Sixth Day – 11.09
cali≠gari @ Shinjuku Loft
Woke up craving “cultural enrichment,” so I went for a sushi-making class in the morning. Two hours later, I confirmed once again an important thing: I hate cooking. Didn’t enjoy making sushi or rolls at all — but hey, still an interesting experience.
Ran a few errands after that, which almost made me late for the show.
The concert: setlist was known in advance — 20 songs, I like maybe 2-3 of them. https://forum.jrockone.com/t/cali%E2%89%A0gari/464/165. The rest are just okay to me. But it’s cali≠gari, so skipping was never an option.
Shinjuku Loft’s capacity is around 500, and it was absolutely packed. At first, I couldn’t see the stage at all thanks to a giant column blocking my view. So I had a choice: stay where I was or be “that guy” and move closer. Decided that since Japanese fans can see them whenever they want, and I don’t know if I ever will again, I dove into the crowd. Thirty seconds of non-stop “gomennasai” later, I found the perfect spot: back of the room, on a step, dead center. Totally worth it.
Observations:
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Average age of the crowd: 30+. Lots of married couples in their 40s.
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At least 25% men.
The performance: cali≠gari was flawless. Musically tight, vocally perfect, the audience sang along to everything. Even if I only liked 2 of the 20 songs, just being there and experiencing it live was worth it.
After the show: umeshu + izakaya. Then I suddenly decided the night needed a sequel, so I hunted down a bar near my hotel that serves cocktails with matcha, umeshu, and tea liqueur. Absolute heaven. Two cocktails later, blissed out and ready for bed.