Music can support your life: On Kazumasa Oda's 2025 Concert

Hello everyone. This is Shironeko.
Yesterday, I went to
Kazumasa Oda's Concert Tour 2025 held at the Saitama Super Arena.

The moment the intro of the first song started playing, tears welled up in my eyes.

This song is truly the soundtrack of my youth.
(I will intentionally keep the song title a secret since the tour is still ongoing.)

I have loved Kazumasa Oda's singing voice ever since his Off Course days, and his songs have always been by my side.
I have only been going to his concerts for about the last 15 years.

Considering his age, I have been attending them once every few years with the thought that,
"This might be the last time..."
It has been 15 years since I first heard Oda-san sing live.
I have nothing but gratitude that he has been singing on stage for so long.
The person who arranged the tickets for this concert is my beloved older brother.
Due to family circumstances, I couldn't live with my brother, but we reunited in our twenties, and since then,
even though we only see each other about once a year,

we have always remained close.
There have been several times in my life when I felt I had hit rock bottom.
Among them, I will never forget the year 2011.

At that time, I was blamed for something that wasn't my fault at work, and I was pushed to the brink both mentally and physically.
My perspective narrowed, and I spent my days feeling like I was trapped in a dark, deep hole, not knowing what to do.

It was then that my brother sent me Kazumasa Oda's album, "Domo."
Listening to it in the bath with a waterproof CD player, I burst into tears at the lyrics of

"Kyou mo Doko ka de" (Somewhere Today).

When I heard this song, I remembered something.

There is someone in this world watching over me.
There is someone who believes in me.

After crying my heart out in the bath, it was as if a weight had been lifted from my soul.

After that, I regained my sanity, left that job, and was able to move to a safe and peaceful workplace.
I believe that my brother's kindness and the power of music saved my life at that time.

I hope to write about this again someday, but when people are cornered, they often think it is their own fault and blame themselves more than necessary.
Once you enter that chain of thought,
you lose sight of what is right.

What saved me from that negative chain of thought was my brother's love and Oda-san's singing voice and lyrics.

At yesterday's concert, too, Oda-san's voice was transparent and clear, gently enveloping the venue.
It was a time when I truly received healing and energy.

I plan to see the Osaka performance with my brother later this month, and the Ariake performance with my son in August.
It is a miracle that I can go to Oda-san's concert three times this year.
Big brother, thank you so much for getting the tickets despite the high competition!

Music recharges energy in people's hearts.
And, as expected, live performances are amazing.
Oda-san's voice was gentle and overflowing with powerful life energy.

Is there a song you can never forget?
Is there a live performance or concert you can never forget?

Thank you for reading again today.