Miyavi Concert in Toronto

My schedule:

June 25th, 2010
8:10 am __Woke up
9:30 am __Walked to ttc stop
11:30 am __Got to Union Station
11:40 pm __Look for Pavan
12:00 pm __Took bus to the concert building (Sound Academy)
12:30 pm __At Sound Academy waiting in line
12:40 pm __Got to meet a few people from the line__research
1:30 pm __Waiting in line
8:xx pm __In Sound Academy
9:08 pm __Concert STARTed!
11:xx pm __Concert ended
11:xx pm __Classified.

June 26th, 2010
12:28 am __Took bus to nearest subway station
1:10 am __Transfered trains
1:40 am __Home


My friend Pavan wanted to get to the concert line-up early so we met in the morning and headed to the Sound Academy. I didn't think that there would be people lined up at Sound Academy the night before the concert, but there were! Many of them had to face the heavy rain on the morning of the concert day. They're so dedicated! (Unlike I.) My friend wanted to get there earlier, but I rejected the idea. I like sleep too much. (._.)

When we got to Sound Academy, we ate samosas! It was my first time eating pre-made samosas and I have to say that they are like fried dumplings but spicy. Pavan told me they're not spicy but the first one tasted spicy to me! When we finished eating I was wondering what I would do for the next 8 hours in line. Pavan and I talked a bit and we got to know our line neighbours and decided that we should get to know everyone in the line! :D The truth is, I didn't take into account the boredom I may feel when lining up: I didn't bring anything to play with. Eight hours is a long time for a line! I've only ever stood for about 5 hours at most in a line!

It was fun talking to people we didn't know. I thought it would be hard to do, but most people are friendly once you get into a nice chat with them. The problem was that I didn't think about what others would think about me talking to them other than them thinking that I'm a creepy and weird person. Pavan left when we jumped to the near beginning of the line to check on our stuff.

There were many different people there! Most of them were between the ages 15 and 26 and many were from places outside of Toronto. I think the furthest a group of people travelled was either from Trois-Rivières, Québec or New York, U.S.A. We spoke of maid cafés, animé, asian dramas, music, Miyavi (of course), post-secondary institutions and of business (Tim Hortons and fashion). When I finished speaking with half of the people in the line, someone was speaking in French about how I was being a naughty person and that I was trying to suck up to someone in the front to get in earlier. (@_@) That was the first time I wished I didn't understand French. I was almost in tears. (T_T) So I moved onto the next group where one girl was sitting in line for her friends. She's an asian from Québec! The fifth one I've met in my life! I wanted to feel like I couldn't stop smiling at her because of her cuteness, but the people from before were still talking about me in French next to the girl and I. I ended the chat immediately when I couldn't take their glares anymore and left to go back to my place in line. I didn't get to know the rest of the people... (+_+) But! I got a business card from someone AND a new facebook friend from chatting. I could have gotten more, but I believed that they should give me their contact rather than me asking them (or else I would seem even more sketchy).

I'm jumping to the concert part now!

When the entered the concert hall (?) it looked just as I dreamt it would: like an expensive elementary school gymnasium. Yup. Pavan introduced me to a few friends she just met and we spent our time at the front of the stage the whole time (right behind the barracades I believe). I brought giant headphones to muffle out the loud screaming and music. Sound Academy workers noticed my headphones and asked if I had a recording device with me though. O_O They scared me! I already gave them my camera and suddenly they were asking about my cellphone and headphones! They let me keep the headphones on but kept an eye on me. I didn't actually look to see if they were watching me, but I knew that they thought I was suspicious. They did hand signs of headphones and pointed in my direction! XD It was funny. They cared for many of the fans in the crowd during the concert by giving water and fishing out people from the crowd. The lights were blindingly bright, but they were awesome! It wasn't too warm in the front, but there's not much space to move around there. :P

Miyavi looked much more divine in person than in pictures. His guitar playing was so beautiful that I didn't mind being crushed by a crowd of people and having a strong wave of arms coming from behind me during the 3 or 4 times he moved right at the end of the stage from where we were. I stood still for most of the concert, watching rather than jumping and stretching my arms out though. The drummer, keyboard man, and Mac guy were so pro, I couldn't help staring at them too.

I compared having the headphones on and being without it during the songs and I have to admit that I believe having the headphones on saved me from hearing damage. I accidentally hit a few people while adjusting the headphones on my head though. >_< I don't think they heard me say sorry.

When I got home, I found a bruise on each of my legs, one sprained knee, and scratches on another knee. I had fun at my first J-rock concert.