Es VOL.21／22 live report“音霊 OTODAMA SEA STUDIO 2011”／“Misty Mystery”发行纪念特别活动报道

●○◦ From music freak Es Vol.21

GARNET CROW

［OTODAMA SEA STUDIO 2011 “Let the Songs Ride the Sea Breeze”］
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 @ OTODAMA SEA STUDIO

August 10 was the hottest day of the year observed up to that point. On that day, GARNET CROW made their first appearance at OTODAMA SEA STUDIO on Zushi Beach. Since this was an acoustic performance, Yuri Nakamura and Hitoshi Okamoto took the stage as a pair. They appeared first after the opening act.

At 5:05 p.m., Okamoto first came onto the stage wearing denim with the limited-edition event T-shirt for that day—a polka-dot design on stripes—and a straw hat. A storm of excited female screams rang out: “Kyaa, Okamocchi!” After he sat down with a gentle smile, Nakamura appeared from stage right wearing a resort-style event T-shirt decorated with a sunset and palm trees, different from Okamoto’s, paired with a maxi skirt, fashionable that year, and beach sandals from a 2009 event collection. As cheers of “Yurippe! So cute!” flew through the venue, she pressed the beach towel in her hand tightly against Okamoto’s shoulder once, then threw it toward the audience. The surprise gift sent the venue into a fever pitch before the performance had even begun!!

Nakamura: “Hello, everyone, nice to meet you! Hello, we are GARNET CROW! What incredible heat. This is our first experience performing live by the sea, so we are truly happy that the weather turned out so beautiful, and we have been looking forward to today. What do you think? How do you feel this heat?”
Okamoto: Too sunny (sweat).
Nakamura: (Laughs.) “It is such a happy stage that we can sing with the sea behind us. We would like to make wonderful summer memories with everyone, so thank you for being here today.”

They then performed the first song, “Over Drive.” With a tempo slightly more relaxed than the original, Okamoto’s nimble acoustic guitar carried Nakamura’s expansive voice, creating an exceptionally pleasant sound. Just as we were completely absorbed in the feeling of “GARNET by the sea is wonderful,” they announced that the second song would be a first performance of a new song scheduled for release on August 31!

Okamoto: “The new song ‘Misty Mystery’ is highly digital and danceable. Rather than the usual acoustic or analog feel, it has a very cool, metallic quality.”
Nakamura: “Today we will perform the new single live for the first time. We would like to present a special OTODAMA version. It has a vacation-like feel, suits a sunset, and is a little adult.”
Okamoto: “The original is strongly driven by digital programmed sounds, but since we are performing in this style today, it has an acoustic feel. So… you should not assume the product sounds like this (laughs).”

As laughter and loud applause rose through the venue, the OTODAMA version of “Misty Mystery” was performed. Just as Nakamura had described, its mature arrangement suited the end of summer and a sunset, with an understated melancholy. It allowed everyone to fully savor a different aspect of “the appeal of GARNET heard by the sea” from the earlier “Over Drive.”

The third song, chosen from the top-ranked songs in a survey conducted on the website before the concert, was “Love Lone Star.” Wrapped in the sea breeze and gazing at stars shining in the night sky, it was a song that let everyone cool down and take a comforting breath.

After that came an introduction to the T-shirts created to commemorate OTODAMA! Okamoto apparently designed the striped T-shirt he was wearing himself.

Okamoto: “I had wanted to make a striped T-shirt for a long time, but I never had the opportunity. Since this was a live show by the sea, I thought, ‘A marine-style stripe would be perfect!’ and made it. I imagined dots spilling downward from the shoulder, and the idea came to me that one of them could be an apple. The apple is an appliqué.”

As for the other design, worn by Nakamura:

Nakamura: “This is the sunset T-shirt that even AZUKI-san, who is staying home today, absolutely loves! But AZUKI-san misunderstood the sunset as ‘the Japanese flag,’ didn’t she? (laughs) I think it has a very cool and stylish design.”

Many fans had already bought T-shirts before the show and were wearing matching shirts with the members.
The fourth song was “Smiley Nation,” the single released in June.

Nakamura: “I wrote this song with the wish that we could become one through smiles. I hope everyone in this venue can smile, and I would like you to listen while feeling boundless hope and the strength to keep living.”

Responding to her feelings, the audience sang along loudly during the “Smiley Nation” section of the chorus. The song had not yet been performed in a large venue, but the enormous excitement made it impossible not to expect it to become a staple of their live shows in the future!?

And now, the final number of the day.

Nakamura: “Thank you very much for today, everyone. We have already reached the last song—it went by so quickly. It was a short time, but thank you very much for sharing such a wonderful time with us.”

They then performed “In a Corner of Eden Tonight.” Replacing their regretful feelings of “What, it is over already? Sing more!” with their singing voices, the audience joined in the chorus even louder than before. The excitement grew so intense that people playing in the sea outside turned around and peered into the venue, and GARNET CROW’s stage came to an end.

The image of GARNET CROW has been strongly associated with “transience, melancholy, and wistfulness,” and at the time of their debut, hardly any listener would have imagined “summer—sea—GARNET CROW.” But after building a 10-year career and expanding their musical range, GARNET CROW now entertains listeners with many different kinds of appeal. This was a comfortable stage that left us wanting to enjoy their music, with its different scents and textures in every season, in many more situations to come.
　　　　　　　　　　(TEXT BY KAREN HAYAMA)

【SET LIST】
01. Over Drive　02. Misty Mystery　03. Love Lone Star
04. Smiley Nation　05. In a Corner of Eden Tonight

●○◦ From music freak Es Vol.22

GARNET CROW

“Misty Mystery” Release Special Event
Sunday, September 4, 2011 @ Abeno Q’s Mall, Osaka

On Sunday, September 4, a release event for “Misty Mystery” was held at Abeno Q’s Mall in Osaka. During the mini-live, they performed five songs including “Misty Mystery,” “A Short Summer,” and “I can't take...”. Although the live show took place in the rain due to the typhoon, the many spectators who gathered were entertained by original arrangements unique to an acoustic live performance.

◆［GARNET CROW Special Countdown Live 2011-2012］to be held!! ◆
●Date & venue: Saturday, December 31, 2011, Dojima River Forum, Osaka (http://www.dojimariver.com)
●Doors / show: Doors 21:45 / Show 22:30 (these times may change)
●Ticket price: ￥8,000 (tax included / all standing, numbered admission; entry will be in number order)
　※Children under six cannot enter.
●Inquiries: Sound Creator (06-6357-4400)

■OFFICIAL WEBSITE■
http://garnetcrow.com/