David Lanz

It'll be forever different now, whenever i pick up a David Lanz CD to play.

I sat (almost) at the feet of my favourite pianist today. Second row from the very front, stall seat.

My parents and i came on time and so i sat all by my lonesome at my seat (because they wanted the cheaper seats, so i paid my own more expensive fare) staring at the black Steinway & Sons grand piano.

The theatre was semi dark while the stage was shrouded in darkness, save for the few spotlights that highlighted the grand.

It was almost surreal just sitting where i was, looking straight ahead, waiting in controlled anticipation/conscious nonchalance (don't ask me why, maybe it's my personal disregard towards looking like a mad fan though i sort of am almost there in truth) for the moment when David (it gets tiring typing David Lanz) comes on stage.

The piano itself was an art piece, the way it stood there in its black, handsome and sturdy grandeur, yet it seemed to also pulsate its own alluring (sexy?) charm.
In David's words, like a "Dark Horse".

I know he composed a song with such a title attributed to the subject instrument.

The music playing in the background seemed almost cheesy in comparison to what i was going to hear.

Then the lights dimmed, covering us in almost pitch darkness.

And David walked out from the black corner of the stage, just as if he melted into our presence. Like, some Phantom of the Theatre house.

It was like a DREAM.

It's not because i see him as my IDOL in that obsessive sense, though but i go around calling him my "ou xiang" because he IS my favourite pianist.
Neither will you see hearts flying around my head and twinkling in my peepers.

But it was something so personal, though impersonal in reality sadly.

This person, whose CDs i've been listening to since i was in secondary school has flown all the way, half way around the world, to our little island to tinkle and bang (artfully of course), a few songs to us.

He was so REAL and no longer just a faceless musician.

The second he dived into his first song, i felt as if i was listening to the studio recorded CD track.

The way the lights dimmed on him as he prepared himself and the way it changed its hue, intensity and colour as he played his songs made him look like an artwork... a fusion, together with the Steinway.

It was a joy watching his fingers move effortlessly on the keyboard, making it look so easy.
Well, he made mistakes too... Two songs were riddled with mistakes.
But it just served to make me think him all the more human. And real.

He's just like one of us. Just... with different circumstances in life.

There was once i noticed how tensed i was all over throughout one of the mistakey songs.

There was just something intriguing about the way a human can command the piano. Pressing the right buttons, hitting the chords, how hard you depress the keys...
Something about control, something about doing it right.

Reminds me of.. God? But doesn't quite fit, right.
:-)

He played mostly the most touching, romantic and all time favourite songs. And those, i am very familiar with.
Some of the others are from albums i possess and a couple from a new album not released here, "The Good Life".

David made his concert a little interactive. Melike. And he has a pleasant sense of humour.

There was this little medley of "childhood songs" which he played and it was just SO FUN!
He did little "gimmicks" here and there, like giving us little funny expressions while he played, pretending like there weren't enough keys on the board when he reached the end of the board, putting on sunglasses when it came to the fast, funky and upbeat part, and DELIBERATELY taking them off when it slowed down to the more "serious" parts.

It was entertaining then. Couldn't get enough of it.

And mind you, besides playing romantic pieces, he's a pretty darn competent jazz pianist. In fact, i think he does play jazz. And if you ask me, he looked a whole lot more comfortable playing jazz.

Oh... i've had a taste of what it is like to experience music live from an artiste i appreciate.

I hope there'll be more events like this to come. But first, i have to find more musicians i genuinely love.
Hm, Keiko Matsui's another.
We'll see.

I am hoping that the image of David sitting at his dark piano, with the dim coloured lights enfolding him, will stick in my mind for a long time to come.

But more so, i hope he returns.

And that those jokers would jack up the publicity.

Till then.
*a pity that i didn't get to speak to him. I remember leaving him a message on his website about how nice it'd be if he came to visit, and perform at our arts centre. It's his first time in this part of the world, he said.*