Miyavi was magical!!
by IvyLash on 5/21/18Theatre of Living Arts - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5I'll start with the venue: TLA in Philly was cleaner than any smaller venue I've been in - and cleaner than some of the larger ones too. The staff were friendly and willing to help if you had any questions or issues. For me, I forgot to get my parking ticket stamped when I arrived and one of the workers radioed someone who could get into the box office so that I could get the ticket stamped after the show. All of that occurred without so much as a roll of the eyes or any outward indication of irritation. Plus all of the staff were knowledgeable about where things were and what was going on after the event (the VIP meet and greet). They worked together seamlessly to organize everyone and pass along information at a rapid rate. I will recommend TLA as a venue to literally anyone.
Now to talk about the artist, Miyavi: This was my first time seeing him in concert and OMG I was blown away. Yes, his music is fantastic (why else would I be there to see him?) but his stage presence and his palpable excitement and happiness at performing was infectious. I could not stop smiling or laughing. His performance was one of the most genuine I've seen in a long time and I can't wait for him to come back to the East Coast so I can see him perform again. Even beyond his music, his words were so honest and impactful - this man truly has a heart of gold and one of the purest souls. His rapport with his collaborators and his music-mates is solid and clearly based in mutual respect and sincere friendship. While many singers will take the time to introduce the other members on stage, I have yet to see anyone other than Miyavi use that time to individually praise them and their talents before thanking them. His message of love, kindness, and acceptance through music certainly resonated with me as I'm sure it did with most of the crowd. Please, if you ever have the chance, see him in concert. It will change you.