Summer Sonic 2010

I wasn't prepared for Summer Sonic 2010.  Someone should have warned me.  It was something like Disneyland meets Roppongi and Shibuya x10 plus 5 Agehas, a summer 'matsuri' festival and Tokyo Big Site. They all got together and tried to be loosely based on America's SXSW but with more mainstream acts and recognized brand sponsors.  Buildings upon buildings into complexes into streets, fields and finally a baseball stadium, it was a labyrinth of stages and sounds which forced you to wander through the entire maze like a rat to get to the final destination, the main stage.

My impression for the last few years ever since I heard about Summer Sonic was that it was simply an outdoor concert... a very overpriced one (tickets for 2 days are nearly 300 dollars).  However in an afternoon I went from Jack Daniels shot booths to indoor trance events to an outdoor silent disco and then to a stadium full of fans singing along to Stevie Wonder... that might be more than just another outdoor concert, at least in my humble opinion.  All of this held simultaneously in two locations in Osaka and Makuhari Messe in Chiba, neighboring prefecture to Tokyo.
 
ENTERING THE VENUE

Wandering from the Makuhari Messe station, the first thing I did was switch my heels for flip flops (best decision I could have made).  Surprisingly the entrance isn't that clear, nor does it have huge banners or streamers with Summer Sonic blazoned around the doorways.  In fact the first entrance is really a let-down.  A few booths here and there, some tired looking staff members with Summer Sonic t-shirts unable to hand out maps and vague with directions.  Walking down a long corridor lined with murals painted over the course of the weekend I finally came to a doorway and entered into the main hall. 

This area is often used for concerts, symposiums, trade shows and so forth.  For Summer Sonic the outer walls were lined with sponsor booths (mostly liquor and audio brands) and then partitioned into sections for stages and food stalls.  The space was way too big and even with the thousands of people milling about it didn't look even close to full.  Trying to stick to a plan my goal was to see Tribe Called Quest and Stevie Wonder on the main stage which apparently was in the stadium about 2 streets behind the main hall.  To get there I had to navigate an underpass, an overpass and a sidewalk lined with pinwheels and colorful lights. 
 
SILENT DISCO

Approaching the stadium I noticed a field with an arched entrance crowned with balloons and a sign that said 'Silent Disco'.  Peering in I saw a tent with figures dancing but no music within hearing distance.  With sunset approaching I decided to make a quick stop here if only to snap a few photos. 

Silent Disco was born in Europe to some creative university students that wanted to party without getting into trouble for making too much noise.  All participants wear headphones and a FM transmitter sends the music to all listeners simultaneously.  With a picturesque sunset in the distance, pinwheels spinning around me and nothing but the clear sound of music in my ears, my only thought was... I am now sold on Summer Sonic if not for any other reason than that they've introduced me to this great party.
 
MISSED CLASSIC HIP HOP...GOT UPDATED ON COUNTRY

At this point it was very clear that I wouldn't make it to Tribe Called Quest, Taylor Swift was up after but I wasn't really excited to see her... unless they planned to have Kanye walk out and re-enact his biggest mistake of 2010, (check youtube for the video).  When I reached the stadium, the bleachers were 40% filled and the grounds about half.  People were sitting here and there and the atmosphere was very relaxed. 

After Taylor finished her set, I raced with other Stevie fans to get closer to the stage and managed to make it to the first row.  After standing there, sweating for about 15 minutes as they prepared the stage I noticed the stadium slowly starting to fill up.  I panicked a little bit as I felt people behind me press me forward and the beads of sweat on my brow turn into a steady stream trickling down my face.  Was this really how I wanted to see Stevie?  Or more importantly was this how I wanted to see his good-looking son? 

I'm sure some readers will call me a punk, but I backed out and moved to the ground area where I could sit, then that began to fill as well and I realized that within minutes the grounds would be standing only.  This prompted me to go out of the stadium and make my way up into the stands to sit in the bleachers.  By the time the sky was dark and the stage ready the entire stadium was PACKED.  The grounds, the seats, the hallways, EVERYWHERE.  Then they turned off the lights.

STEVIE WONDER SHOWS JAPAN SOME LOVE

The entire stadium went pitch-black, then stage lights on!  And there was Stevie at his piano exactly the way I had always imagined him.  The first song he sang worth remembering was a gorgeous duet with his lead female vocalist, her voice was so clear and strong, she almost managed to outshine Stevie vocally but as an entertainer... Stevie worked his charm to bring the audience back to him vying with his duet partner for a kiss and eventually getting a tender peck on the cheek. 

Mr. Wonder then went into 'New York' but perhaps realizing the audience's less than enthusiastic response he quickly switched to the next song.  Did anyone tell Stevie that the night before Jay-Z has destroyed the stage with his very popular rendition of 'New York'?  Probably not, and while Stevie may have 50 years in the business Jay-Z has placed his stamp on that international hit.  The next few songs were okay... popular selections of Stevie's hits re infused with a bossanova feel but I couldn't help but be distracted by the very hokey images on the big screen above and next to the stage.  Where were the professional wide shots and close-ups?  Some of the images looked shaky as if taken with a handy cam. 

JAPAN LOVES STEVIE BACK

Now when Stevie Wonder began his 'I just Called to Say I love you' hit I wonder if he knew this song was taught in English classes nationwide.  It was even in my high school textbook meaning that an entire generation was forced to memorize the lyrics verbatim.  Even Stevie looked surprised by the strong vocals and precise pronunciation from the Japanese audience overtaking the stadium.  And then he went into 'Superstition' which even from as far away from the stage as I was, I felt hyped by the male dancers jumping and clapping on stage.

Closing with 'Happy Birthday to You', played in just about every club and bar in Asia, Stevie thanked the audience and thanked Japan especially for committing itself to creating a 'barrier free society'.  In particular he sounded impressed by the upraised yellow markers on the streets for the blind to follow with walking sticks.  Then he left the stage and let the 15 plus percussion group made up of drums from around the world including West African tam tams and Japanese taiko drums close out his set with a 5 minute drumming frenzy.  When the drummers were finally sent offstage by a stressed out stage manager (who actually came on stage to say time-up) the stage lights turned off.  Then in almost the same second fireworks lit up the sky for 7 or so minutes. 

OVERALL, SUMMMER SONIC WORTHWHILE

Stevie was wonderful but not quite to the level as a performer that I'd expected from a veteran of 50 years.  Whether this was due in part to the time constraints or grueling 2 days schedule I'm not sure.  However, he did leave me with lovely parting words,

"Use your heart to love somebody and if your heart is big enough, use your heart to love everybody".