My feet are bleeding. My forehead is dripping with sweat. My ears are buzzing. My right palm may have permanent fingernail marks in it. The human body is simply not conditioned for this kind of physical strain. But oh, sweet reader, after you find out where I was for nine straight hours, you will realize that these pains are a small price to pay for a marathon of greatness.

On a balmy August 15 in Chiba, just outside of Tokyo, thousands upon thousands of rock, visual kei, and music fans gathered. It was time for JACK IN THE BOX 2009 SUMMER at Makuhari Messe. The expansive convention center with its semi-open air, standing only concert arena was an odd choice to house one of J-rock’s peak live events. Hosted by MAVERICK DC, this was no ordinary rock concert. It was a pilgrimage.

In the Beginning…

Jack, as its known to many fans, hosts some of the biggest names on MAVERICK DC’s roster and perhaps in the J-rock world altogether. This year brought in fifteen different acts ranging from the up-and-coming to the comeback, the fledgling artists to the hall-of-famers. But there were no headliners, no opening acts, and no one overlooked. All bands received equal time to show us their all.

After trekking from the train station, my skin and eyes burned by the unusually bright sun, I arrived at the miniature city that is Makuhari Messe. Upon stepping inside, you feel like you’re entering some sort of place of worship. The sudden rush of cool air is soothing but brief, as masses of fans frantically rushed around the convention-type area. This area housed the merchandise booths, which had a line so long and so compact I couldn’t even venture past the end of it. There are also some miscellaneous booths like Tower Records, a quick nail salon, and a small karaoke stage that went on throughout the concert. At one side sat an empty signing booth, which would later be the place of frantic peering as some of the artists signed autographs for the first fifty people who bought their CDs.

While this was all impressive, the other side of the partition was the subject of real excitement. Once I entered the area I squinted at the stage in the distance. There were two jumbo screens on either side, which meant everyone could technically see, though not necessarily in real time. The curtain was down and there was nothing of interest that my poor eyesight could scout, but I immediately noted how the floor was easily half filled with people. It was forty-five minutes before showtime and fans weren’t wasting their precious minutes lollygagging around the karaoke stage. The entire audience was to stand on one level, blocked off into four sections with a catwalk extending from the stage in the middle and a perpendicular walkway halfway back. The blocks themselves were huge and there were no restrictions on entering or exiting them. Stand as you please, but once you left your spot it would be gone.

There was no way I could compete for the front spot, especially not for fifteen bands in a row, so I settled on standing in the middle in front of the catwalk. Even standing on my own for most of the concert, the air was thick, humid and hot. They had the air conditioner blowing, but the open sides that led to the outdoor food stands pushed the hot sun’s wrath into the crowded area. I predicted madness. Fainting. Dehydration. Suffocation. Vomiting. And I wanted to see the security staff cart these people away.

Once the lights fell, I knew those sacrifices were necessary for the imminent fun of all. (more…)