GARNET CROW “livescope 2004” Live Report

live scope 2004 〜The Light That Is You〜

2004.2.13

at Shibuya Public Hall

More than a year has already passed since the memorable first live tour held in autumn 2002, “GARNET CROW LIVE TOUR 2002 〜first live scope〜.” GARNET CROW, who gave an impressive stage that remained in the hearts of many people, set out on the national tour “GARNET CROW live scope 2004 〜The Light That Is You〜” after entering 2004. music freak magazine reports on the scene at Shibuya Public Hall on February 13, the tour final. We hope to deliver the live sound world spun by GARNET CROW.

February 13. Perhaps because it was the day before Valentine’s Day, the whole city was wrapped in a festive atmosphere. On this day, the final performance of “GARNET CROW live scope 2004 〜The Light That Is You〜” was held at Shibuya Public Hall. After live shows in Osaka, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Aichi, the tour had reached its final. Before the show began, the venue was already packed with more than 2,000 audience members, all imagining what kind of live show it would become, and it was filled with anticipation for the performance about to begin. Looking at the stage, the first thing that jumped into view was a pair of large red, emblem-shaped cloth hangings on the left and right. A crow silhouette was printed in white at the center, matching the gothic white pillars that called a courtly palace to mind.

About five minutes after the scheduled start time, the lights went down. Amid cheers and applause that rose naturally, the members slowly entered the dim stage. The tour final opened with “Timeless sleep.” Rather than beginning by riding on sheer momentum, choosing a medium-slow number felt very much like GARNET CROW. Against blue lighting, the members played and sang with such force that it made the heart race, and from them came a crisp, positive tension and sense of resolve that quickly drew the audience in. Nakamura’s first words, “Good evening, everyone! We’re GARNET CROW!” brought a great cheer from the venue. After looking out over the whole hall, Nakamura powerfully sang “Nights When I Can’t Cry, Mornings When I Won’t Cry.” GARNET CROW is known for clothing based on black, and that did not change on this tour either; the contrast with the red cloths felt striking. After she said, “Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest today!” they performed “flying,” where the dramatic intro played by AZUKI and Nakamura’s voice breaking through in the chorus were both deeply pleasant. Nakamura, now holding a hand mic, gradually began to show a more relaxed expression. After “Endless Desire” made it clear that the live show was speeding up, they performed “Toward a Sunny Sea Without Water,” a song whose mysterious lyrics and melody are beautiful, and the stage switched to blue lights that perfectly matched its image and called the deep sea to mind. AZUKI seemed to be playing with real pleasure, and the technical touch of her keyboard left a strong impression.

A large monitor was set at the back of the stage, just as it had been on the previous tour. It showed the members’ expressions during the live show from various angles, making them easy to see even from the second-floor seats. For example, there were AZUKI’s fingertips while she played, Okamoto’s aggressive guitar solo, and Furui’s joyful expression. At times it also showed the audience as seen from the stage side, making it fun to share even the scenery the members themselves were seeing. During performances, the lyrics appeared on the monitor as well, which was pleasing because it allowed the audience to savor the depth of GARNET CROW’s lyrics, one of their great charms, together with the sound. During “The Light That Is You,” images of water bubbles swaying appeared on the monitor, and the calm intro began. Okamoto switched from electric guitar to acoustic guitar and spun out a gentle tone. Riding on that melody, Nakamura delivered a vocal that was warm yet had a firm core. The audience fixed an intense gaze on the members, and in the following song, “Waiting for Tomorrow with Today’s You,” they listened closely to Nakamura’s voice ringing out in the climactic section.

As mentioned briefly at the beginning, the stage for this tour was set with white pillars that suggested a courtly palace, and chandelier lighting hung overhead. The song that felt most perfectly matched to that stage atmosphere was “Marionette Fantasia.” When Nakamura’s lustrous voice pressed forward with delicacy, the venue rapidly became a fantastical world. As the air in the hall warmed, the support members who had been lifting the tour from behind were introduced over the intro of “The Momentary Us Racing Through Eternity,” whose organic sound felt fresh and clear. Since the lineup was almost the same as on the previous tour, their timing was perfectly in sync. Perhaps because it was the final performance, it was striking to see each of them wearing a satisfied expression. After this song, Nakamura continued by introducing the members of GARNET CROW. Furui waved with a smile in response to the audience’s cheers; Okamoto bowed his head with an embarrassed smile; and AZUKI, introduced by Nakamura with “Her smile always soothes me,” bowed with the same unchanging smile as ever. Being able to glimpse those small, natural expressions from the members is one of the pleasures of a live show.

When the live show reached its middle section, one of the highlights of this tour was performed: “Even If I Line Up More Than a Thousand Words...,” with Okamoto on solo vocal. Beside Okamoto, Nakamura held a red tambourine in one hand and sang chorus. I had felt the charm of his soft singing voice ever since hearing his solo work, but I had never imagined that his voice would blend this deeply into a GARNET CROW song and draw the listener so smoothly into the song’s world. It may also be because the protagonist of the lyrics is “I,” a man, but his honest voice, with no forced strength in it, let us feel a different appeal in the song while also reaffirming just how wonderful GARNET CROW’s music is.

To the audience still absorbed in Okamoto’s singing, Nakamura said, “This is the song I treasure most,” and then the band performed “After the Dream.” Distinguished by a beautiful melody that carries both sorrow and tenderness, the song became something extraordinary through Nakamura’s overwhelming vocal, sinking into the heart so deeply that it seemed to loosen the listener’s tears. What I felt many times that day was that Nakamura’s unique presence as a vocalist is not simply a matter of being “beautiful” or “skillful.” Various emotions hidden inside her, unseen from the cool expression and bearing she has while singing, are released through the songs, sometimes quietly and sometimes intensely. Through the performance, as if each note were being spun one by one, and through Nakamura’s voice filled with the composer’s feeling for the song, I felt as though I had witnessed the moment when the venue and the stage became one. The songs performed afterward, “Bury It Forever” and “I’ll Keep Running Until I Reach Your House,” were early works. Just as everyone had settled into a comfortable mood, the red cloths installed on the left and right at the rear of the stage dropped, and the lights came up all at once. From there came a run of forceful numbers: the full-band sound of “Summer Mirage,” “Mysterious Eyes,” and the latest single, “Our Own Future.” Naturally, the venue grew even more excited with the audience’s hand claps, and the sense of unity with the stage only increased. During the performance, Furui took the rhythm intensely with his whole body and sometimes called for hand claps from the audience; from his expression, it was clear that he was thoroughly enjoying this live show. The last song of the main set was “Spiral,” whose build toward the chorus feels exhilarating. Nakamura moved left and right from one end of the stage to the other, pointing the microphone toward the audience, and the hall responded with all it had. It was clear that the distance between stage and seats was shrinking even further.

In response to encore cheers that would not stop, the members appeared again. The members of GARNET CROW, except Nakamura, had changed into black T-shirts, while the support members appeared in blue and yellow T-shirts. The first song of the encore was a new song, “Blue After the Rain,” whose release had not even been decided yet. The keyword was truly “summer”! Its up-tempo sound was as refreshing as a blue sky, almost enough to make one forget that it was winter outside. For fans, it must have been an unexpectedly delightful song. After cooling the venue down slightly with the quietly moving “Holy ground,” Nakamura said, “This really is the last one!” The song that closed the encore was “The Rocket for Two.” In the chorus, the audience raised both hands high and rang out hand claps, and the lights shone over them as they enjoyed themselves fully to the very end. The members, too, wore truly clear, refreshed expressions that were just as impressive. Surely they were thinking back with deep feeling on the tour so far and savoring the sense of unity they had shared with each venue. Nakamura’s final words, “Thank you! It was fun!” seemed to show that this day’s live show, and the tour itself, had been fruitful. Even after the members left the stage, the applause did not stop, speaking to the scale of the emotion created by these four wonderful creators.

This live tour took place in only five locations nationwide, so there must have been many fans who wanted to see it but could not. Next time, I very much hope that more people will be able to experience GARNET CROW’s live music. And having experienced this tour, their activities from here on have become even more something to look forward to.