VOL.146 livescope 2006 live曲目 and 报道(second half)

●○○ From music freak magazine Vol.146

【SET LIST】
1. Anywhere　2. Rusty Rail　3. Holding you, and swinging　4. Kakurenbo　5. HAPPY DAYS?　6. Himawari no Iro　7. Yasashii Ame　8. WEEKEND　9. call my name　10. Kimi no Omoi Egaita Yume Atsumeru MÄR (Okamoto vo.)　11. Rai・Rai・Ya　12. Maboroshi　13. Holy ground　14. Timeless Sleep　15. Yume・Hanabi　16. Kaze to RAINBOW　17. Yume Mita Atode　18. Marginal Man　19. Last love song　20. Sorairo no Neko　21. Kon'ya Eden no Katatsumi de
＜ENCORE＞
1. A crown　2. Kono Te o Nobaseba　3. Bokura Dake no Mirai

mysterious world drew the audience in completely. That distinctive sound world continued in the next song, “HAPPY DAYS?,” and although the unpredictable song choices seemed to leave the audience a little bewildered, they also appeared to be enjoying themselves. In the MC that followed, Nakamura explained that the theme for the album and tour had been “returning to our roots and looking at the work afresh.” Her words conveyed how strongly the group wanted to communicate GARNET CROW's songs at this show, more carefully than ever before. Next they performed “Himawari no Iro,” a song all four members particularly like. The countless sunflowers projected on the screen recalled the song's grandeur, while the sounds and voices of the four members spread to every corner of the venue.
　The middle section of the show brought one song after another, each revealing a different expression. Just as the tempo picked up with “Yasashii Ame,” Nakamura's voice and AZUKI's keyboard tones overlapped in a beautiful harmony on “WEEKEND,” and “call my name” brought the audience together with the band.
　As is now indispensable at a GARNET CROW live show, there was again a section in which Okamoto took the vocal, and he performed “Kimi no Omoi Egaita Yume Atsumeru MÄR.” When the song began, a cheer rose from the audience that seemed to combine surprise and delight. Okamoto's clear, open vocal gave the song a new color, while Nakamura's tambourine and backing vocals added a finishing touch. After the venue settled into a relaxed mood, four string players joined the members onstage. A series of numbers featuring string arrangements followed, one of the highlights of this show. In “Rai・Rai・Ya,” Nakamura's impassioned singing against a screen showing the music video was especially memorable, and it was clear that the audience was immersing itself in the song's world, expanded by the strings. “Holy ground” had a warmth that seemed to draw close and stay beside us, while Okamoto's crisply attacking guitar in “Timeless Sleep” stimulated the ears. The tour members—Kyuichi Kurose (Dr.), Masato Ohashi (B), Yoshinobu Ohga (G), and Seisuke Kanda (G)—were introduced here, and the show entered its second half.
　In “Yume・Hanabi,” Nakamura moved from one side of the stage to the other, delivering a passionate vocal under red lights. That momentum carried over into the new song “Kaze to RAINBOW,” sending the groove born from the fusion of rock and Latin sounds into the audience. Nakamura egged on the crowd with energetic gestures and took off her jacket during the instrumental break, completely giving herself over to movement. The audience was drawn in at once by the song's dramatic development, and the entire venue gradually became one great mass of heat. After an MC briefly cooled the atmosphere, “Yume Mita Atode” was performed with a string arrangement. The expressive performance and Nakamura's plaintive singing conveyed more than enough that this was one of the precious songs GARNET CROW had nurtured over the years, and I was certain that the stage and audience were connected through music. The string players were introduced here and sent off with applause, after which the show raced through the rest of the main set. In “Marginal Man,” the venue suddenly brightened as the audience waved their hands from side to side with the lively rhythm; “Last love song” pulled everyone deeply into the world of its lyrics; “Sorairo no Neko” brought the audience and members even closer; and “Kon'ya Eden no Katatsumi de” made the room erupt. Furui looked delighted as he played while gazing at the brightly lit audience, and Nakamura walked from one end of the stage to the other, thrusting her fist toward the crowd and shouting “Give me love!” during the chorus. The audience answered by raising their fists toward the stage, refusing to be outdone by that power. The intensity of the response was evident in the volume of the encore that erupted the moment the main set ended and the members left the stage. As the clapping grew louder, the members appeared again.
　The first encore song was “A crown,” the final track on the indie album 『first kaleidscope 〜君の家に着くまでずっと走ってゆく〜』 and a popular number among fans. Nakamura sang leaning into a stand microphone, appearing completely focused on conveying the lyrics. During the encore MC, the members explained that 2007 would be GARNET CROW's seventh year since debut and that they had a deep connection with the number seven, then declared that they would carry “7” as their theme in 2007. They also announced that, ahead of this, they would release the double A-side singles “Kaze to RAINBOW / Kono Te o Nobaseba” and “Kono Te o Nobaseba / Kaze to RAINBOW” on February 21. Needless to say, the audience erupted at the succession of good news. After taking a breath, they performed “Kono Te o Nobaseba” for the first time. Nakamura sang with a serious expression while the members carefully spun out the song. As a distinctive tension hung between the stage and the audience, this song—simple yet grand, and deeply moving—spread reliably to every corner of the venue. It was an especially memorable sight: every gaze directed from the audience toward the stage seemed intent on not missing a single sound. Then the live show reached its true finale... The last song was “Bokura Dake no Mirai.” The audience's excitement peaked as soon as the intro began. The crowd waved their hands as they pleased, while the members looked satisfied as they watched the audience. It felt as though we had been shown the power generated when the strength each person possesses collides with the others'.
　This GARNET CROW live show was newly built after breaking apart the flow of their previous concerts. I sensed in it both the members' strong, genuine desire for people to enjoy and listen to the songs, and something like a mission to deliver the sound world of their latest album, 『THE TWILIGHT VALLEY』, in the form of a live performance. I was certain that feeling had reached the audience.
　With the arrival of 2007, GARNET CROW's new musical activities are already underway. I cannot wait to see what kind of stage they will present at their next live show as they continue to evolve.