Nao Birthday Live 2011 at Duo Music Exchange

The excitement began early on August 18 at Duo Music Exchange when guitarist Nao put in an appearance to personally sell the shirts printed for his birthday concert.  Although the crowd had been encouraged to turn up for the Summer Festival concert in their best yukata to see out the season, there were far more fans clad in the grandfather clock adorning Nao’s birthday design than traditional Japanese summer wear. A special exception was made to the directive that new heidi. umbrellas could be sold only on rainy days, as the band made them available on behalf of “rain-god” Nao’s birthday, despite shockingly clear blue skies.

Inside the venue, a swarm of heidi.-themed fans fluttered in tribute to Japan’s current energy crisis in a move to cut down on air conditioning. To the left of the floor sat a giant rendition of the band’s punk goat mascot, heizo, and overhead hung festival lanterns in celebration of the occasion. As the rousing guitar riff of heidi.’s opening music cut into chatter, the lights dimmed until only the lanterns remained to share a soft glow with thin blue stage lighting. Each member was decked out in yukata patterned with motifs of their patron, hide, and as a treat for those gathered to celebrate Nao’s birthday, the guitarist tossed out a hand-held fan, a feat which vocalist Yoshihiko tried to emulate only to fail with a sheepish smile as his fan stubbornly flittered to the stage floor instead.

The appropriate choice of “Natsu Ichizu” (“Summer Clan”) to start the performance instantly brought the crowd into the fold as they clapped in unison and shouted, flinging fists toward the stage. The yukata made no difference to the band, Kiri slashing away unhampered while Kohsuke bent into his bass and Nao bounced around freely. “Star Rain” followed, sweetly endearing as Yoshihiko held up his pinkie, placing a strong emphasis on the words “Ima chikau” (“I swear to you now.”) When the instrumental came, he gestured and mouthed sweet nothings to the fans before breaking off to groove along behind as Nao became the star of the moment, fingers ringing out a gorgeous solo with an extra serving of attitude. “Gekkou Showtime” had both crowd and band in a fever, Yoshihiko mirroring their jumps with flung arms and a rolling fist while Kohsuke and Kiri jammed at each other with fierce expressions. Perched with feet divided between a pair of thin speakers, the vocalist moved with utter confidence, never misplacing a foot as he crouched, jumped and stomped.

With a word of thanks, the number came to an end and shouts rang out for the birthday boy. “Hey, we’re heidi.” Yoshihiko stated the obvious with a remorseless grin. He then pointed out the bright red lips on Nao’s yukata, accusing the birthday boy of wanting to stand out. Before rescuing himself from the floundering emcee with his forte of music, Yoshihiko had one last crack. “I wanna grant you all smiles today,” he said in a sexy croon that was so out of character it incited gales of laughter. “See? You’re smiling!”

There was no warning to prepare the crowd for the transition from that shy awkwardness to the dark predator that appeared moments later with the resounding bass notes of “Yuuyake to Kodomo,” the intensity continuing into “Neon,” all wide eyes and pursed lips. In contrast, Nao bounced about his little corner, off in his own blissful, birthday world. The crowd was one with the vocalist, though, hurling itself forward during the instrumentals as he crouched overhead like a hungry panther. He screamed the lyrics “Can you feel it!?” in an invitation for them to let loose, hands flying through the air throughout the outtro, a moshing mess. The old standard of “Hyururi” had a heavier feel despite the light-hearted lyrics, Yoshihiko mouthing a silent “Hora” (look.) At the instrumental, he broke off from the lyrics with a scream of “Now fists!” As the music changed up with a staccato feel under the bridge, Nao grooved into his guitar and the final chord was held out on the guitarist’s whim.

The ballad, “Hoshi no Koe,” followed along nicely, bass and drums bent intensely to their tasks though Nao breezed through the swing of the guitar line and Yoshihiko’s performance was intensely focused. A long pause breathed heavily before the lyrics came in deep and passionate, seeing the song through to its end with a well earned round of applause. Soft teal lighting set a moody stage for the utter simplicity of “Sono Yuku He.” The barest guitar chords pealed among sparing drums and bass beneath a basic vocal line. When the chorus swept in it was like flooding rain after a drought, a full, warming sound, Yoshihiko’s strong voice riding over the music in a cresting wave, intentionally tearing up in the final chorus. Concluding the ballad section came “Annyui,” vocalist wandering about during his opening duet with guitar, singing grandly to the back of the stage and to Kiri before the number turned playful as Kohsuke and Kiri swung in with a vengeance.

“Kane no Naru Oka” swung a 180, hitting hard and leaving the crowd breathless before Kiri’s sticks tripped lightly over the cymbals during “Synchro.” Nao sprug about like a kid while Yoshihiko made friends throughout the crowd, pointing out a different fan on various lyrics. Beautifully voiced with a playful air, the number ended in a round of cute punches from the vocalist. Unexpectedly, Kiri and Kohsuke then left the stage without a word. “Hey, Duo,” said Yoshihiko. “It’s just the two of us.” The suggestive statement brought a teasing noise from the crowd in support of the remaining pair. “Last year we did a little acoustic section so today we’ve got another rendition for you. By the way, do you know the title of this pairing?” “Gokigenyo!” The crowd shouted Nao’s catch-phrase greeting. “Gokigenyo!” replied Yoshihiko.

As the acoustic duo sat upon their stools, a lazy orange haze illuminated the stage setting “Orange Drama.” The blend was simply gorgeous, Yoshihiko’s voice floating sweetly over the acoustic guitar while Nao sang harmony. Usually driven by a clamour of drums, Yoshihiko sang the bridge with languid freedom. Nao was all grins… until Yoshihiko ordered that he speak. The discussion soon turned to contemplation of what the remaining two members were getting up to backstage. “Those two really get along well. They should have their own dressing room. Once, Kohsuke even asked me to switch hotel rooms because mine was next to Kiri’s. What exactly do they get up to, I wonder?” Despite he and Nao taking the opportunity to fill the crowd in on some of the rhythm section’s bad habits, Yoshihiko eventually gave them a break. “Well, those two are also our special members.” On that note, it was time for another acoustic treat in the form of “Sai,” equally as lovely as the lanterns swayed overhead to the soft, encouraging melody.

With a pair of shouts from the crowd, the rhythm section returned to the stage, Kohsuke whacking Yoshihiko over the head as he went, proving that the two had been listening. “Nothing but bad-mouthing,” he complained. “But they were amazing, right? …Amazing at bad-mouthing.” Still, he once more conceded that the duet was absolutely gorgeous. Yoshihiko then took off on an (admittedly) pointless story about an exercise machine he’d bought and explained that he had been so elated after the previous day’s concert that he turned up the level and even did an extra ten minutes… resulting in severely aching legs. His comment of “It feels good, though. I feel like I worked hard,” resulted in Kohsuke calling him a pervert. Dashing on ahead, however, the vocalist announced a new mini album on September 21 and a tour pairing up with various bands in October. “Now we’re into the second half, but let’s celebrate even more for Nao’s sake!” he cried.

“Ready? Jump!” began “Hakuchuumu,” the crowd taking the words to heart, or perhaps it was the funky bounce to the music that had them leaping. The whole number had a fun atmosphere backed up by hot music which turned passionate, Kohsuke singing up to the rafters while Yoshihiko crouched down to sing out. “Utakata” saw Kiri scream fervently into his kit-side mic to drown out even Kohsuke. Nao stepped up to the plate in response, unwilling to lose on his birthday. Turning up the heat to match his companions, Yoshihiko crouched atop his speakers, fingers splayed to hide his face, holding out a long note over the hurtling crowd. A shriek of “Tobe!” finished up the vocal line and once more the floor was a sea of roiling bodies. Hot and nasty, “Mukuro” wrought every last decibel the roaring crowd could produce, hair flying every-which-way as bad-boy Yoshihiko screamed his wickedest screams, stomping about angrily on his perch. “Oi! Duo!!” he roared, a long vamp continuing as the band held back the crowd’s desired riff. When it came at last, it was beyond intense, the whole floor rocking back and forth ecstatically.

The fever lasted throughout “Tsuta Tsuta,” Yoshihiko sharing his mic with first Nao and then Kohsuke who yelled a “Nao-san, happy birthday!” “Come!” yelled Yoshihiko, and the crowd threw themselves forward in response, driven on by an addictive riff. “You guys are the best!” he praised. “Hey… Duo… Ready for the last one? Let’s all become one!” The final number, “Parade,” sounded fantastic with a full bodied hum to the guitar, Yoshihiko rolling in over the top in a strong, clear voice. “Yokoso,” (welcome) he sang, reiterating the sentiment with a yelled “Yokoso!” Nao took the centre for his solo with stubbornly pursed lips until he met Kohsuke’s challenge to his attitude, the pout turning suspiciously amused. The crowd poured everything into the number, winding up the set with a bright, unified atmosphere.

Yet the expected encore brought about the inevitable, Yoshihiko asking the crowd, “What day is it today?” and receiving the answer, “Its Nao’s day!” to which he replied simply, “Let’s sing.” A moment later, however, he paused to check what they should sing exactly, the crowd deciding upon “Nao-sama” which Yoshihiko tested out sceptically. At last, they sang a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday” while the guitarist stood awkwardly in a spotlight. “Congratulations Nao-chan!” Yoshihiko cried. A pleased Nao thanked the crowd. “And… I suppose I should say thank you to the members, too,” he added reluctantly. All off a sudden, Yoshihiko took off, Kohsuke laughing as he noted that the vocalist had entered with his yukata inside out. When he returned at last, each of the members presented Nao with a gift… of rice balls. “These are just the backstage snacks!” complained an indignant Nao, tossing each gift, the last bouncing vindictively off of Yoshihiko. Still, the vocalist offered up a tribute. “Let’s celebrate even more in the encore!”

The new song, “Under,” became a present for the fans, fun with a nice melody and strong impact. Overhead, the lanterns lit in alternation, timed impeccably to the music. Then, the crowd took off across the floor to “Omaesan,” a true party song. When it came to a premature stop, Yoshihiko began with “Today is a special day, so…” At once, the fans screamed for Nao. “Have you figured it out?” “NAONAONAONAONAO!!!” “That’s right!” However, the guitarist tried his best to back out. “I got kinda nervous as the song started to end, so I don’t really want to do it after all…” Nevertheless, he was herded to centre stage, Yoshihiko sitting upon a speaker and holding up his mic. “Wow, just like a mic stand,” teased Nao, pushing Yoshihiko’s sleeve down to the elbow. “Okay, here I go… Omaesan!” he sang, starting off brilliantly before the wind went out of his sails and he ended in a breathless chuckle. That was when Kohsuke realized Nao couldn’t stomp on his peddles to lead into the outtro if he was at centre. “Bass, you sure talk a lot,” snapped the guitarist in good humour, Kohsuke apologising profusely. The second time around, Nao broke into giggles at the last and ran off to his pedals yet despite the loose interlude, the number took off heatedly once more.

“Thank you, Duo! You guys are amazing! Ready? Last!” screamed Yoshihiko. “To you who I love who came here today, pouring love into it… BAKA NI NARE! (Let’s be idiots!)” The ritualistic words extended with a heart-felt vow, “Sentimental” transformed the evening from a concert into a party, all dancing, singing and having fun. As the crowd sang the word’s “ano hito” (that person,) Yoshihiko pointed to the guitarist, encouraging a second round of singing before he turned his gaze back to the fans. “I love you!” The number ended with gratitude all around as the band said their farewells, Nao inviting Kiri up to share his speaker, and the two bowing endearingly at each other. The drummer then handed over a signed drumhead for the birthday boy to toss into the crowd. Nao stood there for some time, just grinning and waving until the shouts finally died down at his prompt. “Thank you very much!” were his final words before he left behind the celebrating crowd.

Set List

1. Natsu Ichizu
2. Star Rain
3. Gekkou Showtime
4. Yuuyake to Kodomo
5. Neon
6. Hyururi
7. Hoshi no Koe
8. Sono Yuku He
9. Annyui
10. Kane no Naru Oka
11. Synchro
12. Orange Drama (Accoustic)
13. Sai (Accoustic)
14. Hakuchuumu
15. Utakata
16. Mukuro
17. Tsuta Tsuta
18. Parade

Encore

1. Under
2. Omaesan
3. Sentimental