A Night With Yoshiki

Stephen Kijak came back out, accompanied by the GM of SXSW Music – James Minor. They talked about how special it was to be able to put this event together. The two sides of SXSW don’t always get to host joint events. Kijak took questions from the audience, but a few people just came up and thanked him for the service he has done for the fans. They told stories about what X Japan meant to them. It was a family in the Paramount that night.

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By now, the tension in the room could be cut by a knife. The piano was there; we could see it through the screen. The ladies in Yoshiki’s string quartet were there waiting patiently. The girl behind me? Not so much. Poor thing was weep-wowing and hyperventilating in her excitement to see Yoshiki.

Then… he came out on stage. A long elegant scarf wrapped around his neck, as he smiles warmly at us. And then he starts to speak. His stage presence, his energy and his reputation make you think he’ll be this loud, energetic person – but no. He is so soft spoken and gentle and mindful of what he’s saying. It’s beautiful. And then he plays. He does a cover of Space Oddity [MV] by David Bowie – stating how devastated he was to have lost the musician and friend. In total, Yoshiki played 6 extraordinary songs for us. (Forever Love [MV], Swan Lake [clip], Space Oddity, Without You [clip], Art of Life, and Endless Rain [clip])

When he stood up between each song, it was like he was talking to family, not just an audience. He has a way of not feeling aloof like many artists can. When he announced “And now, I’m going to play . . . Art of Life” in his calm, mild manor I was excited – but not as excited as the girl next to me that rose out of her chair and screamed at the top of her lungs in jubilee. And then turned to me immediately and apologized. She needn’t have – it was a beautiful and breathtaking performance. I remember tweeting and instagramming (as you do) and just saying “I have no words” “This is magic” “I think I’m having a religious experience” and I really was.

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Seeing Yoshiki live, in front of me, after watching that movie was like seeing the protagonist come to life and show you that you can make it through anything. That all the crap life can throw at you is worth it, because you come out on the other side a stronger person for it. When he finished playing, fans flocked to the stage to hand him gifts and flowers, and speak to him. I remember coming to my senses as the lights came back up, looking at my phone for the first time in a while and realizing I had tons of messages, and weather alerts.

My friend and I came outside to the calm after a massive Texas thunderstorm. It was as if the film had cleansed us of darkness, and the rain washed it away. It was a perfect night, and my favorite thing about SXSW 2016.

Jenna

Part-time student, full-time media whore, fan of all things Asian.

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