This one's for Moike

Just came back from a concert by The Thirteens (拾參樂團) where Deserts (張懸) was a special guest. She performed a cover of one of their songs:



拾參 was a blast as always, but this is the first time I've seen 張懸 live -- kinda surprising, since I've been chasing shows all summer. The thing is she's gathered so much mainstream popularity that her concerts sell out within 10 minutes they're announced.

She's very talkative onstage as people say. When she made her surprise appearance onstage today, she said it was one of the most relaxing and happy events she's done all summer. "拾參樂團 is a band that I respect with all my heart. Besides their talent in music, they also paint their own album covers and animate their own music videos. If you ever want to be an artist, learn from them and package yourself. Don't be like me and allow yourself to be packaged by other people. Don't lose."

At this she took a swig from her beer and tried to ha-ha laugh at herself but it's kind of a sad joke to laugh at. Started out as a high school drop-out, an autodidact who ran away from her mother to live on her own (she wrote 寶貝 when she was 13, after a huge fallout in the family), doing gigs between odd jobs. Now she's signed by Song BMG. You laugh with her and you wonder why you're laughing.

"Anyone else just got here after a long day's work? I know I have-"
A few people raise their hands.
"It's a Thursday. There are more of you here, I know."
Laughs. More hands.
"Gan, how are you guys not drinking? Where are your drinks your bottles your glasses? Raise em high. Fuck it, we deserve this toast. gan bei!"

On 拾參樂團's last song she passes around the tambourine and tells everyone to dance. "I know it's a little selfish of me -- I just want to see what kinda funny moves you come up with. But I can't dance either and I'm having a great time and you're more free than we are here. No reason not to loosen up a bit."

The Wall is usually a very polite and serious venue but somehow it felt like a friend's reunion tonight. I know what people mean when they say that hearing her is like catching up with a long lost friend.