Somebody once told me I'm cynical. Actually I consider myself to be too honest.
That might be part of the reason why I have stayed single my entire life -- a dating manual says that one must rave about everything that is experienced during a date, whether it is a restaurant; a concert; or a holiday plan, particularly if it was selected by her chap.
Whenever we went to a concert, a friend of mine used to suggest I grade it on the scale of one to ten. I didn't mind saying one out of ten if I thought it terrible although he was always trying to find some positive side. Indeed, he often used the adjective "average" which actually meant ugly.
I have no intention to splash cold water on the enthusiasm of the majority of the audience in the concert of Huey Lewis & the News tonight, but I'm relieved that I ended up going there alone because of my friend's urgent matter. Otherwise I might have offended her because I simply cannot stop telling my frank view which is hopelessly negative.
Well, the band was good, but the singer was at an amateur level. Perhaps the worst thing was the idea of amplifying sound too loudly which seemed to me was over the capacity of the speakers. In fact, Huey Lewis & the News is not alone. More or less, that's what happens when many famous musicians perform.
Tonight's venue was supposed to be not that bad. The capacity of the Orchard Hall, Bunkamura in Shibuya, Tokyo is 2,150 which is smaller than the Carnegie Hall's 2,784. It should be much better than a stadium, for example, the Tokyo Dome which can accommodate around 50,000 people for a concert.
Huey Lewis & the News's concert reminded me of another one by Komi Hirose, a Japanese singer. I saw it a few years ago at the Tokyo Opera City that accommodates even less than the Orchard Hall, 1,632.
I had the same feeling for both: they are much better in CDs than in the flesh.
As far as I remember, there were two singers who are excellent in CDs, and even better in their concerts: Elton John; and Saburo Kitajima, a veteran Japanese singer who has already retired. I am an avid classical music lover and admire the impeccable Berlin Phil. And yet, I thought Elton John alone had the same impact as the entire Berlin Phil when he performed at the Royal Opera House in London.
At any rate, in terms of economy, it was good to confirm that I might as well stay at home and listen to most musicians via YouTube in my favorite speakers rather than paying over USD100 per concert plus some transportation costs.
That being said, I wish I could thoroughly enjoy listening to live music again.
