After-Concert Report
(You think that's the end!? There's MORE to tell!)
Here are pictures of people leaving after the concert: (and more of the shop and the Ayupan TV)
The concert ended at 6:30 or so...and my train was not scheduled till 8 p.m. I wanted to change to an earlier one, but I already changed my reservation to leave from Kakegawa instead so I couldn't modify my reservations again.
I decided to wander in the area to find some place to eat till my train leaves. But, there was absolutely nothing. NOTHING. I ended up just buying two types of bread from a store in the train station to eat. I figured I could always wait till getting back to Tokyo to eat.
As I wandered around in the train station, I noticed this person that looked very familiar. It was then I realized it was the ugly backup dancer of Ayu that I always thought looked like a middle-aged man! (He may very well be for all I know.)
I looked around and then saw a crowd dressed more stylish than most of the other people in the station. It turns out that all the dancers were going to take the shinkansen back too!
The ugly dancer then proceeded to up to the platform with this other girl (probably a dancer too). Then, Shuya walked out of the store and stood in the same spot that the ugly dancer stood in. They actually both noticed me staring so I walked away as if I did not notice them. As I contemplated whether to ask them for a picture or not, he also proceeded up to the platform...along with the whole Ayu crew. And no, I did not see Ayu.
Although I was still half an hour away from my train, I decided to follow them up to the platform anyway. As I followed them, I started looking through my bag for my camera. After what seemed like minutes of looking, I then walked toward them...thinking how I could get them all in the same picture with me. They were standing in toward the end of one side of the station...with some benches. It was then I noticed a very distinct person sitting on a bench in front of them.
It was Yocchan. The keyboard player and the guy that does the percussions and stuff (I think) were there next to me! It was then I dropped all my hesitations to approach him. It was now or never.
Me (In English): Excuse me...sorry to bother you...but can I take a picture with all of you? (I figured speaking in English would increase the likelihood of him saying yes to a picture)
Yocchan: (stares for a second) Sure.
This woman that was with them: Shall I take the picture for you?
Me: Oh, do you mind? (tries to turn on the camera and set the camera in the right mode...as Yocchan and the others stare...hand is shaking very slightly
Hands camera to woman)
Yocchan: (motions to the other two...who were trying to get in the picture anyway) Minna to...minna to...
Me: Yes yes...everyone everyone.
Woman: Oh everyone. (aims camera at everyone instead)
(picture is taken...and I look at picture)
Me: Thank you so much! (I think I repeated this a few times)
I then stepped aside to gather myself together again. I guess I could've said more...but I was in too much of a shock. I took a look at the dancers and I was about to go off to ask them too...but then the train arrived at that moment. My train was the one after this one so I could not get on with them. Soon enough, they all boarded, and their train left for Tokyo.
That's the bench they sat on...and the dancers stood a bit beyond that. Use your imagination.
I suppose the lesson I learned was not to hesitate ever again. I really wanted pictures with the dancers, but oh well.
Oh yes...and here's the picture:
When I got back to Tokyo, I went to karaoke and sang all the Ayu songs I cannot sing here in the US. I actually went to karaoke twice during my whole trip. Overall, I think I sang "Born To Be..." 4 times and "Startin'" 3 times. I also sang a bunch of songs like "Replace" and "Beautiful Day" that I probably won't get to sing in a while. They also had Ayu's version of "teens" and the acoustic version of "HEAVEN" too. I was having my own little Ayu concert.
In any case, overall, this concert trip met..no...exceeded all my expectations. I went to her Dome Tour in 2001 and that was nothing in terms of enjoyment, compared to this. Even more, it made me a bigger fan of Ayu...if that's even possible after all these years.
If you've read all the things I've posted, thank you very much. This took me more than three hours actually. LOL
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[Edited by AHS Staff]
Discussion/Thanks:
http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42173