The train to Shibuya was so packed I spent the last half crushed against the driver's window, with my sunglasses and expensive camera between me and it. After getting off, Haruka and I walked through Temple Tokyo's campus to SMOKER, the 'infamous' hair stylists of DA Family.. their people having handled (and continue to handle) the hair of the members Iceman, Kotani Kinya, T.M.Revolution, and more. Inside was a collection of CD Singles and albums from all the artists, many photos of the artists getting their hair done and posing with kitty ears, and tons of autographed memorabilia. In the tiny bathroom, the same group of people doodled drawings and signatures all over the walls. Another girl was getting her hair done as Kenichi at the time. I sat down, my SMOKERs were told "Ito-san", and away we went. I learned the ultimate secret of how Kenichi's hair is done from the people who've styled his hair themselves.

We ate lunch at Freshness Burger, I got the teriyaki chicken burger which was all right, but expensive for something that left me unsatisfied. Haruka patched up her makeup. She was wearing a sexy new outfit from Black Peace Now and sported a brand new SMOKER dye job and haircut also. My hair was up all crazy Ito-san style. We bought me new sunglasses - the others had gotten crushed on the train - going to various lengths in department stores, finally landing on a pair in a cheap shop. Then we took my first purikura (picture sticker) in Japan!! Walking to Shibuya O-East we met various different friends of Haruka, who were older, younger, and obsessed to hell and back. One was squealing at photos she'd taken with MADS in MADS In Paris. How envious am I!

People milled all around Shibuya O-East which looking at made my heart flutter. There were three Kenichi cosplayers... the girl with brownish hair and suit from SMOKER, another girl who was almost as tall as me in heels I don't know how she walked on, and me, the foreigner. I later heard from a Japanese girl who found k-ito.net and was too shy to approach me that everyone was talking about me the foreigner, and she says I was the best Kenichi cosplayer she's ever seen. I feel special, but I think you need to be Japanese to look like Ken myself.

We got in, lined up, and marched up two of three sets of stairs, where we milled around and bought goods. I picked up three phone straps, a MADs pick set, otanoshimi bukuro 3, the second solo live postcard set, and three ~I~ Novel: KHAOS ON THE BEACH albums. We packed all our purchases up, and stuffed my camera and shoulder bag into a coin locker with them.

Another hour and we were being let in to the concert. Haruka did some ticket bartering and got me a lower number. Yay! We ran up the stairs according to our hundred number block (Each ticket had a number. We made the first separation by being called up as 100's, 200's, 300's. I estimate there were people into the 500-600's.). After we ran up to the goods area again, we crushed together and slowly walked up the final flight. Waiting there in that mob of Kenichi fans, we played with plushies, giggled a lot and said "doki doki doki" over and over again. A few times I heard strains of guitar over my head that made my heart pound. I knew Kenichi was walking around over my head that moment, fiddling with his whammy stick, and it was simply exciting. I was in the same building as a man who'd been nothing but an idea to me for years.

We were let through the doors to the concert hall by blocks of 10. We paid for our drinks (mandatory 500 yen charge), got a book with a picture list of people playing in Shibuya O-East that month and a paper trying to get you to buy Glimmer Monkey, and walked into the room. There was a stage covered curtain, some bars to lean on further back, and a crowd of short Japanese girls milling around the front of the stage. Haruka and I dropped our stuff in the back with her friends, and I said I was going up front after taking off my heavy coat. We found some squealing MADS cosplayers and etc. who were very glad to meet me. The one girl asked me, "Me touching your hair?" and she petted my hair. How adorable!! We milled around having broken English and Japanese conversations, the girls being so cute that the time flew.

Suddenly the lights dimmed and a red spotlight began quickly moving all over the crowd and stage as a song we'd never heard before began playing.

KHAOS ON THE BEACH: It sounds like something that would play as you battled the final boss in a difficult video game. It's creepy, mysterious, has lots of 'keyboard vocals', and when you just want it to end because you know Ken's five feet from your face, it's heart pounding as hell. I wiggled around excitedly and felt my stomach turn because the song (just a backtrack) has some guitar strains a few times and I kept thinking Kenichi would come out. The song ended dramatically and the curtain yanked away.

SEASON: It was probably the happiest couple seconds in my life when we all began screaming and I saw Kenichi standing right in front of my face. It was dark and he was really, really huge. The lights flared and he looked up with a big grin and started jamming to the opening guitar in SEASON, bouncing up and down and kicking his leg up a few times, perfectly in character and how I wanted it. He was wearing a black suit, black pants, leopard print tie (my Snake!), and his hair was brown and spiked, very long in the back. My first impression was: he looks gigantic. Then, he looks his age. But mostly: oh my god, I'm such a fan girl and he's like so cute and I could jump up and grab him while he sings SEASON!

MA KA FU SHI GI: He stood for the opening bits, then began parading around to the second beat, and giving us odd looks. As he paraded, he grabbed his imaginary boobs, bouncing 'them' up and down and squeezing 'them' while looking like he was gonna burst out laughing. He sometimes paused and lifted his suit to show his crotch, giving us a surprised look. As he sang he imitated every english word...for example, clawing his hands for "beast". He told us, "You say!" (in English) and we the audience sang the "Over the rainbow" lyric. Well, I sang over the rainbow. They sang obaa zaa lainbow. Tee! He stopped and talked to us after he was done. His first word was, "Herro!" Then he introduced himself, we were happy, and he asked us to have fun. No problem Ken-chan!

SHELTER: He turned away as this began, took off his guitar, letting the remixed voices do their thing, then turned as the music began, a lit cigarette in his fingers. Everybody SCREAMED bloody happy murder. He crouched over, puffing smoke in odd patterns and blowing it towards us. When he sang, he held it between his middle and index fingers, puffing between lines. Halfway through the song he had to put it out, so he just stalked around creepily as he continued performing. He had us sing "SHELTAAAAA!".

Baby Stardust a Tail: He went acoustic for this one, his keyboardist and bassist singing the little chorus. It's a slower song he couldn't jam to as well, but he sang it perfectly.... but for the final (difficult) acoustic guitar strains, he screwed up, taking about 5 seconds to recover. He looked a little unhappy with himself as he ended, and we loved him just the same. This girl next to me GASPED really loud and scandalously when he screwed up though...seeing as how we were a few feet from him and it was very audible, he must have heard it. Poor guy. Stupid bitch woman!

Believe me Heart to Heart; Don't Stop The Radio: He lost the guitar entirely and just sang the next two slow songs, as he needed to focus entirely on mangling English. It was watching him sing these that I saw his tongue roll on the roof of his mouth to say "LADIO"... definitely Japanese! I also never knew what that phrase was in the middle and end. My first thought when I bought the single months earlier was "Blind blind the radio". But then I knew it couldn't be. Now, I saw his lips saying "Big dream zaa ladio". It's big dream! Kenichi is my big dream. <3

The band members did a number as Kenichi randomly got up and walked off. Hey, whatever man! The two guitarists sang an English song together - very well. They might even have more professional singing voices than Kenichi.... what a scandal! Their song was short and Kenichi returned from a trip to the disco era... he was now wearing a black tie, white suit, and white pants. They were bellbottomy... Ken, this is the new millennium. But it was too sexy!

Happy: Time to mangle more English! Kenichi sang this American song entirely in English, most of the lyrics being "Baby make me happy!". After he finished, he told more jokes that missing my landing pad, and then said he would perform for us a new song from his new album, called SHOOT! YOU! DOWN!

SHOOT! YOU! DOWN!: It's fun and happy and kind of has an American beach-boy's guitar style in it. He taught us a little cheer to do, thrusting his fist in the air for each word of the title when he sang it, and having us repeat. In the song he goes "wah-oh!" after some lines. Performing it he just turned his head to the side and bugged his eyes out, letting the backtrack sing "wha-oh!". It was cute and he pooched his lips out.

YOU: Kenichi wins the award for abusing and overusing the word YOU in this song. If it doesn't end in YOU, its a word that rhymes, and it was cute watching him sing it. He was playing guitar again, still, as also for SHOOT!.

Introduction of REMROM; REM ROM CHILD: I was so happy when this song began I almost spazmed and I think after the whole REM ROM deal I screamed "I LOVE YOU!!!" making my Japanesey people giggle and go "Yea GIN!". I love the REM ROM deal. Anyway, his guitarist played the opening guitar strain, and Kenichi played the main one, standing there tall and big and foreboding as the creepy song fed into REM ROM CHILD. Which was, of course, amazing, as it's one of my favorite songs of all time.

CAMERA! CAMERA!: I admit I had NO idea what he was doing when this song started. He had US sing the "Camera camera camera camera camera!" parts that open the song, and as he was just standing and grinning at us and holding his hands to his ears like we weren't loud enough, I just sat there. It's hard to hear what people are singing around you! I got it and joined in almost too late. He started singing the song, walking to each end of the stage and taking our photos with an imaginary camera, and adjusting the lens of one also. My little dork!

MASQUE-RADE; umareta ano bashou e -TRIAL PRODUCTION-: Amazing songs he again had us sing the English too. I think he's scared of singing English live! So, my back killing me from a week of walking, and my throat hurting from yelling so much, I sang along, chanting "MASSS KAAAA RADE" and "STAAAYY WIIITHHH MEEEE" (the rest: "STAY WIZZ MEE!"). He told us some more jokes, talked for a LONG time, made fun of his band members, and picked up his guitar again. I was waiting for my favorite song, because I knew he'd do it.

IROAI: Then he played it and I felt dizzy from happiness. Haruka looked at me expectantly, knowing how much I love this damned song. I bounced despite the back pain and nearly cried at the final, pretty guitar strains that he played as he strolled along the stage, grinning at us. Happiness was I. He kicked, danced, and then he was suddenly waving and gone. Well, I wasn't upset. I knew how this sort of thing worked.

Encore- TONIGHT; JAMMING: He re-emerged by himself, and spoke to us again, making us all laugh. He was quite charismatic. He called out his members one by one, starting with his drummer, and drilling her with questions. He asked us old we thought she was - someone screamed 21 - and he gasped, saying she was 26. He then got down on one knee and asked her what she felt for him. She said "Men are stupid!" and walked to her drums while he looked scandalized and gaped. His other members came out, they all mocked each other, and his poor keyboardist tripped and Kenichi made fun of him. They all accused each other of being perverts. Kaori looked unamused. Finally they went in and did Tonight and Jamming. Tonight really moved me... because it's a good song, or because I figured Kenichi would leave soon? Or maybe because the concert was named for it... who knows. Jamming cheered me up.

Second Encore- THE LAST NIGHT: He left and emerged again, to my delight, to announce his special news... he would be starting new band activity. Hurray! Haruka tried to explain it to me but I was too weary and drunken on life to get it that moment. So I didn't know until that night. To my delight for Haruka, he then did her favorite song, THE LAST NIGHT, again we sang his English for him - "Do you remember the last night, the last night with you?". I drank every bit of it. That was it. He finished, and waved to us, and was gone. I figured it would be the last time I'd see him for a long time. Truth...?

I walked out in a happy daze, got my drink of fruity stuff, and sat around by the goods admiring the Kenichi model guitars on display. I was in PAIN. I explained in baby Japanese that my back was ITAI ITAI ITAI (ow ow ow!). I got sympathy petted. We watched people buy CDs for a while before going outside. I felt happy, spinning around in the night air and filling out his comment form in big, simple English. I filmed a bunch of things, including the concert building itself, and some of Shibuya. Back at the AM-PM across from O-East and in front of O-West, we took many photos and went through illust and magazine collections of the fans. I held an interview with the local Iggy plushie, which was deemed "Oh - kawaii!".

Then I was pulled to a small group of fans on the sidewalk. They pointed at some vans and stuff, and I was told "Ito-san.... there." I realized the band had to LEAVE and go home at some point, so we were waiting for Kenichi to emerge. How stalky. I saw his brass players walking down the street and waved at them, but they didn't see me. After half an hour of waiting and being pushed around by officials, his band members started to come out. The Fernandes van left, then his guitarists and keyboardist. We waved and said "otsukaresama (good job)!". They are sweet, talented men. I watched more people coming out. It was dark, but one silhouette was a head above the others, and when turned, I saw a beak of a nose. I pointed him out to the others who all said Oh, Ito-san!!! He milled around a bit, then got into his little tiny blue van and drove past slowly (just a foot from us, we could have jumped into his car... Japan is crowdedly small), waving and smiling at us as we giggled. He looked pretty tired, with his hair combed down in a cute way. But he smiled. I could see the thoughts in his head: "Sigh....fangirls." He drove off into the traffic all alone. My animal instinct wanted to chase him as he stopped at the light and eat him.We had fangirly fun for a while, but then it was time to walk to the station. On the way we spotted a ginormous billboard for T.M.R.'s new album, Seventh Heaven. It had just been released. The Snake with me told me smartly, "In Shibuya big Takanori." I agreed.

It was time for good byes. My new friends told me to never forget this night, and I assured them I would not. I felt like crying, yet I had a feeling then that I'd see them again soon. Haruka and I trudged alone to the train station, climbed onto the train, rushed for a seat, and plopped down with a happy, pleasured sigh. I was glad to be sitting down and happy to be alive. I'd finally seen Kenichi, I would never forget him, I knew Tonight wouldn't be The Last Night and felt good (that's me being awesome).

As we rode home I unhooked the Iggy charm on Ken's phone strap, and struggled to get it into my earring. I did, and it's been there ever since. I don't really plan on ever taking it out. Not anytime soon, anyway. It dangles there and anytime I feel it I remember.

What a happy story. <3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Set List:
OP. KHAOS ON THE BEACH
01. SEASON
02. ma ka fu shi gi!!
03. SHELTER
04. Baby stardust a tail
05. Believe me Heart to Heart
06. Don't Stop The Radio
07. BAND
08. Happy
09. SHOOT! YOU! DOWN!
10. YOU
11. Introduction of REMROM
12. REMROM CHILD
13. CAMERA! CAMERA!!
14. MASQUE-RADE
15. umareta ano basho e -TRIAL PRODUCTION-
16. iroai ~ IROAI~
EN1. Tonight
EN2. Jamming
EN3. THE LAST NIGHT

Players:
Kenichi Ito (vocals, lead guitar)
Shinichiroh Mizue (bass guitar)
Kaori Kobayashi (drums)
Tohru Takahashi (guitar)
Hiroaki Kagoshima (keyboards, and sometimes guitar)