Distant World Final Fantasy Concert @ Chicagoland

Back from Rosemont Theater!

The first Distant World concert I've attended was at Minneapolis, and it was a VIP seat. This time, it wasn't a VIP seat (it's too expensive!), but I feel that this concert was 100 times better than the concert at Minneapolis.

There are so many world premierre songs played at Rosemont Theater. Here's the program:

1st half:
Prelude (FF)
Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec (FF 8)
Winning Theme - World Premierre (FF)
At Zanarkand (FF 10)
Don't Be Afraid (FF 8)
Ron Faure (FF 11)
Distant World ~ Memoro de la Stono (FF 11)
Love Grows (FF 8)
Swing de Chocobo (FF)
Melodies of Life - World Premierre (FF 9)
Fisherman's Horizon (FF 8)
J-E-N-O-V-A Remix - World Premierre (FF 7)

Intermission

2nd part:
Bombing Mission (FF 7)
FF 7 Main Theme (FF 7)
Suteki da ne - World Premierre (FF 10)
Aerith's Theme (FF 7)
Dancing Mad - World Premierre (FF 6)
Kiss Me Goodbye - World Premierre (FF 12)
Theme of Love (FF 4)
The Man with the Machine Gun (FF 8)
Medley: .... Twilight, Beneath the Bloody Borders - World Premierre (FF 14)
Terra's Theme (FF 6)
One Winged Angel Advent Children version - World Premierre (FF 7 AC)
Winning Theme
ENCORE: One Winged Angel Advent Children version (FF 7 AC)


English version of Suteki Da Ne. Yes... that sounds really awkward. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the English version. The phrase "suteki da ne" is kept in the song, but the rest of the lyric was translated. Well... they keep the meanings close, but it sounded really really weird after years listening to the original Japanese version of that song.

Melodies of Life and Kiss Me Goodbye (both are in English) wasn't well sung either. :(

And lastly J-E-N-O-V-A. I was very very very excited when Arnie announced that song, but as I hear the beginning of the song... it was horrendous. The remix didn't have the vibrancy - it didn't make you feel that you are in the middle of a battle. It gets much better in the middle, but I had been disappointed with how the song was started.

Of course, One Winged Angel blasted the whole concert. I didn't expect it to be in Advent Children's version - they have Chicago Mages, comprising of 2 electric guitarists, to hype up the song. Brilliant!

Another surprise Arnie and Nobuo told us at the end of the concert was that the second CD of Distant World is going to be recorded next January, and will be on sale next summer!

Distant World tour is going to continue even next year, and for sure, they will come back again to Chicago in July. Something to look forward to? Of course!

Photos (and perhaps videos?) will follow soon.