Air World Tour 10
sodagreen
To mark their milestone 10th anniversary, feted Taiwanese band sodagreen embarked on a regional tour for much of last year.
Named after their first single Air (2004), the concerts were about taking stock and bearing witness to how far the band have come in a decade. They were also an opportunity to celebrate their much-loved works from Little Love Song to Once In A Lifetime to What Is Troubling You over the course of nine studio albums.
The meat of this package – a record of their gig at the Taipei Arena last July – is really in the DVD, which offers over 100 minutes of footage from the concert, capturing lead vocalist Wu Ching-feng’s peerless live singing as well as the top-of-the-line visual effects. From the video imagery to the rotating raised platforms, it was clear that a lot of thought had gone into the presentation of the songs.
The CD almost feels like an afterthought with only 10 tracks on it. Also, an audio-only version of a track with fans singing chunks of the chorus is not the most exciting thing to listen to.
On DVD, though, the extent of fan fervour comes across compellingly. Even then, it does not quite capture the full flavour of a sodagreen live performance, which often runs to three hours and longer.
If you can, get the version with the bonus DVD featuring the top 10 song requests made on the tour. This is a fan favourite segment as they get to shout out the song that they want to hear.
Not only does it showcase the musicality of the band as they take on sometimes obscure material on the fly, but it is also a chance for Wu to wear his variety show host hat and entertain with his quick wit and cutting remarks.
Now that the anniversary festivities are over, they will be working on the final album in their ambitious four-season project. Winter is coming and that is the best news for sodagreen fans.
(ST)