Alright so for those of you who don't know Miyavi is my favorite male artist. I've been a fan of his for 7 years with first hearing his song "Pop is Dead" back in 2002. I can't describe how much I love this man. I like Dir En Grey and other bands too but Miyavi is just different to me. He's completely different from anything else I've ever heard and his style is all his own! I love Miyavi and not like that crazy fangirl way. Yes he's good looking and has an amazing body but he's just way more than that. He truly is a neo samurai.
So Saturday morning I woke up @ 5am to get ready for Miyavi's interview at Kinokuniya's Book Store in Bryant Park NYC! I had only found out about the interview from a friend a few days earlier. From what she told me there was a contest for 10 people to get into the interview and meet miyavi one on one! How ever she said that people could get in and they would also be giving away some more tickets to fans in line to meet him too! The catch was they had to show how much they loved Miyavi! So after hearing this I totally went crazy! I could get the chance to be 3 feet away from my idol of all time~!!
So as said before I woke up @ 5 to get ready. The event didn't start till 7pm but I wanted to show that I loved Miyavi more than any other fan!! So I woke up and planned to draw all his tattoos on my body but that proved to be too difficult so instead I picked my favorite and the least done tattoo on his body. Un-do!
So after I did his 'Un-do' tattoo and his trade mark '382' on my fingers I left my house @ 6:30am and arrived @ Kinokuniya at 7am sharp~!
With me I had brought this magazine of Miyavi when he visted LA in 07. I've been holding onto this magazne for 3 years. I bought it back when Kino was still in Rockefeller Center! Kinokuniya doesn't open until 10:30 so I decided to wait across the street in Bryant Park. It was really hot and there weren't many people in the area. I was lonely so I played with my DSi for a while~! After around an hour of sitting by myself watching pigeons chasing each other I finally saw someone I recognized! It was Yuki and a group of her friends~! They had the same I idea as I did so we hung out in the park for a while longer and we all headed across the street and sat in front of the store~! When we got there we saw the most AMAZING poster ever~!!!
We fan girled and took pictures of it! The girls were really excited! So we waited outside together singing and talking. The heat became so unbearable we began hiding under shadows cast off by parked cars. After about another hour or two a group of 3 boys showed up! We kinda talked to them for a little while. I didn't really get their names but they seemed to be nice! After a while they went off to a store and came back later on. While waiting for the store to open we met this woman who worked there. She said she loved our enthusiasm! She even told the manager of the store how long I had been waiting! So when the store FINALLY opened the manager told us we could all stay in the store and wait inside where there was air conditioning~!! He was really nice!
Once we got in we basically hung out in Cafe Zaiya untl around 3pm when we were told that they were forming a line outside! I went out and got food around 12 or 1pm. More of my friends showed up in Kino between 12-3 and we all had DSi's so we played together~! We had a really good time!! So when I went down at 3 we made a line! It was basically some random girl (who I have no clue where she came from but claimed she had been waiting in front of the store since 7am LOLliar) then me and Yuki and her friends! By then a lot more people I knew showed up so it became more enjoyable to wait! We all talked and played games~!
As it came close to 5 a HUGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE SUDDENLY SHOWED UP OUT OF NO WHERE!! It was just insane! Miyavi's staff had to come outside and separate the winners of the contest from the people who just showed up. And then they completely changed the rules of everything. They said ONLY the 10 people who won would be allowed in to see Miyavi. As you can guess upon hearing this people began to fight and argue with the staff even screaming at times! The staff then told everyone that they would only be giving out the 10 extra tickets to die heart Miyavi fans. One by one they went through the line and asked people why they think they should see him. When they got to me I was really upset. I mean I love Miyavi and to see him from a mile away would be a dream come true! To be in a room with him is something I never imagined could happen! So I told the woman as I was trying to hold back tears how long I had been waiting outside and how I've had a magazine for 3 years hoping he would sign it. That I've been his fan for 7 years and about how I cried when he had to cancel his show in November.
After that she went on down the line and other people began crying. I mean why wouldn't we cry?! They said if we came we could see Miyavi and now all of a sudden they make up new rules saying only 10 people! Not even based on who came first but for reasons why they think they should go in. It was really unfair. After a while they began calling out names and guess what? MY NAME WAS THERE! I was so shocked. Like I totally didn't think I would get picked. There were other people with flashy jrock clothing who I thought would get in for sure! Out of me and Yuki's friends only 3 of us got picked. Me, Yuki, and one of her friends. I felt awful. We had all been waiting there together and to just be split up like that was horrible. There was a lot of fighting between the staff and the people. After a while I was put on line for the people who were to go in for sure. Then the staff decided to let in 5 more people. The line was HUGE though! Even though there were only 25 winners all together the original 10 were allowed to bring friends with them so it was crazy!!
So I waited and waited and then out of no where Merry shows up. I was like wtf Merry what are you doing here?! I think she was bored and just decided to swing by. So we talked for a while and then I was finally able to go in~! The staff had to get down ALL of our information or we wouldn't be allowed in. Like I need to give my name, e-mail, address, and my ID in order to get in. When I asked why they said it was because they need to know who is seeing Miyavi so security reasons. Also we were told there was strictly NO PHOTOGRAPHS OR VIDEOS. If the staff (who was everywhere) caught anyone dong so they would be thrown out and banned from future Miyavi events! Which I wouldn't be surprised since they got everyone's information! So no pictures for Miyavi's interview guys! ((o(゛ε゛)o)) As we walked in we were given raffle tickets. The tickets were going to be for a random drawing of 10 people to have a one on one meet and autograph session with Miyavi~!!
So we all got up stairs and it was pretty packed. We were all told to sit down so everyone could see and my gosh my legs were in so much pain! Kinokuniya isn't that big you know. We waited for a few minutes and then FINALLY! MIYAVI CAME OUT~!!
All credit for the photo goes to the Photographer
Omg I felt like I was going to cry! Here he is! My favorite guitarist of all time standing right in front of me only 3 feet away!! I felt like I was dreaming, I couldn't take my eyes off him! So he sat down and this woman began the interview~!! It was super duper hot because of all the people so Miyavi began fanning himself with some paper. It was really funny~!! He was asked about how he felt about playing in NYC. It was his first time being here so he was really excited! Miyavi is so laid back and cool! When asked about touring the US on a tour bus and seeing the country, was he inspired by the scenery! Miyavi answered bluntly with "No, it's really boring. The scenery is beautiful but you get tired of seeing it. I want to watch the world cup in the bus, but sometimes we don't get reception!". Everyone was laughing so hard! When asked about his daughter Lovelie, and if she is showing any musical talent Miyavi said "Yeah, she is! I put on my song Survive and she cannot walk so she supports herself on a chair and begins dancing, she is a moving up and down, shaking her butt, bouncing! She is a bouncing to my song! How the f*ck does she dance before she can walk?! Before she can crawl! What the f*ck is that?!". Everyone in the room pretty much died laughing at that point! Miyavi went so far as to demonstrate by holding on to a table and had his back facing us and began shaking his butt around and bouncing up and down~! It was so cute and funny!!
He also told us how when he put on "Neo Visualizum" she would begin pumping her fist in the air off beat. "I don't know how she knows what to do! She puts her arm in the air off beat but still doing it!" Miyavi said. A lot of the questions were about what inspire him and his family. When asked when did he want to be a musician he stated that he never wanted to do music but he wanted to do professonal soccer! Due to an injury though he was left unable to play so instead he began playing guitar! Miyavi is so amazing! So as the interview went on we had a great time and lots of laughs! AND GUESS WHAT! MIYAVI PLAYED ONE SONG FOR US~! He played "Kimi ni Funky Monkey Vibration". It was so much fun~! Miyavi was totally rocking out~! It was his first song he had ever played in NYC and I was there to see it~!!! I couldn't believe it~!!!! So after his interview Miyavi began drawing the 10 lucky winners of the tickets he gave out earlier! AND HE DREW MY TICKET!!! #260829!! YES I ACTUALLY MEMORIZED THE TICKET!! I was so excited!! I screamed and then asked for them to read the number again!! I couldn't believe my little ears~!! Miyavi looked at me and started laughing. I was and still am so giddy~!!!
So after the interview they began letting everyone out except the winners of the drawing~! I had brought my Arena magazine from 2007 up for Miyavi to sign~!! He shook my hand and asked me my name~!! Omg Miyavi talked to me!!!! ME!! A little no one from New York City!! A dream come too~! (￣◇￣) I gave him my book to sign and told him I loved that issue~!! He seemed really happy~!!! I picked out a picture from the magazine and he signed it~! BUT!! Before he did he asked me if my name was spelled with a "C" or a "K". Like Miyavi couldn't even speak English 3 years ago and now here he is asking of the spelling!! I had just assumed that he would write it with a K because when you translate my name in Japanese it would be a K instead of a C. But he's really learned a lot! He knows there are more than one way to write it. It seems silly but it really made me happy~! After he was done with the signing he smiled and I told him I would see him tomorrow night and he laughed and said "Okay~!". Miyavi is super nice!! I love him~!! When the signing and hand shake event was over I was given a cute Miyavi sticker and some photos and Magazine of him! It was so nice!! Some staff members even congratulated me!
Here are some of the other things I was given~!
After all was said and done I went down stairs to meet with Merry and some other friends who were outside waiting~!!
So after talking with friends we went our ways. Ami and some of my other friends when straight to Irving Plaza to sleep outside the venue! I instead went home because I'm too scared to sleep outside! It's too hot and icky!! I want to be able to shower and change my clothing!! That and I have a curfew~!
I really had a great time~! Even though sitting outside was very uncomfortable I enjoyed every second of it~!! I got to meet my all time favorite guitarist/singer and had lots of fun with friends and even made new ones~! It was an amazing day that I wished would never end~!!!
wow EXTRAORDINARY STORY! Nicely written. Great pics. And you NEVER look like a dork. Too cute for a dork. I'm happy for you that you had such a fantastic experience. :-)
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