The Music Man Has Landed

I've only attended one concert in my entire life. Gin Blossoms' reunion concert in a small pub of a hundred people in Nebraska isn't exactly the sort of experience that makes you beam from to ear to ear; though at that time, it was fantastic for me since it was my first ever. But a real concert of mega proportions? Never. So, I was intent on making my first experience a truly memorable one.

When I heard that Wang Lee-Hom, one of the most influential Asian-Americans of all time and an icon of the Asian music industry, was performing LIVE in KL, I knew that this was the one. It wasn't an easy decision to make though, as the ticket prices were expensive and I wasn't going to waste my first concert experience by squinting my eyes from the cheapest seat. No, I had to make this one worthwhile, so I told myself, it must be the 3 most expensive seats available. Finding someone to go with me, who was willing to pay well over RM 300 was harder than I thought. After countless weeks of searching and asking, I finally found a willing fan in the form of my ex-student, Jin Xiang. Though I have to admit, 2 guys going to a Lee-Hom concert sounds so gay! Haha!

The day of the concert couldn't come sooner. I was up to my head in excitement and we arrived at Bukit Jalil Stadium almost 2 hours ahead of time. We lingered around the stadium compound before we entered 10 minutes before the scheduled start. I've never heard of a concert that started on time and I doubt Lee-Hom's would be the first. True enough, it wasn't until 8:15pm when the first opening acts warmed up the crowd. Then, at 8:30pm, the lights went out and the stage was all set to welcome our hero - Music Man.

The air was swirling with excitement and anticipation as screams of near delirium foretold his arrival. With his US$ 25,000 Bahamut guitar suspended in mid-air, Lee-Hom in his superhero costume descended on his 'spaceship' and set foot on the stage, punctuating the air with a mid-tempo version of 'What's Wrong With Rock?'. Then, in mid-song, he broke into the familiar frenzied tempo as fireworks fired into the night sky. He continued to set the tone for the first half of the night with a re-worked rock version of W-H-Y. It was a fresh take on the old favourite and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

All this while, the US$ 25,000 metal beauty was still sitting on the stand and I wondered when our stardust-haired hero was going to wield it. Well, it wasn't long after. And when he let it rip, my... my... what a roar! It was truly an Irish work of art. About 4 songs into the night, he introduced the first crowd pleaser and how they responded! Quite simply, everyone's heart was beating to this heart-wrenching ballad and no doubt about it, 'Xin Tiao' is his biggest hit from the lastest album. Hearing the guitar solo tear through the sky was worth the price of admission alone.

After a few more numbers, Music Man soon departed the stage and re-emerged in the form of a mellower Lee-Hom, who captivated the crowd with sweet serenades and powerful heartfelt ballads. Throughout the night, he wowed us with his multiple talents. From strumming the guitar, to caressing the violin, beating the drums and jazzing up the piano, we were simply in awe. Here was a man so talented and so good-looking, you wonder if God was being fair. Later however, when Lee-Hom broke into a dance routine, you could look up into the sky and say, "Okay God, thanks for being fair." Haha!


But I've got to give it to him - this man gives his all. From the superb stage design and set-up to every swell of his throat, you can feel every ounce of his effort pouring out to us - his fans. In many ways, I can relate to Lee-Hom, the performer and Lee-Hom, the ordinary man. The passion he puts into his music mirrors the passion I put into my teaching. His conviction in his music as the weapon to fight against the wrong in the music world flows parallel with my mission to stem the tide of our seriously flawed education system. In many ways, we are very much alike. Even in our quest for love, which often seems to elude us.

Now, if only I was as talented and good-looking as him. Haha!