by Joce-17, 18 June 2009

With the fact that summer is fast approaching brings along thoughts on one of the most exciting Summer Music festivals – Summer Sonic, Tokyo.

While eagerly anticipating Summer Sonic 2009’s performances and surprises, I am compelled to reminiscence on Summer Sonic 2008’s delights.

Summer Sonic is an annual, international music festival that is held in both Tokyo and Osaka. In Tokyo, it is set beside the beautiful seaside, on the outskirts of the city. Six different stages are set up within the arena area and in effect, six different concerts occur at once. Inviting both local and foreign bands and artists to perform, it provides all who attends with basically, in my opinion, the best multicultural, multi-genre musical experience.

Even better than how good it already sounds -
With the great music and energetic Tokyo atmosphere, it was of course natural for me to have expected an amazing experience. What could get better than watching multiple favourites consecutively performing for hours on the same day, all day long, with a friend? I soon found the answer to that – on top of everything else, discovering even more great bands that would soon turn into favourites too.

Dose of Alternative
The day started with the more alternative bands such as the Wombats and the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers in particular, being one of my favourite bands, stunned me. I’m sure my spasmodic jumping around in excitement in the front row had the same effect on them in return. With multiple renditions of their songs, jazz breaks and a wave from their lead man in response to my waving sign for them, the heat and my aching leg muscles were all worth it.

The day went on and it was pretty much heaven to my ears all day long and when it comes down to it, it was simply – fun, pure fun, something that I’m sure most of us students know is hard to get during the pressurizing school year. After Vampire Weekend’s and the Kook’s warm performance ended, next came the local favourite – Radwimps.

Although the feeling of being filled with my favourite music, live, is exhilarating, in my opinion, nothing can beat the feeling that came with the discovery of more great music, live. Due to Radwimp’s, popularity in Tokyo, by then, my friend and I had been pushed back to the middle of the crowd but standing there, letting this unfamiliar sound rush through me, I knew that this was something beautiful and something I could relate to even if I couldn’t understand it. Isn’t that what great music is all about? Culture and language should never be a barrier to this musical experience.

Alicia Keys then Coldplay…Alicia AND Coldplay!?
By night, our stage was packed full, with everyone anticipating the two biggest acts of the show. Naturally, Alicia Keys delivered. As, in my opinion, one of the most talented female artists in the world, her performance was, as anticipated, vivid with life and energy, fuelled by her soulful music. Her R n B sound was completely different to the bands before her and I found her performance interestingly enriching, being an Alternative junkie at heart. With that said, Coldplay’s arrival and performance was a whole new entity, so to speak.

Intimate, sensitive and beautiful. That is how I remember the two final hours of Summer Sonic that Coldplay performed for. Being introduced to their new songs from their (then) new album Viva la Vida was extremely enjoyable. But, hearing all time classics, on top of all the other epic music that had already been experienced that day, was an absolutely breathtaking end to the show.
But it gets better.

Chris Martin suddenly introduced “the most beautiful woman in the world, excluding my wife perhaps, Alicia Keys!” Then, something that wasn’t even in a figment of my imagination occurred, Chris Martin and Alicia Keys, both stunning at conveying their music through the piano, played Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’ together and it was just indescribable, definitely an infinite memory of mine.

What to anticipate this year-
With all that reminisced, I am compelled to remember that my experience was that of only ONE stage out of the six. Experiencing all of it would simply be an overload of greatness; perhaps that is why they make you choose.

The hype for this year’s show within me has increased even more. Expecting another amazing delivery of music from bands such as Paramore, Boys Like Girls and Linkin Park, as well as from artists such as Never Shout Never, Lady Gaga and Beyonce, I am absolutely ecstatic with the promise of an even greater range of talent and the possibility of even more discoveries. Are you?

Tweet

Summersonic 2009 Radwips Website