Tohoshinki gave a phenomenal performance during the first day at A-Nation.
August 1st of 2009, the heat was almost unbearable in Kumamoto, where the first date of the A-Nation event would take place. Tohoshinki/DBSK were highly anticipated by the crowds of waiting fans. The merchandise quickly disappeared from the stands, so that near show time it was almost impossible to get a fan, a towel or a CD. Moreover, it was easy to see that more than half of the population there had a product marked Tohoshinki. They are indeed the band of the year right now in Japan, even more do now with their tour, Tohoshinki 4th Live Tour 2009: The Secret Code that just ended with two unforgettable nights at the Tokyo Dome.
The past few months have been a busy and successful for the band. Their 27th Japanese single, Share The World/We Are!, has been out since April 22nd. The track Share The World is being used as the opening track for the famous anime One Piece. Their 28th single called, Stand By U, came out July 1rst and ranked second on the Oricon Chart right away.
Tohoshinki/DBSK have participated in the A-Nation event before, and if in the beginning they were considered as guests, now they're performing as major artists at the end of the show, after the famous Japanese singer Koda Kumi, and followed by well-known artists TRF and Ayumi Hamasaki. As soon as they arrived, all of Kumamoto stood up and warmly welcome the band. They started off right away with their 27th single: Share The World. The song was perfectly performed and a slight rock effect was added to it, making the song even more bouncy. U Know Yunho and Xiah Junsu offered the crowds a little dance demo, and the audience went wild, jumping up and down, enjoying that new version of the track, which was quickly followed by Purple Line.
That single, which gained success rapidly not only in Japan but also in Korea, was still fresh in peoples' minds and works magic every time. The intro started, and Micky Yoochun's voice kicked in perfectly. Though the heat was excruciating, the band gave a flawless performance as usual. They also added a nice freestyle in the voices, especially for Hero Jaejoong and Xiah Junsu. The rock effect seemed to be a major theme that night and Purple Line was perfectly done. After the fast paced songs, a slow number followed: Doushite kimi wo suki ni natte shimattan darou? Smooth and calm ballad, this song brought the audience closer, and everyone sang along in unison. The vocal leader Hero Jaejoong held the note breathtakingly during the last hooks. This track, originally created for a drama, seems to have imprinted its way inside peoples' minds, and even the youngest kids sang along next to their parents who were enjoying it equally.
The band finally exchanged a few words with the crowd before their last single Stand By U started. That performance was simply perfect. Their soft voices and the light rhytm were a heavenly match for the song melody, elevating the voices of Xiah Junsu and Hero Jaejoong. The song ended on a soft and melancholic note when, out of the blue, the stage was lit up. While Tohoshinki/DBSK moved all over, waving to the fans, U Know Yunho grabbed the mike, taking care of the overall atmosphere and saying: "Are you ready?! Put Your hands Up! More!" The intro of the track Sky began, slightly remixed and the rap, originally performed by U Know Yunho, was sung by all. As soon as the word "Sky" was pronounced, the stage lit up even more brightly, and the band started jumping all over the place, inviting the crowd to do the same. The audience was more than happy to do so, and everybody jumped, danced and waved their arms in the air. On stage, the feeling appeared to be mutual, as the performers offered smiles and funny dances, making the crowd cheer louder, showing off their fans matching the A-Nation colors. But the song stopped at the end of the hook... and then Somebody To Love kicked in! This track was their second Japanese single, out in July of 2005, and brought back a lot of memories. The mix of the two songs was perfect. Somebody To Love made the crowd go wild as well as the band on stage. Tohoshinki/DBSK performed it perfectly, providing us with beautiful high notes as well as low ones, cheering up the audience with calls of: "Everybody Jump!"
As soon as the song ended, it was followed by Summer Dream. The atmosphere was the same, but the stage effects were even more accentuated since it had become dark outside. The lights were flashing as the song continued, sung by the audience now. Right in the middle, the band suddenly started cheering: "Go Yunho! Go Yunho!" And the crowd was more than happy to be given a little demonstration of break dance by the leader. Summer Dream, which was on every Japanese channel, is still a hit, and the audience burst out laughing when Xiah Junsu did his little funny dance. He was improvising completely, mixing between Saturday Night fever hip moves and exaggerated girly expressions. Summer Dream was definitely their summer hit.
The next song was the last one and thus the most anticipated. Survivor started with Xiah Junsu's voice. If Tohoshinki/DBSK tried out new things during their older songs, here they returned to being professional. Everything was back in place: lyrics, dances, placements, nothing was left out, except at the end, when Hero Jaejoong brought the crowd with him while holding onto the high note a while longer. And when it finally ended, the audience exploded with approval. Everyone was disappointed to see them go, but seemingly hurried by the tight time frame, the band quickly waved goodbye and disappeared offstage.
As usual, their performances were flawless, and full of surprises, each of them more interesting than the other. One thing was clear: Tohoshinki/DBSK have totally bewitched the Japanese public, and are in it for the long term now.
Set List
01. Share The World
02. Purple Line
03. Doushite kimi wo suki ni natte shimattandarou?
04. Stand by U
05. Sky
06. Somebody To Love
07. Summer Dream
08. Survivor
