Opus Jay 2013 World Tour
Singapore Indoor Stadium/Thursday

It has been a long wait of three years for fans of Mandopop king Jay Chou.
Not counting his gone-in-a- flash appearance at the Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix last year, his previous major concert tour here was in 2010.
That slickly produced gig at the Indoor Stadium was filled with bells and whistles and a hologram version of the singer. While that was a frenetic affair that could have done with a breather or two, it so happens that the 34-year-old’s latest concert could have done with snappier pacing.
As it was, it ambled along without really building to a climactic high over close to 2½ hours.
The evening had actually started out quite dramatically, with a flying vehicle seen in an introductory video clip appearing, stationary, on stage.
And Chou emerged from it in a red outfit, looking as though he had haphazardly raided Ali Baba’s treasure cave and piled on the gold accessories. The most eye-catching accessory, though, was doubtlessly his fab abs.
He launched into the fast-paced Exclamation Point and Dragon Fists backed by a phalanx of dancers as jets of flame burst forth on the edge of the stage.
It was a fiery start but Chou seemed to be in a nostalgic, almost pensive mood when he spoke to the sold-out crowd of 9,000. He thanked fans for their support over the last 12 years and asked: “Have I gotten older? Have my fans become dads and mums?”
He was not subdued exactly but maybe he was holding back a little given this was the first of three sold-out nights at the stadium.
Or maybe he has been stretched thin with his upcoming nostalgia musical The Rooftop. He plugged that with an entire sequence as the stage was transformed into a makeshift movie set and he put on 1970s-inspired retro garb.
The mini-musical did not work too well partly because there was no plot and partly because there were stretches when those singing were not named Jay Chou.
The concert was most enjoyable when it reminded one of the genius of the songs the star has penned over the years.
The giddily entertaining Dizzy Eunuch was a definite high point on his most recent album Opus 12 (2012) and the words tumbled out at such a furious pace your brain could barely keep up with his singing.
At the other end of the spectrum were winning ballads such as Quiet and Obviously, which Chou performed on an ornate piano that Liberace would have felt at home with.
A medley of past hits stripped down to guitar and vocal accompaniment had fans cheering in delight as they recognised each familiar refrain. But it was a pity that Chou launched only into snippets of classic tracks such as Starry Mood.
During the second encore, the mood brightened up when he brought a Hawaiian party vibe along for Ukelele, complete with giant beach balls bobbing about in the crowd.
As the concert ended to the strains of Common Jasmine Orange, one could not help but wonder if the energy level would pick up over the next two nights.
(ST)