Saturday, September 25, 2010, the dreams of thousands of fans came true on this special evening with one of the most influential rock bands in history, X Japan. Performing live in Hollywood, California, this legendary band delivered one of the most memorable, dynamic performances ever to be held in Los Angeles’s very own Wiltern Theatre. A diverse setlist included many favorites from the past as well as more recent works, thus fans were not disappointed despite the many hours many endured, waiting for this “once in a lifetime†performance.
X Japan is a unique band that creates songs, which cater to music lovers of many genres and categories. The leader of the band, Yoshiki, is a ravisher of the double bass foot pedal on the drums while maintaining grace and elegance on the grand piano. Through Yoshiki and talents of the other musicians in X Japan, this band has been creating a memorable sound, which will forever enthrall the audience through the dynamism in their musicality and romantic chord progressions. Other members would include Toshi on vocals, Pata and Sugizo on guitar, and Heath on bass.
Thousands of voices were applauding and chanting in darkness as they eagerly awaited the arrival of X Japan on stage. The lights slowly began to appear as Yoshiki appeared on the throne of the drumset, as they begin their opening act with the song “Jadeâ€. The crowd grew ecstatic as they found all members appeared playing on stage. X Japan then moved to the next song, “Rusty Nailâ€, which drew the audience closer to ecstasy with one of their most popular hits.
The show moved forward with another popular upbeat song, “Silent Jealousyâ€, which continued to captivate the audience. A more progressive side of X Japan was displayed during their performance with “Drainâ€. Members of the audience were then treated to an interlude with a surprise violin performance with guitarist Sugizo. Pianist, Yoshiki, later joined this mesmerizing piece as they gracefully played one of their most beautiful compositions.
The whole band came together again for a performance with one of their most beloved songs, “Kurenaiâ€. This memorable classic was followed by two later works, “Born To Be Free†and “I.V.â€Â The show ended with a very explosive performance with “Xâ€.
After what seemed to be the end of the X Japan concert, the members gave the audience a very special encore performance. Yoshiki allured members of the crowd, as he spoke briefly about the first American X Japan tour. The band came to the stage once again to perform two very sentimental songs, “Endless Rainâ€, and “Art of Lifeâ€.
X Japan gave Los Angeles one of their most memorable concerts in history. Performances of both nostalgic and more recent selections developed a very intimate connection between the artists and the audience, as they cheered, applauded, and cried into the night. With a multinational fan base stretching from Japan to the Americas, this “once in a lifetime†moment will be remembered forever in their hearts.
Concert Setlist:
JADE
RUSTY NAIL
SILENT JEALOUSY
DRAIN
VIOLIN AND PIANO INTERLUDE
KURENAI
BORN TO BE FREE
I.V.
X
ENDLESS RAIN (Encore)
ART OF LIFE (ENCORE)
Photo credits:
© 2010 YSK Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Edwin Macaraeg, Melvin Macaraeg