JC Chasez at Irving Plaza, New York City, NY

[aruan]

I'm typing this with the most fantastic amount of cookies 'n cream chocolate in front of me and the single best show of the club tour circuit behind. You'll understand if it's a bit effusive.

I love JC Chasez. I want to have a thousand of his beautiful, dorktastic, ludicrously talented, spotlight-happy, narcissistic and sinuously limber babies so a thousand generations to come can experience what we did tonight. He's become so much more comfortable with the material, the dancers, the stage and doing it all himself, the difference between this show and those on the West Coast was incredible. He had fun tonight. Like, he was completely serious about getting an RV, camping us out and doing this every night for a month when he suggested it. This show was everything a polished, secure performer would put on - which is to say he knew the rules and broke them to the best effect. He knew what worked for the audience and really played to us in a way he hadn't before. He liked us, and it showed in everything he did. If I could've only seen one of the five shows so far, tonight's would be the one I'd want to experience.

We got to Irving Plaza after a day of shopping, lunch at the Roxy deli, and a harrowing cab/subway turn of events that basically resulted in a trip that should've taken 10 minutes being over an hour long, but we knew we didn't have the constitution to wait outside much anyway. We ran into several people as we cruised the line - actually met and not just passed jenbeth78 in the night as well as saturn92103; briefly greeted stargems and luvscratches; found our road trip cohorts-to-be roncha78, dancingpoet and crownzeal (there really is nothing like seeing a boy squee about JC, and Peter was nothing if not enthusiastic); I stripped for without_me to show off my airbrushed I sold my soul to the Solo Club Tour Dec. '03 shirt; hugged thebeamiestface and as at Challenge only reluctantly let her go; caught up with trixiesfic, whom I hadn't seen since last December. Why must we all be so wildly cast to the winds the rest of the year?

Since Schiz got our tickets on such short notice it wasn't feasible to have them mailed, we were told to stand in the will-call line which is apparently usually the VIP line. We had about a thousand chances to get in about as many ways - we could've stood in line with several groups of people; we could've gotten in even better with the family of one of the dancers in front of us and asked to join in their party when they were escorted backstage; I could've chanced Carlos remembering me from our introduction in Anaheim and asked him for VIP passes when he was handing them out like party favors; we could've gone in with trixiesfic and company who got front-row balcony seating. However, what we did do was stick it out in the line we were sorted into.

Oh, man. It's moments like this that are the exception to the general 'take the first opportunity you have because you might not get another' rule.

Will-call, however unjustly (though I am not right just now scorning the powers for smiling), got in at the same time as the regular line, which landed Schiz and I dead center in the second row. We were almost too close. If there is such a thing. But really though, seeing the veins in his throat when he's holding a note? Knowing just where exactly he stops shaving (above the belly button)? The individual curls of his hair and beads of sweat at his temples? The fucking dip of his fucking pelvic bone where it vees into his low-rider pants? Yeah, that close.

Oh, yes, we'll get to all of that.

They've given up on blowdrying his hair straight, because it's seriously an exercise in futility by the third song with the way he sweats and can't keep his hands away from it. Mmm. Yes, the defining characteristics of performing!JC would be touching his hair, sticking out his tongue, and thrusting his hips. Yes, these shows have been a happy, happy time for us.

All Day Long I Dream About Sex kicked about as hardcore as it always does. It's such a satisfying song for everyone involved, with the chorus being about equal parts JC and the audience. The microphone stand gesture that goes along with do what it takes to satisfy you has not ceased to delight one and all. The lighting was incredible for this show - the colors and strobe effects and filtering worked perfectly with the music and action onstage. And the man of the hour knew tonight was going to be something special from the moment he turned to us.

She Got Me has the most darling falsetto intro. Came in on a rocket ship in the middle of the night! It's a love song to an alien! Oh, JC, that's a special little cosmic ether you're pulling these memes out of. Still loving this track as well even if the poor kid is continually rebuffed by the girls as he pleads his helpless devotions. Evil alien girls, making you fall in love and leaving in the same breath. It's not like he'd know anything about that or nuthin'.

Okay, the bantering tonight? Hands-down the best, the most rambly, and some of the most personal. Homeboy was chatty. The framework was still there, but he kind of lost himself in moments and went on longer than he intended. It was adorable to watch, and we loved on him for it a lot before, during, and after.

"Well, hello, all you sexy muthaf--. It's cold outside; but I'm hot as hell."
*cue us concurring*
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
-He thanked us for coming out and showing our support despite there not being a record out, that we're part of his family because...
"...we're sharing something very intimate. This record is definitely what it's called, and that is Schizophrenic. And y'all are just about to find out how ca-razy I am. You don't know, but here it comes. We're gonna rock out a little bit."
-Love him. That is all. For now.

Aah, If You Were My Girl. There really is nothing like seeing JC turn rock star, which is what he does as soon as this song begins. He courts the mic stand, he tosses his hair, he riles up the entire audience, he headbangs along to the beat, he does air guitar, he wails, he fakes an orgasm. It's a fantastic romp of a song.

One Night Stand. Don't we want to spend the night with him? I think we've just discovered the mother of all rhetorical questions. He looks up and points to the ceiling on make you wanna jump and kiss the sky, and for whatever reason I find that to be a singularly darling piece of choreography. What's also cool is how much fun he has with the entire song, almost more than when he was freestyling it in the last one, doing something dirty in one breath then immediately laughing at himself in the next. JC likes to play the pimp, yes he does. I bet it's mostly the outfit. That coat and there's really nothing like a feather in one's hat to make one feel self-important, even if its color borders on hot pink.

People have mentioned being embarrassed for him at some points during the choreography in this and other songs - I like the fact that he's so patently and honestly a big big dork underneath the groomed celebrity. I love that in all of them, and that JC revels in it and knows that he's not a pimp, that he owns the fact that he's the band geek not the football jock, that he admits having fantasies about aliens and isn't too cool to honestly let loose in front of God and everybody is beyond charming.

"I tell you what, y'all are making me feel like a stud tonight, y'all are good."
-Heh.
"You know, that song obviously it's all in good fun. I mean, pimpin' ain't easy, y'all, pimpin' ain't easy, man, you know it's like, gotta get yo' money and then you're like, 'Girl, what'd I tell you about that stuff?'"
-Now, how much JC would know about the principles of pimping is entirely up to the listener's imagination. Personally, we've totally been writing the hooker AUs from the wrong angle.
"But um, it also, it's like, you know, again, it's part of the journey, this schizophrenic journey. Uh, I just, this album is not even implying, you know, sometimes I'm in this mood, sometimes in that, and uh, you know, it's just that some of it's goofy, some of it's serious, but you gotta love it all because you're in a mood, you know, every day you're in a new mood, in a different vibe and that's what this record was about. And uh, basically what happened is the truth came out. It was just a matter of, it wasn't, it wasn't trying to sell anybody anything to anybody at the end of the day. It was about doing something that came naturally to me."
-*cue us being pleased with his choice of phrase and the results*
"All right, uhm, that was all in good fun, but this song is a different day."
-And if that's not the most perfect way to introduce the following, I don't know what is.

I'm seriously going to weep with how beautiful the studio version of Build My World is going to sound. Nothing like it in all the live-long, whole-wide world. The bridge remains one of the most beautiful 40 seconds of music ever - the melody lifts and suspends you in midair for a moment at the beginning of every chorus but finally takes off with that drum riff. But in performance, I think I might love the just say it, just say it, just say it, yeah line towards the end. The emotion behind it - there's something deeply beautiful in the desperation of his voice, high and thin and pleading. Yep, still makes my heart clench and my eyes tear up.

More singing (and groaning, oh yes) along to Blowin' Me Up. There's just no controlling one's self during that song. And oh, oh yes, he does all the lovely pelvis-involving choreography to the little grunts about three feet from our shin-level vantage point, but the part I really love is when he turns his back to us, spreads his arms, and thrusts toward the back of the stage. The line of his shoulders, and pretty much everything else below them and the things they're doing. Mmm.

Also, there is really nothing like the beginning strains of the chorus echoing through a room. Instantly invigorating. He's standing still for there's just something about you baby, it's taking me over I want you to know, four beats, and then choreographed insanity. He throws himself into those moves and I occasionally fear for his overbalancing right off the stage. I pleased myself during this song by taking more than half a roll of pictures because yo, that costume and the nutty things he does in it need to be preserved for posterity, and extensively.

Oh, Chantal. She likes her rabbit hole line, yes she does. And JC, oh JC. "You say the blue pill'll show me how deep," and then he did a very graphic imitation of, well, putting his fist deep into the rabbit hole. I kept from getting my reaction all over the recording only because I tend to smack my hand over my mouth when I'm surprised and actually ducked my head against the shoulder of the complete stranger in front of me. Uh, I may have been a bit unprepared for quite that. "...the rabbit hole goes," he finished, never once looking at us but directly at Chantal, who was barely holding it together herself, eyes showing her own surprise and biting her lip to keep from laughing.

Did we mention he had fun tonight?

"I feel kinda sexy," he said, complete with chest rubbing before starting in on Come To Me. As a change of pace, while there was still plenty of very enthused microphone stroking, JC showed surprising restraint in outright grabbing himself onstage tonight. Which, you know, shame, but so long as the phallic stage props are still getting theirs, I'm okay. The finger walking remains sexy as fuck, especially when he watches himself do it and looks up from beneath the strands of hair hanging in his face to grin wickedly at us. Good dear lord. Also, as others have mentioned, when he gets all up in the dancer's space and sings not millimeters from her mouth - I had to bite my lip to keep from squeaking. Although, again, he no longer trails his hand all the way from her cheek to her hip, which, again, such the shame. I've forever been spoiled for the sexiness of the Chasez as demonstrated in Anaheim.

Aah, Let's Go Crazy. Have said it before, will say it again - this song alone is worth the price of admission. The stripey jacket, the insanity from the second it starts - I swear, if you look in his eyes during this song, he's entirely in a different headspace somewhere inside himself, possessed by the rhythm and melody. I love his voice, high and clear then waily and rough and just amazing. Also, seeing him drop to his knee and bow down to the guitarist at the end? Also not so much of the bad.

"That song was made for my afro."
-*cue headshaking and demonstration of his crazy hair standing up at the slightest provocation*
"It's wild, all the things you through in a year, man. Uhm, It's been a, it's been a, it's been a hell of a rollercoaster. Uhm." *giggle*
-*meltmeltsquee* We flustered him several times tonight, we did.
"When I, uh, first decided to do this thing it was, uh, it was strange man, it was like, um, seven years, or eight years of my life, it just seemed so far away, uhm, I didn't know how to do this thing. But my four best friends, they just looked at me and they said, 'It's about damn time.'"
*cue insanity* And I'll just bet that's exactly how they said it, too.
"So I said, 'Okay, fine, I'll do it then because, yes, I'll do it."
-Myself and every single one of the LJers around me caught that and grinned madly at each other.
"And I haven't looked back, man, it's been amazing. It's uh, it's a wild ride and uh, some days are great, some days, ain't so great. But I'm happy now."
-It was great actually hearing him say that. Not that we didn't get hints of it in a hundred little ways the rest of the night, but it was lovely to actually hear the words.
"But since I'm a schizophrenic fellow, I sing about everything. And I hope you'll try this with me."

Dear Goodbye only gets better. That scale is just breathtaking, and he nails it from beginning to end. I only noted the line I'm weary from the war / I'm losing half my soul this time around, and it about made me dissolve into a pathetic little puddle right there and then. *meep* This song, man. I'm just not strong enough for it. Bittersweet and seeming like it wants to move on but can't and letting go because I know that it's what's best for us - but really he doesn't really mean to be the bigger person here because he's angry, dammit. I must admit it's going to feel abruptly over on the record itself no matter how he wraps it up because it won't be The Game Is Over. It's an angry refrain, man, and we howl it right along with him. He held that last do me like thaaaaaat with his back almost parallel to the floor, neck muscles straining and his knees doing an impressively easy-seeming job of keeping him upright regardless. And all right in front of us. *takes a moment*

*more giggling* "What do they prescribe for that, do you know? Trust me, I'm like, women, I love you but sometimes you piss me off, you know. But I love you."
-He really did say it so sincerely.
"Let's see how deep the rabbit hole goes, eh? This is, uh." *pause*
-He was gonna move on to the next song, but he looked out at us, took a second to listen to the screaming, and lost track.
"This is fun. I wish we could park an RV outside, move y'all here for a month and we'll just do this every night, what do you think?"
-We liked the idea. "A lot."
*imitating management* "'But we won't be able to run the club!' Well, you know, it's a party in here anyway don't worry about it, man, don't worry about it. Uhm, I've talked enough, let's just do this."
-*lovelovelove*

Aah, JC preaching the pleasures of moderation in Everything You Want. I can't believe no one's thought to do this rock/pop/reggae fusion thing. Just reggae is usually too mellow for me, and the songs usually consisting of a repeated chorus tends to lull me to sleep further, but this - it's impossible to stand still for this song. Also, and you can hear it especially here, I really like that he's harmonizing with himself on the tracks. They're turned up a bit too high, yes, but I don't know, there's something darling about the anal retentiveness of doing your own backup vocals. Besides, this isn't the right kind of staging or show for backup singers. It's just JC in every way.

We're very very partial to the redesigned red sleeveless top, yes we are, now with more patches and no lower hem to speak of because lordy, the boy only needed to entertain the notion of raising his arms (much less actually do it - *swoon*) and already there was a sliver of midriff showing. My memories of these two songs mostly consist of JC's midriff, and namely the vee of his hips where the pants rode low enough to expose them.

Shake It may have become my second favorite song to see performed, after Blowin' Me Up. Handjob movements, choreographed sticking out of his tongue and the accompanying nyah-nyah hand movements, see/hear/speak no evil miming by the girls while he wails about doing it till you're satisfied - it's very Taming of the Shrew in that 'stay away-no, come back' teasing way. Plus, he moans the line about being down on my knees, and yeah, uh, that would be me having a hard time keeping mine from buckling to the floor. The beat goes right through you, that nutty falsetto chorus, and those sound effects he loves so much - it's campy and crazy and yet more of the delightful results of JC indulging and exposing his inner dork.

I'm still utterly confused as to what the song is if anything but, as I think tavellafic mentioned, a throwback to 80s hedonistic self-indulgence. trixiesfic made the point that JC and the dancers seem on equal footing on this one - he does most of their choreography (and to that, he, too, fell down at the end at least at the first show if not the second as well, as Schiz pointed out). More contemplation to come when we've got lyric booklets in our hands (the powers willing. *sigh*)

He giggles adorably at the end. Like, full out, I'm-a-silly-kid-and-that-was-purely-self-indulgent-and-how-cool-that-I-get-to-do-it-anyway before offering, "I can fix it," and helping the girls up. Then Right By Your Side, which is sappy and sweet and a lovely little song.

As the music was winding down, I made the comment that, "Somebody was having fun tonight, and it wasn't just us," to Schiz, adding that my face hurt because I never stopped smiling. Such a great show. We had time for a well-coordinated chant of his name, and then...

My love for Some Girls grows by another exponent every time I see it performed. The all-black outfit, the choreography that has him strutting around the stage mostly ignoring the girls dancing on each other behind him - also, he should always say 'bitches,' because we like it. A lot. The literal shaking up of the soda is fun, too. Also, and that he's audible at all is a feat because his microphone was nowhere near his mouth and we rarely stopped screaming, but we clearly heard him say a very emphatic "Oh yeah, mami," to us as he got into the cluster of girls midway through the bridge. The utter satisfaction in his tone, the grin on his face - that's what makes being squished up front worth it, getting to watch him enjoy himself and all the mid-move grunts and comments during the songs.

Oh, and there was another moment. So, usually on I wanna dance with you, mami he crouches down at the front of the stage and rotates/thrusts his hips toward the left of the audience as he sings I wanna freak you, girl. But tonight, the fucking tease (tm walkingshadow) then smiled over his shoulder as he swiveled his hips and shook his ass back at the right side of the audience on I'm gonna work you, mami. We went insane. Like, you couldn't even hear the music for a moment. Fuckin' a, that was hot.

Which just about sums up the night.

Comments

[roncha78.livejournal.com]

You know what? I felt like such a dork syaing over and over again how much fun he had at this show, so I'm glad I'm not the only one who really think so. It was seriously the first thing that came to my mind when I tried to describe it. And it made the experience that much better for me.. :)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Nope, not even close to the only one. We were a good crowd! And yeah, watching JC have fun with it, beyond the music, which let's not underestimate my love for, is why I went to the shows in December and will do the same in April. Eee! So exciting.

[roncha78.livejournal.com]

I know! I can't wait until the show.. :)

[marrymehowie.livejournal.com]

That was a very informative and very entertaining review :) Thank you for the visuals you've got stuck in my brain, lol.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And oh, the visuals! Best lighting of any of the shows, too, though the Chasez is pretty much unforgettable no matter what kind of rigging, eh? ;)