagra Blues” a comedic ditty about the woes of the male species. The lead, Brian looked like a corporate exec from some MNC but he was clearly in love with singing, providing powerful bass for the entire set.

Other memorable moments were when they performed Bee Gees’ Massachusetts and YMCA (Of course, being such good sports, we did the dance too!). The singers, especially the guys were very good, with solid falsettos which totally delivered from start to finish. The ladies didn’t disappoint though I was more entertained by Edna’s antics, a senior member who truly knew a thing or two about ageing gracefully with maximum fun!

The night ended with two encores, with an all-male setlist, crooning a beutiful rendition of “So in Love”. We were fortunate enough to meet up with the performers, one of them being a close friend of Ell’s. Apparently, they’re always looking out for new members and was enthusiastically urging Ell’s bf to give it a try.

I must say, it was an enjoyable evening indeed. There’ll be another acapella performance which I might catch in 2 weeks’ time. The Breakers will be dropping by KL and apparently, these guys are one the best in this genre. Hopefully that one works out, I admit I’m finding this genre quite exciting and a fresh change from what I normally listen to.

..1.5 hours of pure, unadulterated, feel-good music sung pitch-perfect by Jason Mraz at the Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore.

It started with much drama. My concert mate for the night, F was running late. It’s about to start and he’s nowhere to be seen. I was alread stressed out big time, contemplating to a lone experience which I figured isn’t all bad, but not all that fun either. I finally went up to the concert entrance and asked how much longer I could wait. The lady said she could hold the tix for F. I gave her the tix but deep down inside I wondered if it’ll end up tossed in the bin or given away to some lucky (non-paying) fella.

Already in my seat, the show was about to start with a half hour gig by The Unexpected. I settled down in my seat and suddenly, F showed up looking frantic and frazzled. I was seated right next to the door and waved madly. After giving him a good scolding and restraining myself from strangling him there and then, the moment officially began for me. My date with Jason..plus about 1’500 other people.. oh well..

The intro gig was surprisingly good. The lead singer did a few covers including several rock faves, which we all sang along to quite happily. But of course, everyone’s holding their breaths for Mr. Mraz and the magic that he was about to weave upon us.

OK.. I haven’t seen that much live shows. But I know that not all singers sound as good live compared to how they do on their albums. So, I was prepared to cut the guy some slack. He has been touring quite extensively and I figured I could pardon a few off-pitch attempts, if it came down to that. Hell, I spoke to soon. And obviously I underestimated the guy.

What can I say about the show, without gushing incoherently and tripping all over myself while typing as well as I could..

The show was solid, soulful, the most honest and heart-felt performance I’ve ever seen or been at. He got on the stage to much thunderous applause and manic screaming by the audiences, me included! I was clapping madly and cheering him on, laughed heartily at his jokes (he sure as hell was funny and charming!) and sang along to tunes such as “You and I Both” and “Geek in the Pink”. There were moments when he’d sing and I’m like.. melting all over the place inside, feeling warm and alive and blessed to hear him sing his heart out.

The show was very simple, stripped down acoustics.. just Jason and his guitar, and his side-kick Toca playing bongo. And Jason lived up to the term “creative genius”, improvising and jamming with Toca, whistling one moment, humming idly the next.. and we all absorbed his energy, his sincerity, his passion and his mastery of the guitar and we seriously didn’t want it to end.

But it did anyway and we said goodbye to Jason for now, giving him the standing ovation he so rightfully deserved, clapping til our hands hurt and cheering til our voices gave in.

So yeah folks, my evening with Jason Mraz went beyond my wildest expectations. It was pure pleasure, from start to finish and I felt a kind of high that told me.. Yes, this is what happiness means, to feel my heart thumping and my blood racing in my veins, to sing at the top of my lungs and cheer on a fellow human being who gave us his all and more.

Jason.. thank you for your music. I hope you will continue to share your talent and gift with us and lead your life as best as you possibly could. Love ya man!

I’ve got the tickets for the concert, as well as the hotel and transport sorted out. My gal pal is going with me, while I’m going to the concert with another pal. So far, so good. 2 more days to go, then Friday morning I’m off to Singapore to catch Mr. Geek in the Pink, Jason Mraz. One thing left to do is to get some Singapore dollars, not that I plan to shop that much.. but mainly for the tram rides, cab fares and meals.

I am pretty excited but other than that, it’s life as usual for the next 48 hours. I’ve got class later where we’re supposed to debate the Intel Pentium debacle in ‘94.. been reading quite a bit on that one, quite interesting and yeah.. got quite a few laughs over the Pentium jokes. Back in 94, I was definitely not yet PC-savvy and being able to handle wordprocessors was the biggest deal for me at the time. ;)

But back to Mr Mraz.. the moment to look for would be if/when he sings “Song for a Friend”. I checked out the Esplanade Concert Hall and I bet the acoustics would be amazing. Even before I get there, i already know this is going to be one of the most awesome experience ever!

..live concerts. Something magical, spell-binding and all-consuming. You feel the energy and the emotions real-time, see the expressions and even bond with the performer albeit for that short period of time.

My first concert was Sting in February last year. My next one will be Jason Mraz when I go see him in Singapore next month. I am super-thrilled, and despite having to fork out quite a bit, I bet it’s worth it. Coz Jason Mraz is a wonderful and soulful performer. I love all his songs and his quirky lyrics, even his cute, nerdy face. Gosh, I sound like a 14 yearold now.. haha..

And of course, I need this goal while I wait for the ultimate concert goal, which is to see Coldplay live! Hey Chris, don’t hang you guitar just yet ok..