Quiet enthusiasm – concert of Shugo Tokumaru

7 July 2014

Sold out. To my regret, I missed to get a ticket of a special concert of Shugo Tokumaru, a Japanese pop musician, in commemoration of his 10^th anniversary. However, just one week before the concert, I was so fortunate that I found a ticket selling at a ticket-trading web site. At last, I come to the show! It is a second time for me to see his performance. Five years ago when I firstly saw his performance, his excellent guitar impressed me. Not only the guitar. He played various instruments such as ukulele, xylophone and percussion. That is not all. He played non-instruments – toys!

The concert hall is not very big. My seat is in the back row on the second floor, but it has a good view of the stage. Woody objects, hanging down from the ceiling, make the stage stand still. The audience is waiting for the show, reading a free booklet provided. Most of spectators, 80 % or more, are young females who are of the same generation as the artist. Nobody talks nor smiles. Young girls are eager to read the booklet quietly. I, a middle-aged man, am not quite comfortable with that.

Once the show starts, I am drawn to his music. He is singing and playing a guitar with an excellent technique. To my surprise, he is shoeless. He gives a quick bow after each song without saying anything. Only once, he said between songs, “ I am not good at talking. You see a booklet at your seat. Everything I want to say is inside. Read it after the concert, please.” Contrary to his shy attitude, he says at the last part of the show, “I am so excited that I want to cry out.” But he looks calm and plays a guitar quietly.

The audience is as similar as the performer. I am surprised that no one stands up throughout the show even at the encore performance. This concert is quieter than a classic concert. Nevertheless, I feel that the spectators are surly impressed his sound and performance and their minds are glowing. I also leave the hall with mental fulfillment.

Shugo Tokumaru official website
http://www.shugotokumaru.com/index_eng.html (English)
http://www.shugotokumaru.com/index2.html (Japanese)

Katachi

https://youtu.be/RpLBR38kVvY

Live on KEXP
https://youtu.be/BSpJRiV3CGw