Concert Tickets

So, I got up really early Saturday morning and went down to the Deo Deo (huge electronic store) to wait in line for concert tickets. You can't buy tickets online like you do at home. You either wait in line at a place that has a set number of the seats for sale (twenty or so), or you call a phone number that's almost impossible to get through. A machine answers the phone and you have to push all these buttons while it asks you questions (this is all in Japanese of course). I decided to go wait thinking it would be simpler as they will show me a seat map and I just could point and say "koko" (here).

I arrive at 7 something in the morning. The tickets don't go on sale until 10:00 AM. I thought people would be camping out from what I'd heard, but no one was there. I waited for about fifteen minutes and an employee walked out of the store (which didn't open till ten either) and I decided to ask in my bad Japanese if I was in the right place because I didn't want to stand here for three hours and then later learn I should have been waiting somewhere else! So I asked, and after a couple attempts, he understood and pointed me above ground at a different entrance.

I walked up there and there was NO ONE there either! So I figured, this can't be right! Well about fifteen minutes pass and a couple people start lining up behind me, so I figure I'm at least in line for something! Finally 9:30 arrives and the guy who I originally talked to comes up with a box with little pieces of paper in it and gestures for me to draw. I do so, and draw a piece of paper, though I'm a little confused as to what is going on at first. Then, it hit me, holy crap, I got up early and now at 9:30 everyone that's there draws a number and forms a new line! What in the heck? You think whoever got there first would be the first in line. Why even get there early then? Yeah, I got to draw a number first, but so what?! I still don't understand why it went down like that.

Anyway, so I go back underground to wait in my new line. I was lucky and drew a four. Only one girl was in front of me. I later figured out she was buying tickets for a different show, so it happened that I was first in line for my show! Yeah!

Then I get inside FINALLY and they show me a seating chart. Well, the best seats they've got are what appears to be (I could be wrong because of my illiteracy) were 15th row! Of course I took them, but at home if you wait in line like that you get killer seats! The whole system was so not what I was expecting. Oh well, I am pumped that I got my tickets, even though they are 15th row.

Oh, and by now, if you've bothering to read this far, I'm sure you're wondering, well who the heck are you going to see? The picture above is of the artist I am going to see. She is a pianist/ popstar. I love her music and I have been singing it weekly at karaoke. She sings mostly in Japanese. Occasionally a few English words are thrown in, which is common in music here. I bought her piano book, but of course I don't have a piano over here to play, so it's just sitting here in front of me on the tatami mat taunting me with it's awesome musical arrangements.... *sigh* One of the things I do miss....

Anyway, the waiting system for tickets was insane, but I am happy to have my tickets and very excited about the show in December! I have missed going to concerts!