Unbelievable Sights, Indescribable Feelings
I woke up with so many emotions; I knew right away I had to write this one down. In fact, despite shutting my eyes at almost two in the morning, I woke up three times already throughout my sleep — not sure if it was sugar rush from the choco cheese fried banana I ate or just my excitement. But the feelings were clear, and I just had to let it all out. So, here we go.
Whether on television or the car’s stereo, oldies were the tunes that my parents always played back when I did not even understand how to play, choose, or skip songs. I never thought that it would grow into fond memories, to be honest. However, more than a decade later when things have certainly changed — for example, of course, now I know how to make my own playlist — some things just stay the same though.
I still play Celine Dion’s live medley video on YouTube countless times just to feel like I am on her show — yes, that video where she is wearing a purple dress. Westlife has never left my Spotify Wrapped at the end of every year. And not only do I remember the lyrics, even surprised myself, I know by heart David Foster’s ad-libs from You’re the Inspiration: The Music of David Foster & Friends.
Try not to read this with David’s voice and tone (I failed)
Ladies and gentlemen, my friend, Kenny G!
That was one of our best for sure! Let’s do our song from Karate Kid, shall we?
Brian McKnight, wow! Let’s hear it! Brian McKnight, wow!
That is how I believed, that in the back of my mind, I have always wanted to attend David Foster’s concert at least once in my life. Hence the goosebumps when they announced that Jakarta is going to close the Hitman David Foster and Friends Asia Tour 2023. Counting down the days to the show impatiently after securing my tickets includes not watching any clips from his previous Asia stops to keep the element of surprises alive — as if I was not watching over and over again his other performances. However, this show is really that special to me that I paid attention down to the littlest of things. Another case, I decided to sacrifice the comfort of wearing my old pair of glasses — and wearing the new ones I have had for months but only wore it twice before — to make sure my sight is crystal clear. I know, it sounds so unimportant — still, you do even the non-senses for the things that are so special to you.
What makes live performances spark joy to me is that they allow me to feel a wide range of emotions. Let me take you on a ride to the ocean-deep journey of feelings that a two-hour-ish magic called Hitman David Foster and Friends 2023 did to me.
An eye-catching view once I entered the hall was without a doubt David’s piano at the center of the stage. Throughout my life, it was the kind of scenery that only existed through television, phone, and laptop screens. Finally seeing it right in front of my eyes coupled with cheers and claps just seconds before everything began tremendously made my adrenaline go high — already a top-notch atmosphere that melted my heart.
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Greeted by an opening video first and foremost, I was captivated not just by the flash compilation of David’s greatest hits that got everyone singing along, but also particularly by the snaps of words.
For 40 years
A man
Has brought us
The soundtrack of our lives
“The soundtrack of our lives.” Whoever made that copy is not wrong at all. Personally, it is because I really grew up with them. It is because when I was struggling to finish my uni assignments, the album An Intimate Evening (Live) kept me accompanied. It is because from my hopeless to hopeful moments, at least one of his songs played on repeat. It is because I stopped changing the radio frequencies as soon as I recognized his melodies blasting.
And then there he was. The hitman. Surrounded by legends in the industry playing their respective music instruments. Loud cheers and the energy that filled the room made me shiver. And as soon as David hit the first keys of Winter Games, before I knew it, tears were already streaming down my face. The emotions were just too much. My tears consisted of ease; blissful that David’s music is a part of my core memory with my family. Yet they also stemmed from acknowledging the tough times I have gone through up to that point, with the help of his pieces — if that makes any sense. As much as it was a mixed feeling, rest assured it was one of the most beautiful feelings I have ever felt. I hope I did them justice in trying to portray it — because honestly I think it is best described only by experiencing it yourself.
From one song to another — with every clap, joke, laughter, tear, shout, smile, and everything in-between — we were recollecting, revisiting, as well as remaking memories. When David granted our very last wish with an encore song, I was in the very front row — mesmerized by how he masters every piano key. And in the split second that I made eye-contact with him when he was waving his goodbye to the crowd, I expressed my “thank you” to him. Whether he heard it or (most likely) not, the fact still stands — I am extremely thankful, and grateful.
It is unnatural for me to talk about my feelings, even to my closest ones, but this time I wanted to. My impressions — along with the abundance of butterflies in my stomach, tears in my eyes, ear to ear smiles on my face — are too precious not to be reflected and shared through words.
Truth be told, I could narrow down this writing to a sentence: I felt alive. But I chose the long road. Because then whenever storms come my way in the future, I will go back here. I will grasp each and every word so that I can reminisce exactly how I felt. For these kinds of moments are what we live for, and why we keep on going.
Friends, whether it is flipping pages of the books you read, trying out new dishes, making art, scoring points or hitting your personal best on sports, or anything else, I hope you also get to realize and find moments where you feel most alive — and hold on to them. A bit of a hint, borrowing the saying in A Whole New World, it may be those that give you unbelievable sights, indescribable feelings. Because Hitman David Foster and Friends 2023 sure as hell gave me those.
Jakarta, August 13, 2023
