HighSchool Japan Tour 2024.3.6.Wed at CONPASS Osaka ~Written on March 20 but edited on Aug 19~

To confess, I had never heard of the band before I saw the post on social media announcing their Japan tour including a show in Osaka. My genuine reaction was, “Oh, this band is coming to Osaka. Why not just Tokyo? I guess I’m coming along then.”
Going to a show of a band I only started listening to a while ago is quite rare for me because of its uncertainty and my lack of knowledge about them, however, this time, it didn’t take much to make my decision.

The venue opened at 6:30 pm, but my sister and I arrived there around a little later than 7 pm. So as soon as I stepped into the area, I walked fast to the merch stand to witness only a couple of CDs left on the table. I quickly took my wallet out and handed two 1,000-yen notes and was relieved to secure a piece of the band’s physical artwork.

Forever At Last CD

Although I found this band only about a month before the tour, ever since I started listening to their music, I can’t stop hitting play every single day. What’s worse is I listen to them in every situation possible: when I’m getting ready to go out, on the commute train, in my head during work, on the train after work, while taking a bath, and before bed. Maybe this is because it has only been two weeks since I saw them live and the music and the beat have still stuck in my head, which often happens after every good show. Especially, when there is a song that became my life-long song.

Do you have your “anthems” that will always be on your side no matter what happens? Or do you know a song you sure was written about you? I absolutely do. Listing them up makes me feel a bit insecure and too open but let me share with you for this occasion: “King City” by Swim Deep, “Vroom Vroom” by Charli XCX, “Don’t Go Wasting Time” by Alfie Templeman, and newly added is “August 19” by HighSchool. I will not go into detail about why the first three songs are my anthems, but if you want to know, maybe giving it a listen will give you a clue, and maybe they might also make you feel the same way I do.

“August 19” by HighSchool is added to my collection now, and it’s one of the songs that feel like a fate; it just didn’t come to my life but more like, “found” me, if I’m allowed to say so. I knew it was going to hold a special place in my heart from reading the lyrics, but the feeling got stronger after seeing the band perform the song live.

Here are the lyrics:

I slept all night
Found death in life
Let me go

I went out to zone two
The bus stop, the phone booth
Life just goes so fast
Some things never last
You're breathing down my neck

24 hours I've been waiting for
The uniform you're wearing at the movie store
Everything back then felt so beautiful
This lifestyle could never hold a candle to
The love we had back then
Back when we were friends
Borrowing your pen
The teacher made you cry
He wouldn't shake my hand
I'm glad I met you
So glad I met you

Tracing the lyrics takes me back to good old memories but also tells me that we cannot go back to experience them again. You sometimes think about what people you used to hang out with are doing right now. It takes courage to reach out to them, so instead, you remember the times you and them were the whole world back then or the times when you felt you could be anything. And this is how I interpret the song and reflect on my recent thoughts in my mid-twenty life. Looking back on the past and its beautiful memories can mean that you want distractions from what you’re facing in this current moment, but I think that’s what’s actually needed when you want to keep going. Because you realize whatever you’re struggling with now, it will eventually become a beautiful memory to look back to in the future.

My extra thoughts:
Finding a song that truly connects with you does not happen so frequently. I know I’m not the only one, but there is no day without listening to new music and whenever there’s a song that “hits” me, I immediately check the artist and hit the like button to mark it for later. ...You do this too right??? However, there are barely few songs that you will actually go back and listen to again. ...Do you agree?? Are you nodding??

I feel blessed to live in a world with access to many new artists and songs that spice up my life. But it is also true that not every one of them gets recognition from people who actually need it. It’s not anyone’s fault, though.
In this world, you just got to dig deep for true gems, I guess…