I take a step back and reflect on what a unique opportunity this tour is. We're able to, for about thirty bucks, get a REALLY up close and personal concert from a bona fide megastar. Aside from some one-off shows or TV appearances, let's face it, someone as huge as Hikki is mostly going to be playing large venues for top dollar prices. Can you imagine how many of her Japanese fans would KILL to attend shows like these?

Some other random thoughts on the concert:

Man, music stars sure do like to milk the suspense, don't they? The bandmembers were onstage, the "Crossover" intro was starting to fade, and at the Very. Last. Second Utada finally enters. There was an audible collective gasp from the crowd when her silhouette figure walked up to the mic in the darkened stage, a kind of "It's HER" reaction that was PALPABLE. The opening percussion of "On & On" started, the lights came on, and the audience SCREAMED!

I was pleased at her wardrobe, the black dress with the straps/ faux-tears with pink underneath was the right combination of classy and edgy. I was a little worried we might get her in some over-sized T-shirt like in Hawaii-- I don't mind casual, but it'd be weird if I was dressed nicer than the performer onstage. Oh, Utada is MUCH prettier in person than in pictures; great legs, too! She definitely looked like a star.

When she was having trouble with her water bottle, her little off-hand "what the hell" was hilarious, and her "someone's getting fired" remark had everyone in stitches.

I had wondered how the "rock" segment would sound integrated to the rest of the show, but really, pretty much all the songs get a little bit of rock-edge automatically simply by virtue of being played by a live band. The "let's heat things up a bit" rock-twist section (mostly of Exodus songs) blended in perfectly.

Man, as far as being a Hikki fan is concerned, this past year has been incredible. I never thought I'd hear an Utada song on the radio; and I did. I never thought I'd see her on TV; and I did. And I for sure never thought I'd get to see her in concert, especially not up close; and last night I got to. Thanks Hikki.