Wonder-san

So last night, it happened. I attended my first Stevie Wonder concert and I can pretty much safely say Japan didn't know what they had coming. He pretty much aurally destroyed everyone. He played every good he's ever written and avoided most of his "questionable" material. Also, I was worried that his voice would be all "old" kind of like Paul McCartney's is. Not that McCartney can't rock any place, but in comparison to his younger years, he's lost a little bit. Stevie, my friend, is in his 60s and sings like he's 20. His band had live horns, live percussion, a drummer, a guitarist (who suuuuucked), a bassist, and 4 back up singers who were nuuuuuts. Stevie even used a REAL bright blue grand piano when necessary which was great. He avoided cheesy synth sounds at all cost, except for songs that originally included the cheesy synth sounds.

The place was pretty small, about the size of a largish-high school basketball arena. I had goooood seats. The concerts in Japan seem to be pretty different though. People don't really "let loose" here. So when they hear this funky soulful music their bodies are like "I feel something, I'm not sure what, but I feel something...I need to move. I NEED to. But how?" and the result is this kind of awkward jerky thrusty thing. Ya know when the muppets would dance on Sesame Street and they would just kind of flail around? It was similar to that, maybe mixed with a baby hopping around to music. I'm not saying ALL Japanese people aren't good dancers, but it's just a lot less part of their culture than ours is all I am saying. I am sure if my friends from Senegal came to America and saw how I dance they'd think exactly the same thing. Probably even worse. I only saw 4 other forgieners at the concert too which was weird.

My favorite moment of the night was when it was dead silent, before the show started someone yelled "Stee-bee Wan-Dah SAN!" (Stevie Wonder San!).

Japanese security is pretty nuts. These guys are in really nice suits and have a little arm band thing on, their hair is neatly combed. The rule was, no photos, and don't use your cellphone. If they saw someone as much as holding a cellphone, it was immediately confiscated (I'm pretty sure you can get it back at the end though). During the concert if they saw the glow of a cellphone out, they'd take that too. They don't want pictures taken and they are super stealth security guards. This woman near us took out her camera and within seconds on guard was at her side politely taking her camera and 4 other guards were waiting at the top of the section in case things got too rough.

Stevie came out and launched into song after song. My intial reaction was this: I stood up, clasped my hands together, kind of hunched over smiling and screamed "I KNOW THIS SONG!! I KNOW IT!" to Matt. His response was "I KNOW! BECAUSE YOU LIKE STEVIE WONDER!!!!" Here is the setlist with a few missing...

Too High
Innervisions
Livin' For the City
You Are the Sunshine of My Life
Higher Ground
Superstition
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
If You Really Love Me
Shelter in the Rain
(a ballad where two Japanese ballet dancers came out and danced)
Master Blaster
Improvised Doo-Wop Song
I Just Called To Say I Love You
My Cherie Amour
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Sir Duke
I Wish
Ribbon In The Sky
Giant Steps (That's right, the Coltrane song)
Part Time Lover
What The Fuss
As
Another Star