Megastar offers an intimate show in Boston
by Brad Stern
Advertising Staff
Arts | 2/9/10
Posted online at 9:57 PM EST on 2/8/10
On Utada Hikaru's last tour, 2006's Utada United tour in Japan, the average audience size per venue varied from 20,000 to 50,000 attendees nightly. On Feb. 5, the singer responsible for the highest-selling album in Japanese history was about to play to a tiny club of about 300 people in Boston, a few of whom were only vaguely familiar with the music she was to perform.
As is the case with so many culturally significant, internationally celebrated pop stars from across the world, America's perception of Utada remains limited. While the 27-year-old singer has made two major attempts to break into the American market, her visibility has continued to float below the radar aside from two successful theme songs she lent to the popular videogame series Kingdom Hearts.
Nonetheless, the In The Flesh Tour was dedicated to those who've followed Utada's remarkably successful career for the past 10 years in both Japan and America, providing an up-close-and-personal celebration of her full catalog of music.
When I got to the venue around 5 p.m., there were already about 50 people waiting outside the door. As I later learned, the first people in line had been waiting there since 9:30 that morning.
The general makeup of the crowd was predictable, including nerds, anime lovers, gays and nerdy, anime-loving gays. Far and away, though, the makeup of the audience was largely Japanese. That fact would be later confirmed when Utada prompted the crowd three songs in with Nihongo no uta? (basically, "How about a Japanese song?"), which was met with a deafening cry of approval.
After waiting outside for roughly an hour and a half in 20-degree weather, the audience was finally corralled into the Paradise Rock Lounge while being subjected to a fairly rigorous, unusually high security pseudo-strip search and interrogation process. Cameras of any kind were confiscated, and cell phones were required to be off at all times while the show was in session.
While I still don't understand the logic behind limiting the audience's interaction with the performance, I must admit that being forced to concentrate on the show rather than the viewfinder of my camera did enhance the experience. It was, as old people refer to it, the "real way" to experience a concert.
As is the case with so many culturally significant, internationally celebrated pop stars from across the world, America's perception of Utada remains limited. While the 27-year-old singer has made two major attempts to break into the American market, her visibility has continued to float below the radar aside from two successful theme songs she lent to the popular videogame series Kingdom Hearts.
Nonetheless, the In The Flesh Tour was dedicated to those who've followed Utada's remarkably successful career for the past 10 years in both Japan and America, providing an up-close-and-personal celebration of her full catalog of music.
When I got to the venue around 5 p.m., there were already about 50 people waiting outside the door. As I later learned, the first people in line had been waiting there since 9:30 that morning.
The general makeup of the crowd was predictable, including nerds, anime lovers, gays and nerdy, anime-loving gays. Far and away, though, the makeup of the audience was largely Japanese. That fact would be later confirmed when Utada prompted the crowd three songs in with Nihongo no uta? (basically, "How about a Japanese song?"), which was met with a deafening cry of approval.
After waiting outside for roughly an hour and a half in 20-degree weather, the audience was finally corralled into the Paradise Rock Lounge while being subjected to a fairly rigorous, unusually high security pseudo-strip search and interrogation process. Cameras of any kind were confiscated, and cell phones were required to be off at all times while the show was in session.
While I still don't understand the logic behind limiting the audience's interaction with the performance, I must admit that being forced to concentrate on the show rather than the viewfinder of my camera did enhance the experience. It was, as old people refer to it, the "real way" to experience a concert.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Andy B
posted 2/09/10 @ 8:54 PM EST
Brad - that's a fantastic write up of her concert - and has captured Utada as an artist really well.
As a fan for probably 10 years, I'm going to be seeing her live at one of her two London shows - albeit with a slightly larger audience of 800. (Continued…)
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