LJ3

Title will be explained in a bit.

So yeah, was very fortunate enough to get a resale ticket for the Charlotte stop of Babymetal World Tour 2018. I figured this was a once in a lifetime experience and honestly had little idea what I was getting into. Here goes.

Club is the Filmore, part of the Music Factory night club area of Charlotte past Uptown. It's got a nice retro look and decor but that's not important. Made sure to get early before doors open at 7 but huge fucking line already. I didn't really pay attention to the sold out part after I got the ticket so this was a wake up call. Security was like I was at airport, which makes it weirder to me at hindsight.

I'm assuming $35 for band shirt is pretty normal? They only had those, hoodies, and Fox God dad hats (which I honestly should have gotten instead). It bears mentioning this was actually the first kind of show I've ever been to, sheltered child who's really only done school band concerts. Went alone, no other friends along, desperately hoping to appear nonchalant and not stare at anyone like deer in headlights. This might have been the point where one could get a drink but decided not to.

Which was probably for the best, seeing others spill their beer and how quickly the place was getting filled up. You really needed that extra hour before show time to just stand around and protect whatever ground you chose. Would have been nice to have others to converse with, seeing as you gotta just wait until opening act. Opener was a band called skyharbor, which was ok until we got to set change. I have no idea what's normal length in between sets but this was lasting around 40 min. They covered up the stage with a white curtain with a black sun on it, which we didn't quite get at first. People were using their cell phone lights to do kitsune puppet shows to pass the time.

Cue massive cheering when lights went out to start. And this is where the title of the blog comes in, because that curtain was actually a projection screen for their video intro. What followed was incredibly chuuni, cheesy, and still cool. Literally movie theater announcer in English narrating shit like how good and evil are two opposing sides, like canon and apocrypha, the dark side of Babymetal, and the Chosen Seven era, where seven gods of metal have now gathered to be revealed. Even said stuff, like perhaps these beings have come from another dimension. "No one knows who these seven are, where they came from, or when they will be revealed."

It was bombastic and then curtain drops, Babymetal has arrived! People are just going fucking nuts, but what's crazier is how they start the show. You have this ominous backing track with band accompaniment, and four masked figures with staffs, slowing pounding in time as it gets progressively more frenzied. I swear to god it was like some Illuminati secret society shit, they had these black and gold occult pseudo Egyptian looking costumes that looked so rad with black twin peaked hats to look like fox ears. Abrupt stop, lights off. Then Distortion starts.

You had Su and Moametal with two back up I'm assuming dude dancers and they are killing it, everything is in sync and how can people dance like this. This is when I curse my genetic inferiority and wish I was a giant like Spinach so I could reliably see the band. You always had people throwing up their phones to record and take pictures, and funnily enough, sometimes the best view was through watching was on the phone screen. You really had to jockey around to maintain glimpses of the stage.

Setlist was gonna contain hits like Gimme Chocolate!!, Megitsune, Road of Resistance, and Karate, and people would cheer every damn song and I mean that with no disrespect. So much liberal use of mikon hand gestures, head banging, and people singing along to the more well known songs. Some highlights:

Sumetal speaking flawless English "Hellloo Charlotte! Are you having fun!" and then coordinating the entire club to jump up and down

Audience failing to sing the right notes and in tune to Road of Resistance when cued lol

A lot of solo Sumetal performing during songs like No Rain, No Rainbow. Like damn, they're not even trying to hide who is the star.

But I forget the song where this happened, but Moametal is in the front doing the choreography and she's got the biggest smile on her face that feels genuine and aaaaaaah my heart.

And have I mentioned how outstanding their lights were with the music? Compared to opening act, it was like heaven and earth, maybe I should have taken a shitty video.

I think the best musical moment out of everything that was top notch was when they performed THE ONE. Blue lights, quiet piano intro instead of full power ballad entrance and Sumetal singing, building up to it. Like holy shit, her voice was so clear, lighters and phones are out, it's like something out of a movie.

I'm so used to formal programs that without them I can't remember the order of songs. It was like every time they finish a song like Road to Resistance or Megitsune, you think it's over; but SURPRISE! We're still going! No pauses, seamless segues, final destination. God I wish I knew what the song they ended with but like I said, every song, people are just bonkers, so hyped. Last note ends with black sun curtain crashing down, and everyone is just so amped, and then final video presentation. World Tour info and movie narrator waxing about a new era and people going along with it, cheering, then BAM! Babymetal logo. Crowd goes wild. Now get the fuck out.

Yeah, I'm no good reviewer. But this was absolutely worth it. I have mad respect for these people as performers because wow, seeing professionals at work is just awe inspiring. I could not find anything wrong musically and stage wise so shit, if over 40 minutes of set up is needed, fucking do it. The only mistakes were dance ones, one where Moametal was off once with Sumetal, and when one back up dancer slipped while doing a mock fight with the other during Karate.

I really did underestimate how popular Babymetal is, from causal mentions from co workers to how varied the crowd was. Lots of nerds, weaboos, and metalheads, and people who looked like you didn't think would go to an idol show. If anything, this makes me realize how powerful live performances are.

So uh, yeah, it was dope.

P.S.

Shitposting time:

I should really prepare next time for a show like this because jesus christ, you will get nasty. I felt like I was underwater, super gross but thank god, everyone else was and into the music.

Holy hell, was it packed, cliche sardines in can, you couldn't turn without smacking someone's ass and elbowing a dude in the face. Why did you make me so smol god

When THE ONE was starting: "This is like some Final Fantasy shit right here" says a dude next to me

End of show trying to get out of club: "Wooooooohh, throw up your kitsunes! I'm old enough to be your dad" brays an elderly, clearly inebriated gentlemen.

Trying to drive out of parking garage immediately was a mistake. Not helping was staring gobsmacked at a passing guy with a shirt that was a fucking collage of aheago faces from hentai. So that's a thing.