[Event] Miyavi ushers in the restart of concert season with Imaginary Tour

Yaaaaaas 11/05/2021 Asian Junkie, Exclusives, J-Entertainment, Multimedia Leave A Comment

*Ahem*

Dearest Asian Junkie readers,

I am back. That’s right, you’re not trippin’ balls … I AM BACK, BABY!!!

And thus, so is concert season. Feels good, right?

Shall we begin again?

Miyavi is the type of artist that feels too good to be true. He’s insanely talented, not only with his guitar god status but with writing and singing songs, and he collaborates with some of the top artists out there today. He’s genuinely kind, which is highlighted through his amazing work with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and that can be backed up by anyone who’s experienced his presence. So, of course the moment Asian Junkie received the invite to cover the tour, I jumped at the chance.

Miyavi performed at a solid 19 stops during this tour! He did this the good ole fashioned way with a tour bus full of his bandmates, determined to hit as many cities as possible and meet as many fans as he could. VIP meet and greet tickets sold out across the board, and even though it was a meet and greet, safety protocols were followed and everyone was safe. Still, that moment, that experience, that feeling you get of being near him, it fills you full of joy.

The El Rey Theatre is a stunning old timey theater on the west side in Los Angeles. It’s a medium-sized venue with red velvet walls and massive chandeliers. It feels like a ballroom. Which is kind of hilarious considering the massive heavy hitters in music who’ve played there. No waltzes were performed tonight! On this night, we rocked hard!

Miyavi stepped out on stage and that good ole adrenaline rush smacked me across the face. It was a long time coming! He started with “Need For Speed” and it was the perfect entrance to an absolute rollercoaster of fantastic music. A few examples of the fire this man lit on stage: “TOKIO“, “Bumps In The Night“, and “Perfect Storm“. You know good and well that I screamed every lyric of “Tears Of Fire” back at the man while surrounded by a large crowd doing the exact same thing.

Of course there was “Imaginary” live, which was absolutely beautiful, and we did more therapeutic group screaming with “Fire Bird“. He packed the set list and only broke it up with brief moments of speaking to the audience in his signature Miyavi way, joking, laughing, and inspiring before going right back to the flames. He closed the show with “Bang” and then “Day 1“.

But we all know how it goes.

As the fans screamed and cheered, Miyavi stepped back on stage with a solid encore! Can I just tell you, no one has ever played “Over the Rainbow” as beautifully as he does. My god. It started very national anthem-ish, then it transitioned into this stunning rendition, and we all stood there in shock. It’s not his first time performing this, but I swear it’s mind-blowing every time.