'Spring Is in the Air' at Marquee!

The live house Marquee. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

 

On Saturday, April 1, I attended a live performance by singer-musician Masamitsu Tayama at Marquee, a live house near Ekoda Station. I've recently only been able to attend one performance by Tayama-san per year, so this April show (before his regular one in September) was a rare opportunity for me, and I had to take it. 

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

At first, I thought this was my first time at the venue, but it slowly came back to me that I attended Tayama-san's performance here around the same time back in 2014 for the first time. I didn't remember the venue or the area at all in the beginning, but it slowly dawned on me that it was the case. I was quite surprised!

Yoko and Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Due to my work schedule, I missed most of the show but was able to catch around the last 30 or so minutes. At the end, he played his biggest hit, "Spring Is in the Air" -- a perfect song for this time of year -- as well as some songs I wasn't as familiar with, including one called "Penguins." He even made an "April Fools'" joke from the stage, which ought to shock certain self-professed Japan experts on social media who've argued until they were blue in the face that April Fools' doesn't exist in Japan.

After the performance, Tayama-san greeted his audience personally and thanked each person for coming. Several group photos were taken with Tayama-san and his usual group of supporters and fans who come out to his shows. But I guess we were taking too long, as the Marquee staff gave us the brush, stating that the next performer needed time to set up. So we changed locations and ended up at a nearby Chinese restaurant.

It's rather interesting to note that we also went to a restaurant after the first time I met Tayama-san at Marquee. So I guess things have come full circle. I sat across from Tayama-san and his wife Yoko, who's always there to support him. I've always gotten a slight enka vibe from Tayama-san's songs, so I asked him if that's his genre. But he said it wasn't and suggested they were Japanese songs. Apparently, the style is more similar to chanson. Either way, Tayama-san certainly brings a lot of power to his performances.

After signing a couple of items I brought with me (a mini poster and a reprint of a Toho pamphlet that came with a DVD), we posed for some obligatory photos, which of course you can see above. Our group rode back to Ikebukuro Station together, after which we parted to go our separate ways.

I certainly wasn't expecting to have dinner with Tayama-san, but I'm very glad I could. It made the experience that much more special and memorable. Hope we can do it again soon!