Continuation from my previous post. 3 days is much better than a 3 year posting-dry spell, eh? The road map? Finishing up my history with the GazettE and a brief (not really) overview of their performance at the Wiltern.
And so it begins...again:
Though I didn't make any posts in Entitatis for three years, I still
purchased music and took pictures. I always hoped that I would create
unboxing posts for all my purchases when I got the chance. I still have
the pictures on my camera! Hopefully I will get a chance to do that pretty soon in the near future.
Picture this scenario: I'm going through all the monotony of day-to-day life and then all of a sudden, I find out online that the GazettE are embarking on a world tour -- a world tour that was going to include a North American leg...with one of the shows taking place in Los Angeles!!!!! Yeah. Pretty big deal. I flipped my shit when I heard. Even now, I find I can't really wrap my head around it. A band who I have been following for more than a DECADE,
a band who has NEVER stepped foot to perform on the continent of North America, a band
who I have spent so much of my TIME on, finally were able to do a show
that I could feasibly attend!
Immediately, I started of thinking of friends who would be willing to go with me. Unfortunately, that list was pretty empty. Not too many of my friends really follow Jrock. The friend who introduced me to the band in 2005 was also my roommate for my last year of college, along with three other girls. We were all really close and got along great. However, ever since graduating, we fell out of touch and would only communicate with each other when it was someone's birthday. With regards to the friend who introduced me to the GazettE, I lost total contact. I would message her when it was her birthday or just to say hi and to hang out (we lived pretty close to each other), but she never returned any of my messages. :( Eventually, I stopped trying. One can only do so much, right? I'm still a little sad though. Anyway, I didn't ask her or tell her about it. I'm not sure she would have even gone, had I asked. She wasn't all that interested in Jrock anymore and had ventured to the world of Kpop back in college. The next day, my sister asked if I knew that the GazettE was performing a show in LA at the Wiltern. I said yes, I found out the day before when they announced it on their website. I asked her if she was interested in coming with me. She said hm, maybe and told me not to buy tickets just yet.
Some time had passed and about a week before the show, I asked her if she was still interested in going to the concert. She bought tickets for General Standing Admission on April 26th! Tickets weren't too bad. $50 for the actual ticket and $14 for the service fee at the Wiltern. The concert was a few days before my birthday and she told me the ticket was a birthday present when I tried to pay her back. Great timing GazettE. :)
Over the weekend, I un-shuffled my playlist and started playing their last four albums. I started looking up live reports to see if I could find out the type and cost of merchandise and to get a general idea of what the set list was going to be like. There wasn't too many detailed posts on merchandise, but the general consensus was that there wasn't too much that was being sold, aside from the two world tour shirts. The live reports were all amazing though and they really pumped me up for the concert. Unsurprisingly, it looked as if the set list was DOGMA-heavy. I was a little nervous though because at some venues, there were audience members that were doing some pretty serious moshing and shoving. Don't get me wrong, I get that it's a rock concert. There's going to be headbanging, people pushing up against each other, and everyone wearing everyone else's sweat. However, I firmly believe that there is a limit. Don't injure anyone and don't include anyone who doesn't want in on your dangerous behavior. Anywho.
Live Report - In Line
Come May 3rd, I got off of work early. I'm really lucky to have such a flexible schedule. Brought home some food for both my sister and I. I wolfed it down and got ready. My sister was on her way home from work and got home right when we wanted to leave for the concert -- thanks LA hell traffic. It took about 45 minutes to get to the Wiltern. My sister dropped me off across the street so I could snag a place in line while she looked for parking. I was walking across the street, hoping I was in the right line. I then took a look at all the people in line and immediately thought, yep, you're in the right place. A lot of people were dressed in platform shoes, black lace, dyed hair, and super thick eyeliner. I went casual and sported a white scoop neck t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Comfort > EVERYTHING. I was around the corner of the building, next to the parking lot. Not too bad for arriving at 6:15 PM. Right after I took my place in line, a tiny older lady lined up right behind me. I started to chat with her, asking how she got into the band. She said she was Japanese and it was through her daughter that she came to know the band. Her daughter was such a big fan that she would go to Japan to catch their shows. She was saying how she would be apart from her daughter from concerts because her daughter didn't want to hang out with mom. Her daughter actually joined us in line soon after. She had mistakenly lined up in the VIP section and had to make her way to where we were. They started speaking in Japanese and her mom pointed at me. She translated for me and said that her daughter and I got into the band at about the same time. The daughter apologized for her mom and I said, "Oh don't be! Your mom is adorable." She gave a sheepish smile and then they both started talking in Japanese with other people who had lined up behind them.
I played Marvel: Contest of Champions on my phone for a few minutes (awesome game - I'm an addict) and then somehow found myself starting a conversation with two girls in front of me. Oh that's right, I asked them to double check to see if I was in the right line. They both had GA tickets as well. They were super friendly and had been in line since 5:30 or so. One was a blonde, and the other a redhead. Both were Caucasian friends who had lived / worked in Japan. The Redhead taught English in Japan for a time and from what I gathered, her friend worked as an equestrian (awesome) and was super fluent in Japanese. The Redhead dragged her friend along to the concert. The Blonde has never experienced the band before today. My sister found me in line joined us during the conversation and said she was the drag-ee as well. We talked about a lot of different bands and other topics and how it was actually pretty nippy outside.
Live Report - Venue
Anywho, the doors were suppose to open at 7:00 PM. Assuming that the VIPs got to go in first, we didn't get in until about 7:30 or so. After quick bag checks by security, we walked in the building. Merchandise was to the left and in the middle of the lobby were boxes for each individual member and one box for the band in general if you had brought gifts for them. I took a quick glance at the merchandise available. The collection was a tad bit disappointing as it wasn't very extensive. I saw the two tour shirts, the hoodie, a calendar, and the UNDYING single, which I already have. If there was anything else, please let me know what I missed. I was hoping they were selling the bear key chain, but that was a bust. :| Anyway, I didn't buy anything and entered the venue with my sister and the two girls that were ahead of us in line. There was the pit area, closest to the stage, then a section for Heresy fan club members that was tapered a bit higher than the pit section, and then the start of the GA area. The venue itself is gorgeous. It was pretty big and expansive, with nice rustic walls. Behind us, there was a section that was a bit raised and had a railing. There was a second level, with seating available. I can totally picture a ballet hosted at the Wiltern. As far as I know, the concert didn't sell out. Redhead told me that they got bumped up to GA since they originally were behind the GA section. On stage, the instruments were, of course, already set up with the white the GazettE logo behind the instruments on a black backdrop. Whew, that is one hell of an awkward sentence. Hanging from the ceiling, at the front of center stage, was a projection screen showing upcoming shows and artists. I was standing a little off-center and a bit to the right. I am by no means short, but I wish I was taller because my view of the stage was blocked by lots of people the same height or taller. Should have known everyone and their mother would come in platform shoes! :/ My periphery vision was filled with people, so I only really could see the part of stage that was in my direct line of vision. Everyone was buzzing and chatting with their friends with rock music playing in the background. It was too loud to hear what exactly was playing. It wasn't until a little after 8:00 that the show started...
This live report is actual a lot longer than I planned for it to be. I think I'm going to have to take a break here folks and pick it up when it's not 2:00 AM in the morning. Coming up next, the concert review / recap! Fun fact: my playlist just landed on "DERANGEMENT"...
Monday, May 9, 2016
Thursday, May 5, 2016
the GazettE: Welcome to Los Angeles - Part 1
A lot of time has passed since I last posted. Life sort of got in the way and I let it get in the way for a long time.
What changed? Why post something now?
Well, it has a little bit to do with seeingtheGazettEplayinLAyesterday. Yeap. You read that correctly. For the first time since the inception of the band, they performed in North America! Anyone who has caught a glimpse of any of my posts knows that I like them. A lot. I will be breaking up my update post into two sections. This first post will dictate my discovery of the band and what I've been doing for the past three years since my last post. The second post will be a continued update, but hopefully more GazettE orientated (live report!!).
I have been following the band since 2005, with the release of "Cassis". That was my first real brush with Jrock. I've listened to a song or two from Gackt prior to my discovery of the GazettE (thanks sis), but it wasn't until I heard "Cassis" that I really ventured on my own and did more research into the genre. I actually still remember the moment when my friend showed me the music video on her Zune (yes, Zunes did exist at one point). We were in our local library, crouched down on the carpet near the Young Adult section, trying to keep quiet as she was pointing out the different members. Her favorite was Aoi; she really dug his lip piercings. I immediately fell in love with the song and when I got home, plugged in the keywords "the" and "GazettE" in Google to see what I could find.
What I discovered?
After listening to Cassis again on YouTube, (thank you YouTube creators) I discovered more of their songs by clicking on any video with their name in the title. Listening to their music led to watching snippets of tours uploaded by sneaky fans, which led to watching interviews, subtitled or not. I think it really says something when you not only want to listen to a band's music, but also want to find out more about the members of said band. I loved their music and I loved their personalities just as much.
What next?
It wasn't until I entered college that I started to buy their music. One, I had some money saved up from a part-time tutoring job. Two, I could get things shipped to my dorm instead of at home, where my purchases were sure to raise more than one eyebrow. I only wish that I started buying albums earlier. I missed out on the beautiful NIL Limited Edition album which still breaks my heart after all this time. Anyway, I collected the posters that came with the first press edition of the singles / albums I purchased. I finally had something to decorate my dorm room with for the next year. And decorate I did. My entire side of the wall was covered with posters and other knickknacks that I had collected and it wasn't solely Jrock related material.
I remember always being thirsty for news about the band, whether it was a new song they were releasing or a new tour they were announcing. My roommates and many other people who saw my room may not have been all that into Jrock / visual kei, but they were certainly impressed with my dedication and support for the band. My last year of college, I moved into an apartment with friends. Though I didn't have the option of poking holes into corked walls anymore, I still collected posters and decorated when and where I could. (namely my desk). I was always thrilled to learn I had a package waiting for me when I got back to my apartment and would begin taking pictures in preparation for my unboxing posts.
What happened after?
I moved back home after I graduated. Had a small job tutoring a girl in English from China for a month or two. Afterwards, to fill my time when I was not job hunting or reading trashy romance novels at ridiculous hours, I started doing more of these unboxing posts. I started them in college and really liked doing these kinds of posts. About 8 months after graduation, one of my high school friends asked if I was interested in applying for a position at the company she was working for. I said, "why the hell not", and applied. She had actually asked me once or twice before, but I was still in school at the time and the job was located pretty far from college. I got hired pretty quickly and started working! I was happy to have a job, but working got in the way of this blog. I took a lot of my work home and would work until 2 in the morning, only to wake up and start work all over again at 9:00 AM. This wasn't something that the company told me to do; it was purely of my own volition. You may be asking, why do that? Are you crazy? Part of the reason I brought work home was because I was the newest staff member. Another reason was because I knew I got the job due to my friend recommending me. I definitely felt pressure to justify the hire not only for myself, but also for her reputation. These two reasons compounded the feeling that I had to prove my worth to everyone and turned it into...something else. Believe me when I say I don't hate my job at all. I love the work environment and am actually very lucky to be working with the people that I am because we are like a family. We have each other's backs and are willing to help each other out. In less than a year, I worked my way up to a full-time position and everything was fine and dandy.
Little did I know, my piece of paradise became lost. One by one, some of my co-workers left. Some by choice, some...not. There was restructuring and new members were brought on. There was a period of rough transition, but we all figured it out once the dust settled. Mostly. Then there was another short period of calm that shifted into another storm. My friend, who had recommended me, was leaving the company and moving on to a new job and to further her education. I was offered her position and I took it with both hands since I was ready for something new, but wasn't yet ready to leave the workplace I had come to know and love. Currently, I've been in the new position for about a month. And what a month it has been. The new position offered a pay raise. Along with the pay raise came a lot more responsibility. I was glad to hear that all my co-workers had nothing but faith and belief that I would excel at the new position. Funnily enough, I had a moment of deja vu -- I felt like I had to do more to prove that I deserved the position and to really EARN my co-workers' trust. Kind of harkens back to when I first got hired.
I now have more eyes looking at my performance. With more time and experience, I'm sure I can do a competent job. I hope. I also realized that I have a CRAP-TON of work to do. I think there's at least 1.5 years worth of paperwork that was never taken care of. Of course audits are happening this year (lucky me), so I don't really have the option to tackle the PILE at my leisure. The PILE is not something that I can take home with me to do. I foresee sneaking in the office during the weekends to get caught up.
And then?
...And then I'll finally be breaking up this update post into 2 posts for sake of brevity. Who am I kidding. I wouldn't know brevity if it smacked me in the face, backwards and forwards. Anywho, the second post to come! And no, it's not going to take 3 years. It will have more of the current on-goings and what not. Hopefully maybe even a live report concert review.
I will say this though. Entitatis, you have been greatly missed. Welcome back.
What changed? Why post something now?
Well, it has a little bit to do with seeingtheGazettEplayinLAyesterday. Yeap. You read that correctly. For the first time since the inception of the band, they performed in North America! Anyone who has caught a glimpse of any of my posts knows that I like them. A lot. I will be breaking up my update post into two sections. This first post will dictate my discovery of the band and what I've been doing for the past three years since my last post. The second post will be a continued update, but hopefully more GazettE orientated (live report!!).
I have been following the band since 2005, with the release of "Cassis". That was my first real brush with Jrock. I've listened to a song or two from Gackt prior to my discovery of the GazettE (thanks sis), but it wasn't until I heard "Cassis" that I really ventured on my own and did more research into the genre. I actually still remember the moment when my friend showed me the music video on her Zune (yes, Zunes did exist at one point). We were in our local library, crouched down on the carpet near the Young Adult section, trying to keep quiet as she was pointing out the different members. Her favorite was Aoi; she really dug his lip piercings. I immediately fell in love with the song and when I got home, plugged in the keywords "the" and "GazettE" in Google to see what I could find.
What I discovered?
After listening to Cassis again on YouTube, (thank you YouTube creators) I discovered more of their songs by clicking on any video with their name in the title. Listening to their music led to watching snippets of tours uploaded by sneaky fans, which led to watching interviews, subtitled or not. I think it really says something when you not only want to listen to a band's music, but also want to find out more about the members of said band. I loved their music and I loved their personalities just as much.
What next?
It wasn't until I entered college that I started to buy their music. One, I had some money saved up from a part-time tutoring job. Two, I could get things shipped to my dorm instead of at home, where my purchases were sure to raise more than one eyebrow. I only wish that I started buying albums earlier. I missed out on the beautiful NIL Limited Edition album which still breaks my heart after all this time. Anyway, I collected the posters that came with the first press edition of the singles / albums I purchased. I finally had something to decorate my dorm room with for the next year. And decorate I did. My entire side of the wall was covered with posters and other knickknacks that I had collected and it wasn't solely Jrock related material.
I remember always being thirsty for news about the band, whether it was a new song they were releasing or a new tour they were announcing. My roommates and many other people who saw my room may not have been all that into Jrock / visual kei, but they were certainly impressed with my dedication and support for the band. My last year of college, I moved into an apartment with friends. Though I didn't have the option of poking holes into corked walls anymore, I still collected posters and decorated when and where I could. (namely my desk). I was always thrilled to learn I had a package waiting for me when I got back to my apartment and would begin taking pictures in preparation for my unboxing posts.
What happened after?
I moved back home after I graduated. Had a small job tutoring a girl in English from China for a month or two. Afterwards, to fill my time when I was not job hunting or reading trashy romance novels at ridiculous hours, I started doing more of these unboxing posts. I started them in college and really liked doing these kinds of posts. About 8 months after graduation, one of my high school friends asked if I was interested in applying for a position at the company she was working for. I said, "why the hell not", and applied. She had actually asked me once or twice before, but I was still in school at the time and the job was located pretty far from college. I got hired pretty quickly and started working! I was happy to have a job, but working got in the way of this blog. I took a lot of my work home and would work until 2 in the morning, only to wake up and start work all over again at 9:00 AM. This wasn't something that the company told me to do; it was purely of my own volition. You may be asking, why do that? Are you crazy? Part of the reason I brought work home was because I was the newest staff member. Another reason was because I knew I got the job due to my friend recommending me. I definitely felt pressure to justify the hire not only for myself, but also for her reputation. These two reasons compounded the feeling that I had to prove my worth to everyone and turned it into...something else. Believe me when I say I don't hate my job at all. I love the work environment and am actually very lucky to be working with the people that I am because we are like a family. We have each other's backs and are willing to help each other out. In less than a year, I worked my way up to a full-time position and everything was fine and dandy.
Little did I know, my piece of paradise became lost. One by one, some of my co-workers left. Some by choice, some...not. There was restructuring and new members were brought on. There was a period of rough transition, but we all figured it out once the dust settled. Mostly. Then there was another short period of calm that shifted into another storm. My friend, who had recommended me, was leaving the company and moving on to a new job and to further her education. I was offered her position and I took it with both hands since I was ready for something new, but wasn't yet ready to leave the workplace I had come to know and love. Currently, I've been in the new position for about a month. And what a month it has been. The new position offered a pay raise. Along with the pay raise came a lot more responsibility. I was glad to hear that all my co-workers had nothing but faith and belief that I would excel at the new position. Funnily enough, I had a moment of deja vu -- I felt like I had to do more to prove that I deserved the position and to really EARN my co-workers' trust. Kind of harkens back to when I first got hired.
I now have more eyes looking at my performance. With more time and experience, I'm sure I can do a competent job. I hope. I also realized that I have a CRAP-TON of work to do. I think there's at least 1.5 years worth of paperwork that was never taken care of. Of course audits are happening this year (lucky me), so I don't really have the option to tackle the PILE at my leisure. The PILE is not something that I can take home with me to do. I foresee sneaking in the office during the weekends to get caught up.
And then?
...And then I'll finally be breaking up this update post into 2 posts for sake of brevity. Who am I kidding. I wouldn't know brevity if it smacked me in the face, backwards and forwards. Anywho, the second post to come! And no, it's not going to take 3 years. It will have more of the current on-goings and what not. Hopefully maybe even a live report concert review.
I will say this though. Entitatis, you have been greatly missed. Welcome back.
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