[WARNING: BIG OL POST]
Some impressions (probably won't do a track by track; no one cares enough for that <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... ryalot.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':cryalot:' />):
- Namie looks really pretty in damn near all of her outfits. No cheetah print here!
- It seems like it was decided that the concert would have an obligatory slow part (think of me, Meaning of Us, Baby Don't Cry). I'm okay because there's no White Light/White Light 2: The Reckoning
- The motion graphics on the mid-sized LCD are kind of weird. They're well done, but they toe the line between filler-what-else-is-going-on-on-stage graphics and I-should-be-watching-that-because-that's-interesting graphics. They all kind of seem to fit their songs, but a lot of songs don't use it at all. Also, the graphics seem
80s logo themed.
- The whole concept of the concept is just all over the place. When it's in such a small venue (it's a hall tour a la PLAY Tour), there needs to be a good sense of theatrics, otherwise it's just an old broad on stage for two hours. The whole time travel/puppets theme seems really tacked on. BEST FICTION and PLAY didn't have this issue; they really attempted to portion off each song and present them in a living atmosphere. Here, nothing seems to
really flourish. BF was good in it's grandiose and PLAY really treated each song as a musical/on-the-fly PV.
- Um, what the hellllllllll. One of the intersitials has the Namie puppet imagining different times I suppose and they use clips from her Vidal Sassoon commercials/music videos. Merp :I
- So, none of the songs got
full re-arrangements, but a number of them got "live-ish" versions with added tracks for guitar, bass, drums, etc. Notably, FUNKY TOWN got some more variety in it's backing. Also WANTE ME WANT ME was almost fully re-arranged. The song feels more intense. I also wonder at some of the live edit changes they made, but really only small things; like, "why did this need to be changed?" Non-important things like synths being changed.
- Do Me More is slightly different again and it's still pretty cool.
- The set list is confusing. Period.(period) The separations with the intersitials don't convey parts, just breaks. Some songs just need to go together and they don't. Bad Habit and First Time and Steal My Night have the same feel, though they are separate (filler? just have it to have it?). Black Diamond and Sexy Girl should go together. The biggest offender?
Dr. and Defend Love are not next to each other. Dr. is immediately after WILD. This doesn't fly anymore, WILD/Dr. isn't new.
- The handful of props are confusing. I get the whole FAST CAR setup, but everything elseis weird. What does a lit "LOVE" sign have to do with Bad Habit? It falls short conceptually and the lack of really anything other than the lighting feels kind of boring.
- ROCK U <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' />
- The live band is really a great supplement to to a lot of these songs, but I really want a bitchin' guitar solo somewhere. Somewhere not in the band introductions.
-
ROCK U and What a Feeling are right next to each other. <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' />
- Shut Up really turned out well. The guitarist and bassist come out and have a few minutes in the spotlight. What, no wireless receivers, guys? Cords are so 2004.
- The intro/edits for WILD really just get me giggling. <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /lmfao.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lmfao:' />
- Namie's hair in the pre-encore part makes her look a little juvenile. I know she's try to look young, but the way it's pulled back and with the braid thing, she looks like she's in elementary school.
- COPY THAT REMIX! :wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuub: The whole band get's rolled out on these big flatbed parts. Also, I think they got the drummer from PLAY tour! The one who wore the "Full Moon" tank top!
- TINY CROWN <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... nceman.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hahaha:' />
- Break It/Get Myself Back relegated to the encore? Sadness.
- I guess even though it's kind of a hot, jumbled mess, the execution seems really on-point. Dancing's good. Singing's above-average for Namie (there's still strategic line-skipping <img src='
http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /noway.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':noway:' />). I can't tell now, but I think the audio quality seems much improved from Best Fiction.
Overall, it's good, but, as a hater, I'm a little mixed.
(BD) 
(DVD)
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