Music Elixir
Eavesdrop on a conversation between two friends about their favorite Asian artists and music and how music is their tonic of life.
Music Elixir
The Real Price of Passion Navigating the Challenges of Music Merchandise and Live Events
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Ever felt the pinch of eye-watering concert ticket prices or the disappointment of missing out on exclusive merchandise? You're not alone. Join us as we navigate the treacherous terrain of ticket scalping and merchandise scams. With the Fujii Kaze ticket frenzy as our backdrop, we're comparing the crazy resale costs to life's big expenses and spotlighting the pitfalls of pre-release merch madness. It's a world where being a vigilant fan is as crucial as being a passionate one, and we're here to share our shock, advice, and maybe a laugh or two about our own pre-show synchronicity.
As the music industry's battle with scalping rages on, we're front and center in the discussion of the financial strains it imposes on fans. We've all been there, grappling with the temptation to splurge beyond our means just to catch a glimpse of our idols live. Sit with us as we explore recent efforts to curb ticketing injustices and the heartache of fan club presale letdowns. We're swapping tales from the trenches of the ticket war, offering empathy and a dose of reality to fans facing the music of sold-out shows and elusive tickets.
Then there's the beat of J-Pop's latest and the solo ripples in the BTS universe – we're on it. From ARASHI's Matsumoto Jun to BTS's RM, we're dissecting solo ventures and group dynamics, ready to prep you for any concert with the latest gear (like the 'army bomb' for BTS fans). Our conversation goes deep, touching on music's personal impact, the thrill of the hunt for that rare SUGA shirt, and the ways our favorite tunes shape our identity. So if you're ready to get personal with music, merch, and everything in between, plugin for a session with your go-to banter duo.
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DJ Panic Blog:
OK ASIA
Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of Music Elixir Rants and Ramblings with me, sarah, and.
Speaker 2Did you?
Speaker 1panic. You always get a kick out of how I open this. I've tried my like radio voice.
Speaker 2Yeah, but sometimes if I wiggle, you start wiggling, so I start helping you stuff.
Speaker 1I noticed we've got our hair the same way again.
Speaker 2So I'm just like looking peripherally, I'm just watching what you're doing.
Speaker 1Well, I think, because you started humming our theme music before I started talking, so I was dancing along to the theme music.
Speaker 2Yes, all right so they have been a lot of news, yeah, and of course our hot tech take still those tickets news, yeah, and of course our hot tech take still the tickets. We're not. I'm not letting that go at all, no, because more things is happening. They're happening then, things I'm noticing. There's things that I'm noticing that I want to discuss.
Speaker 1I'm gonna bring it out. Well, I was gonna say because you, you sent me some screenshots because we were unable to get tickets for fujikaze, exactly, and you were like, oh well, I'm going to just for shits and giggles, look at what's available still. Yep, I almost like fell out of my chair when I opened that screenshot.
Speaker 2You were like is this for real?
Speaker 1Like yeah, I am not that tech savvy, I don't know Adobe, so I'm not gonna change anything because I was like, was that somebody else right had posted it being like oh my god, but that was actually your findings? Yes, do we dare tell people what two tickets?
Speaker 2if you have not seen this from my ex twitter at okay asia, underscore dj panic, I posted actually a screenshot from my phone for a pair of tickets. Now these are not the actual price of the tickets. This is a resale price this is a scalper I do want to stretch that that this is a resale price. And now I can't. What happened to my picture? Now, I can't find it. What? Oh no, there it is. You got it. I found that I found it.
Speaker 1I was gonna say I can find it okay.
Speaker 2The resale price for two orchestra, orchestra, seating orchestra is six thousand fifty two dollars and ninety five cents and that does not have fees right yeah, no, wait a minute. Applicable tax may be added to your order at checkout, so this will change right to probably 6200 you know, yeah, I was gonna.
Speaker 1Well, yeah, about another 150, I would say in fees and taxes on top of that, exactly right. And I mean, the seats are good. Oh yeah, I saw where they're located. They're definitely, you know, right down front, oh yeah, but off to the side, yeah, like, not prime, like center front no, but these are really good seats.
Speaker 2Is there, uh, right side of the orchestra row d, section 9 and 11? Seats 9 and 11. Sorry, but the section of the row d. But anyways, what I know, that's a mortgage payment for a really nice house.
Speaker 1Yeah, I was gonna say that might be two months of mortgage payment depending but this is for a really nice house. Yeah, this is a mortgage payment, all right and that, or a good down payment on a car, oh yeah oh yeah, if you live where I am um probably three months rent yeah, I was gonna say where I am, that's almost six months rent. Six months rent, right, so wow come on.
Speaker 2Do you wanna uh have a roof over your head? Or do you want to see casa for one time and then just be in that?
Speaker 1I know wow not crazy, especially because when you first looked at tickets, they weren't the orchestra, they were the, the balcony, but still they were only balcony, were?
Speaker 2only 50. 50 is balcony and they're going for right now $600 to $800.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's insane, like that's just insane. And then, though, they also posted, I think, because this is another part of all of that Going to see a show, you go, we love our merch right? Oh yeah, they posted a statement about how is their merch for sale already, when we don't have it out for sale, like people are already copying.
Speaker 2One thing they have done a pre-sale, so the pre-sale have not gone out. There's a pre-sale for their merch that you can go, and if the pre-sale sells, then do another pre-sale have not gone out. There's a there's a pre-sale for their merch that you can go, uh, and if the pre-sale sells, then, uh, do another pre-sale. But this is a pre-sale. And they have even stated the pre-sale hasn't even been shipped yet and there's already people selling merch right, official merch. Well, it's the same, that is official but it's not.
Speaker 1There's counterfeited bullet well, it could be official, because this is. This is how I have received some of the stuff I got for, like, rse. Yeah, people I knew who were going to the shows were like this is the merch that's going to be available. Some of it may be different, but you know you can. There's always clear files. There's always this, so they're willing to take orders in advance based on I'm going to be there, I'm going to buy 10 of this, so you'll be one of the people to get it. So I think some of this is people who bought pre-sale and just bought like 10 T-shirts or whatever and they're like now I'm going to sell them to other people. So some of it could be official, but some of it could be official, but some of it could be, yeah, counterfeit copies, because that always happens, you know people.
Speaker 2But this one for cassette. Nobody has received the pre-sale because they have not shipped nothing.
Speaker 1No, I know they, but it's people pre-ordered in a way that they will now have enough to sell to other people. So they just screenshot the pre-order menu, whatever Like here's a t-shirt, there's a this, there's a that, so they pre-order it for a certain price and then they're going to resell it, just like the concert tickets. So they pre-ordered 10 t-shirts and now they're going to sell either all 10 or at least nine of them at a higher price so that they make money so I'm gonna read a rough translation okay, thank you to one of cassatarian send us about this letter.
Speaker 2It says it's so. Everybody's a rough translation. You can actually find that on music elixir. I kind of like uh, repost it. And it says in English translate it what's with all our new merch on auction sites and flea market apps right now, question mark. As for the H-E-H-N team, we haven't even shipped them yet and today we are in the process of printing the Purcell slips, just so you know. We are now going to cancel the purchases once we find out they are made by sculptors. Slash resellers. Please don't buy the merch ridiculous price at other than the official store. To all who couldn't buy the goods, we're truly sorry. Your turn and chances will definitely come. We may be able to sell them afterwards too. To the guys trying to resell them, we have filed a request for disclosure of information so we'll know who you are. I hope everybody will not be deceived into purchasing them. So that's the situation with Casas merchandise.
Speaker 1Well, you do. You see that frequently, people yeah, ebay, whatever marketplace, even Amazon yeah, people are selling Even Amazon. And that's what they're going to do is be like so why is this person buying 10 T-shirts? And they're going to look up who they are and see if they're selling stuff on various you know auction sites and marketplaces, and they're going to be like we're canceling your order, so now you have to refund money to whoever's. Pre-ordered from you, you know, but like, yeah, it is, it's just another form of scalping. Yeah, reordered from you, you know, but like, yeah, it is, it's just another form of scalping. Yeah, and it's very different because, like, the way I got my stuff was, people were like, hey, I'm going to the show, you want me to buy you some stuff. And I'm like, of course and I know I paid a little more because their time, their effort, their you know shipping and stuff but like I wanted, it right.
Speaker 2You know Like I wanted it Right.
Speaker 1So I don't quite view that as the same, because they weren't. They didn't make me pre buy it on some site. They were like, if I can get it, what do you want, right? Kind of thing. So I was only had to buy what I asked for and if they could get it, kind of thing. So sort of like having your friend say, oh, I'm going to show you want a T-shirt.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, you know what I mean. I know I was like I can't go. Can you give me an extra large of this? You know, you know, you know my taste. Like sarah, I always tell her you know my taste. And then she's been like we're gonna be twinsies at work and I'm like that's all right, that's all right, which we?
Speaker 1do. That happens even when we go to shows together. That ends up happening.
Speaker 2That's okay, because we went to shows together. Other people will hide us in shirts, you know. That's all right. We're part of the crew, you know.
Speaker 1But yeah, so this is definitely more. I've seen this happening a lot more now. Yeah, yeah, it's like suddenly a t-shirt that you could get at the show for 20 bucks yeah is on one of these selling sites for 60 bucks exactly. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2Triple the price, or sometimes quadruple or or more. You know like these tickets it's somebody like desperate to have the you know, you know like pay my mortgage. You know this is like a month's salary for me. I'm like no, oh my god yeah, it's insane. This is not a uh, you know diamond ring that you make. You know what is it that commercial, I don't know how many like payments I don't know, yeah, what salary pay.
Speaker 1I don't know, yeah, yeah when they're like salary payment yeah, I'm like three paychecks to buy the ring, what I'm like. Yeah, or three, no, three months salary, it's three months salary, yeah and I'm like you're thinking what kind of salary is this? Yeah, not my salary, but okay and that money could go to something a little more useful yes.
Speaker 2So, oh my goodness, oh my goodness, I, I was floored. I'm like, hmm, just you know I'm gonna. Yeah, it is because it's a ransom rally at rambling um, I just put out my two cents and, uh, universal music had actually reposted. Tickets are still available to see Kazen in New York, and I'm like that's why it prompted me and I'm like, well, let me check what's going on. Cool, the only thing that is available are resale. Those are not tickets that are available. Those are resale tickets from somebody who just wants your money because they don't really want to go to work, exactly, or these are bought from other ticket agencies. Hello, you sent me a screenshot of a ticket reseller called Vivix the nosebleeds that they were $50. They were selling two for $250 each, each $250 each, exactly, well, and that was the thing is.
Speaker 1It was like for as low as yeah, $237 each, exactly Well, and that was the thing is it was like for as low as $237 each, exactly. That's like if there were any for that price available, exactly, but everything else is higher. Yeah, it was insane.
Speaker 2I was like what the other thing that it got me like, excuse me, oh, we have flexible payment plans. I'm like what, what do you mean? Flexible payment plans Meaning, if you don't have a credit card, hey, open a credit with us and then you can pay it little by little, I'm sure with 30% a year. I mean, you don't have that, the $600, whatever $6,000. Hey, man, you got a payment plan for that. Why, you want to have payment?
Ticket Resale Scam Discussion
Speaker 1No, no, well, it's like all those marketplace sites. Yeah, Four easy payments. I'm like, if I can't pay for it in one shot, I'm not doing a payment plan Exactly. Where you're going to get even more money out of me. No, no.
Speaker 2They will do that and I just you know, I have one family and I'm like no, no, no. If you cannot afford it, if you cannot afford that price, you are not to buy that. You cannot. No, but no Payment plan. No, yeah, to be in debt? You're actually paying more. Try like payment scam. Exactly, you end up paying more for those. Exactly, you end up paying more for those tickets. We're paying more for whatever merch it is. No, don't go in debt.
Speaker 2No, definitely not this is my psa, my public service announcement to everybody out there, especially the fans. This is something has to change, it just has to change.
Speaker 1Well, I thought there was something just got voted on as far as ticket prices, but I didn't. You know, in the series of news stories available I saw a little blurb, but I didn't click on it because I was at work.
Speaker 2But yeah, they supposedly, you know they keep talking about it.
Speaker 1Yeah, nothing changes.
Speaker 2Yeah, so we have our friend Miss Marianne. You can find her on Rosemary Rosemary not.
Speaker 1Marianne, why am?
Speaker 2I thinking of Marianne Because her name is just thinking. You know, back in the 50s there was a lot of Rosemary the Mariannes, so I do like her comment when she goes. So you have been talking about this problem. This has to be over the top, though, for resale pricing, like, did they add extra zeros or something? This is her being funny. Will they eventually come down? Because please tell me, there aren't fools who will pay that much. And yeah, the system sucks. You say it, rosemary. Definitely it does. It does suck. And yeah, no, please, this is insane. Who the hell just like that? One ticket bts 10 grand so yeah no friends.
Speaker 2I I am so sorry this is happening. They just this has to just be over with. This is insane. We mentioned before has this this is different in asia.
Speaker 1You know, like this is ridiculous, this is ridiculous in the us they have the lottery system, which is, we've talked about how ours used to be. Like that, you just sort of you got what you got. You know, you're like I need four tickets, blop there you go, you got them. But yeah, I mean, I definitely I pick and choose what I'm willing to spend more money on. Yeah, but even for me there is a limit to how much I'm gonna spend. Yeah, you know, like, like going to see Arashi, I turned it into a vacation, you know.
Speaker 1I Exactly I wanted to go to Hawaii. Here was my opportunity. I did it, you know, but I at the time could afford it. It wasn't something that I was like all right, I'm just going to max out my credit cards and do this. I had money set aside, I was working a good job, still working a good job, but you know I'm not so good with my money saving at this moment, but you know what I mean. So I was like is this something I'm willing to? Yes, I was like I'm not even going to keep asking myself the question. Yes, I'm just going to do it because may not be able to do it again. Yeah, but if the tickets for that show had been, you know, a thousand dollars a piece or whatever. I don't think I would have Right, because you know, then, on top of that, I'm paying for the trip to Hawaii.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, it's like you know again, just because it's part of the United States, it is, oh, just because it's part of the United States.
Speaker 2It is.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, mad expensive it's for Well, and also it's further to travel than going up and down the whole of the UK five or six times. Right, it's like mileage wise it's, you know.
Speaker 2I mean it's a really long distance, it's quite a travel to make for a show you know Now that we're still talking about tickets, because we're not over yet. Pre-sale for Travis Japan VIP went on sale.
Speaker 2Our friend out in California couldn't get it, nope Sold out. And then she even said I don't know if I'll be able to get the sale which is going to be on Monday Well, she's going to be at work. She said I don't know if I'll be able to get the sale which is going to be on Monday when she's going to be at work. She said I'm going to be at work and I'm going to sell, so I don't think I'll be able to see them. So I'm like how many times can you sell that? Then she's just saying the fan club. So I'm like, ah, first dibs, the fan club. So this is interesting so this is interesting.
Speaker 1So if there's yeah, anything left over, then it'll go. General admission for non-fan club members right because that's how we got rse, the fan club. All of the packages and whatnot were bought up and they had extras, so they were like all right, if you're just a regular person wants to go, here's your, your chance.
Speaker 2So that's, this is for the fans who did not, that are not able to. Well, hello, you couldn't even be able to get into the fan club unless you, you know, jump some hoops, met somebody know something else, if you did the whole you know espionage type to be part of the fan club, so you know. So, yeah, so that's that's so. I feel so bad for her, I know so. Now I'm thinking, now I'm gonna keep my eyes on those tickets, because if those come on resale, um, I know right, I'm gonna be so pissed, I'm gonna be so angry, because what happened to y'all? So be the same thing we also be. Now you have only resale. I'm like, what at the f? Why are there resale for that? There's resale for kathy. There's, yeah, also be, which is another one. That's now that happens resale.
Speaker 1What the hell with everything, though? Because, um, even when we went to go see, uh, the pet Boys in New Order, one of the because one of our friends decided, after I had already bought that block, that she wanted to go, and I was like, well, crap. So I was just trying to find one in the same general area because there were no more Right, and it was resale. It was already resale verified and I was like what the fuck? And that wasn't even thousands of dollars, but it was still more than what we were paying. You know what I mean? Yeah, two big artists. So I mean, you know, yeah, it's like just ridiculous.
Speaker 1The legalized scalping, Because the fact that you're still going to the site you would buy the regular tickets from, and they're like, oh well, we don't have any tickets, but this scalper because you know what I mean, there's no other explanation for it there couldn't be that many people who bought their tickets and then were like, oh, I can't go to the show, so I'll sell it for quadruple the price. Exactly. You know what I mean. I'm not buying it. No, that's when they do that. The verified resale should be for the face value of the ticket, exactly. You shouldn't be able to resell it for more than you paid for it exactly.
Speaker 2It's ridiculous, ridiculous I know, girl, it's like people are trying to do this just like their hustle, and I'm like this is no hustle. Yeah, yeah, you're hustling other people's for their money. But you know you're hustling people's hearts. You know you're trampling on people's hearts. These fans are being, you know, looking so forward to like their favorite coming to their town. Exactly. You're like I love you. I haven't seen you. I would love you if you come to. You know, like new york boston. You know we're like, oh my god, you come into my area, yay. And then this happening now I want to see what's going to happen.
Speaker 2I want to keep my eye on travis japan tickets to see if there's going to be any resales for seattle and la which they have sold out for the vip, I believe you know.
Speaker 1Let's see if those come out as a resale yeah come on, then you know this is something shitty, so those were not really fan club members no, exactly, and it's so weird, right, because we've talked about a lot of times they limit how many tickets you can buy. You know you can only get. And you know, in order for this to be, I guess, financially lucrative for the scalpers, they must have multiple accounts and buying the maximum number of tickets on these accounts and then reselling. Because, like I said, I can't imagine there's that many people who are like oh I tickets, I can't go, I'm gonna sell them for, you know, four or five times the face value, because I can't like that's not how that would work yeah so this is like a business for people.
Speaker 1Of course there's got to be a way to monitor that, you know? Oh, I don't know you know it is.
Speaker 2It is shady to see rows of tickets right for resale.
Speaker 1Come on, come on eight seats together. Gee, eight's the maximum you can buy exactly and all eight in a row resale.
Speaker 2Wow, really like I would have been like if I was, let's say, a ticket master or be like oh, it's quite interesting, they're all a ticket that you have, but I right now is a resale. Here's your money, I will put these on sale. Yeah, you know like this could give the money back to that Whoever bought those eight tickets and just put them up for regular price.
Speaker 1Yeah, I don't know that. Well, they must. They must get some sort of kickback on those resale so they're not worried about it because they're like we already made our money on the base price because you know they're making money even on that. So they made their money already and now they obviously get some sort of kickback on these resale tickets if you were a um conscious company who really, you know, wants to have the fan, have the experience then, yeah, they wouldn't think about money and being lucrative, about, you know, trying to get money out.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, no, yeah, they will get money but so that's why they allow it, because they're still good. They got their original base price amount and now they'll get something else.
Speaker 2Oh yeah oh, yeah, sure there's something after the transaction is over. Oh, by the way, we take a blah blah blah percentage out of your sale. You know reseal ticket for our blah blah blah because you use our.
Speaker 1You know all that bs yeah, it's true, we're never gonna shut up.
Speaker 2No, because we are tired of this BS.
Speaker 1We're angry and we're tired of this BS because, well, a lot of times it's hard enough to get tickets to the shows you want to go to. Yeah, you know when you're talking about just the, the fighting amongst the fandom to get tickets to the show. So then you have people who are just buying tickets to profit off of they have no interest in the artists. They just know they can make money by buying the tickets and reselling them. Like that's just.
Speaker 2I can't even like vocalize how frustrating and angry if I want to be angry is angry at the fan club members for taking the tickets, not for the pre-sellers. You know, oh, this, you know those who those are that those are the people who I want to be angry to other fan club members, but it's their fans. It's just to let me know, hey, if you become a fan club member, then I get this, you know.
Speaker 2Then, yeah, I want to be mad at them, not at the pre-sellers. I don't know if that makes sense, but it will go to the fans, Like with the fan club.
Speaker 1it would just be more like you're jealous because they got tickets and you didn't. It wouldn't be because you're angry at them.
Speaker 2No.
Speaker 1But like yeah, yeah, that it wouldn't be because you're angry at them. No, but like yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. If it were just you knew you were fighting amongst other fans, exactly, I'm gonna be jealous because you're part of the fan club and I'm not right, because there's no overseas fan club.
Speaker 2There's no us fan club. Is there a us fan club for travel japan? I don't know, I don't think so, right? No, so there you go, because there's no flak of pharmacies, you know. So let's see. Like I said, I'm going to have my eyes open for that. If there are pre-sales already for Travis Japan, oh hells, no, that's just complete BS.
Speaker 1Yeah, we'll see. We'll see how it plays out Okay.
J-Pop News and Updates
Speaker 2Yes, we're not not gonna shut up for that, but anyways for the tickets. Uh, oh. So we have a news from to be. They have unveiled a new trainee group called deep house. Yeah, I don't know what deep house, but hey, deep house. The identity remains mysterious, so we don't know it's. Let's see, they are six member group. That's what I see here. Everybody's very skinny. Are they younger? I did look like they could be in their late teens.
Speaker 1See I don't know what japanese males.
Speaker 2Sometimes they look like they're in late teens and they're like in their mid-20s. So so I don't know. So from the picture they look very young. So we'll see opportunity to grow right. We'll. We'll keep our eye on it. Since this just came out, let's see the announcement was made on May 17. So pretty recent, yeah, let's see. Deep House is scheduled to perform at several upcoming events, including the IMP concert on June 13 and 14. P concert on june 13 and 14. Uh, also kitayama hiromitsu show on june 15 and 16. And and miyake ken's concert on june 22 and 23, all at tokyo's ariake arena. So there's a show.
Speaker 1I guess they're going to be the opening act for them Like opening band, yeah, opening group, yeah, artist.
Speaker 2And perform with them as well. Cool Says here. Stay tuned for more updates on D-Pals as they gear up for their debut performance next month. Okay, so in June we're going to be seeing more about the six-member group T-Pals from 2B Debut performance.
Speaker 1but what about debut music release? Any mention of that, that's it.
Speaker 2Maybe on YouTube.
Speaker 1Yeah, we'll see.
Speaker 2Interesting Another big announcement made.
Speaker 1I keep waiting for you. I'm like is this? What are you gonna mention this? Is this the announcement?
Speaker 2arashi is june. Matsumoto embarks on solo journey, embracing new horizons he pulled a Nino. I know the Russians were freaking out, the ones that have the fan club. They're like oh my god, you pulled something. Some were the ones who do not know Japanese much. They thought that he was leaving Arashi. It's like no, no, no, he's not like Sarah just said he just pulled a Nino. Yeah, he's not. Nope, nope.
Speaker 1Like Sarah just said he just pulled a Nino. Yeah, he's focusing on himself and his career. He's going independent from the company but he's staying with RSU, which is, whew, breathe a sigh of relief with that one. But he's always been sort of the biggest rsu cheerleader, so it would really, I think, take a lot for him to say no, I'm leaving. You know what I mean he loves his brothers. Speaking of, I saw a thing on okinawa today. I was watching so I was thinking of, oh, no, satoshi. But I was saying, after this announcement, let's watch, see who goes next. Oh, so they're. You know what I mean. Like I wonder if they're all sort of working towards that staying as arashi, but sort of, uh, forging their own path as far as taking control of their own destinies didn't also show.
Speaker 2It's like that recently. Doesn't he have wait a minute?
Speaker 1he just did a website, right yeah, he created a website, but is that did he? Is that what that was? Now I'm like, wait a minute, did he?
Speaker 2I totally had forgotten right show did do some something too. Yeah, I think it just was. So. This is matzo june, so everybody seemed to be like, oh my god you know well to show it was.
Speaker 1It was just sort of so quiet and he just incorporated into oh here's this thing, I've got my own website. Yeah, like you know what I mean. Like it wasn't, it wasn't presented as I've left the company, right, it was just I'm doing this thing now.
Speaker 2He probably didn't leave the company, but he's just doing his own thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1It's funny because we talked about it too.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Because I was like, did he? It was like so subtle.
Speaker 2Yeah, I guess the show was so serious. You know Not that so subtle. I know, yeah, I guess Shou is so serious. You know Not that Shoujou is not serious, but it's just. Yeah, this part is yeah. Our Asians were just like huh, huh, what? No, no, he is still with Arashi people. Okay, calm down, it's all right. It's all right. You know, it's just a departure of starto, that's it. It's so fitted for him.
Speaker 1You know how you know, well you know, so that he can sort of take control of deciding when and how he's part of production of things. That's another thing.
Speaker 2Everybody was like he's not gonna direct any other shows. Oh no he probably still will, but independently so he's gonna make some money if we're gonna do this. Blah, blah, blah blah. This is my price.
Speaker 1You go, june, you go mj, go for it so yeah, that was when I was seeing the first flutterings of stuff about that. I'm like what are people are freaking out what's happening exactly and then, finally, someone gave a translation and they were like nope, nope, he's just like just left the company he's still with arashi yeah, he's just pulling in. Well, you know, and they just they will. Five of them, they're never going to not be Arashi. How's that? Yeah, no matter what?
Speaker 2But yeah, like you said now it leaves Ono and Aiba.
Speaker 1And Ono. I mean he's been MIA anyway, but, like I said, I saw something about Okinawa and I was like I wonder if he's out on Okinawa. Yeah, he's out there fishing, doing his thing, yep.
Speaker 2Looking like a fisherman.
Speaker 1You know, getting a suntan.
Speaker 2Exactly, oh, my God, and I don't know. Aiba has been, you know, busy doing all this stuff.
Speaker 1Who knows? Well, he's still, he's doing his acting and he has his little cooking show, and so, yeah, he's, he's keeping busy, yeah, and he's got his family. Yeah, I wonder you know any more on the way?
Speaker 2right. Like nino has two iva, only has one right right and show has one and show has one.
Speaker 1You know, maybe they're one and done, who knows? But I'm waiting for nino to announce another one. Oh my goodness, I think he really sort of digs being a dad. I get the feeling he likes it. He doesn't talk about it, but just the way he is you can tell he's like Such a good girl dad too.
Speaker 2I know he has two girls and Aiba has a son that we say he probably gets bullied by the. By the casonaris, the casu girls. Casonari girl, you're the team you should be like. No Bye dad, you be nice to the girls. Now I can see this whole interaction. I don't know, maybe he's the one that's being a total menace. You know, we don't know. Who knows? It turns to be that usually females get more traits from their dads.
Speaker 2You know, that's something that I have seen. And then males tend to get more traits of their mom, like you and your dad, you guys cannot be together.
Speaker 1Because you both think alike. Yep, oh my God. Together because you both think alike. Yep, oh my god. Oh my god if there's two little girls running around acting like nino, though, little troublemakers, wow, independent little troublemakers that's what he's probably got pranking everybody oh my god.
Speaker 2And then you know they got influences like fuma hanging around oh, mg, I think fuma will be scared of them, so oh, wanna keep. Rock announced a tour, yeah I saw that a world tour. Which family is kind of mad because they're not coming to the us only one date they're going to la yeah, that's it.
Speaker 1I was like wait a minute, what happened?
Speaker 2they used to go all over the us this is a very small tour, for you know.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, I saw for their usual, this is small very small, because when I looked at I was like wait a minute. At first I didn't even see la, so I was like what?
Speaker 2there is only eight dates, so two dates in um. On tokyo, they're going to taiwan, germany, paris, england, canada and california. That's it, and apparently england was sold out. Same thing with paris. I believe that's what I heard from family, because they were looking, they were looking at and apparently England was sold out. Same thing with Paris I believe that's what I heard from family because they were looking, they were looking at Canada and I'm like, listen, I would love to go to Toronto.
Speaker 2That's another place. I want to go in Canada. Nope, even though it's a Friday though. Oh yeah, so you could make a weekend. Yeah, but it's an October 18th and things are happening after August 1st. So, yeah, unless we win the lotto. But yeah, this is very. It's a small tour for 1OK Rock.
Speaker 2Now, family was saying that tickets needed to be purchased for pre-sale through their 1OK Rock app. Oh, so if you had downloaded the app, you were eligible for the pre-sale. But family was saying that they have actually downloaded the app and they were having problems connecting. So I don't know if there was a high volume through the app. There were other people also complaining. You know, hey, I have the app, but you know I wasn't able to get a ticket, so something happened. Nothing has been announced in the news. This is just, you know, fans word of mouth of what's going on with the app. So I'm I'm wondering. This is me thinking maybe the group have this app for fans, true fans, so when there's concerts, just to buy it through their app instead of going to the ticket seller to minimize the whole scalper thing. This is what I'm thinking. And maybe they use test, test drive, let's say, yeah, the app.
Speaker 1Well, for the you know, to see how it will work well, you know, I was gonna say I think actually that that's what epic high did. We weren't able to go last year, but when epic High was touring the tickets were not through a regular like a big company ticket seller.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 1I was on some sort of Epic High site to buy the tickets to go to the show. So I wonder if that's sort of the same thing, because they were like the ticket prices weren't outrageous but for whatever reason we couldn't go. But if I'm remembering correctly, I think that was their way of keeping the ticket prices down and for the fans and for fans as opposed to reselling, because I went through the whole process of navigating everything and stuff. That's interesting if artists start doing that. I mean I think it sort of depends on how big and what company you work with right musically whether or not you can do that. But I wonder if that's their way of trying to prevent scalping and reselling and all of that because this is come on.
Speaker 2It's gotta be depressing as a group when they telling you you have sold out, I don't know, the arena. And then, when you get up and stage, you're like how come that section is empty and you say you're sold out? Where are the people who bought those tickets exactly? And how come these you know, like several sections are empty and rows of seats are empty. You know they're saying you have sold out the arena. Well, how come those seats are empty sections, rows of seats. Of course, as you know, if I'm the artist I'll be like what happened to those people? Are they okay?
Speaker 1exactly how come like yeah 20 people are not there.
Speaker 2How come us? You know 16, 10, whatever rows you know, or eight. What happened to those people?
Speaker 1That happened when we went to see the last rock stars and they had added dates. Yeah, Remember they'd sold out and they added, I think, one or one, maybe two.
Speaker 2I think LA and maybe New York.
Speaker 1Yeah, in New York they had originally only had maybe one night, one night.
Speaker 1And then they added another night and they were sold out. But when we were at that show there were chunks of seats and people. I don't think it was that there was assigned seating. But if it's sold out, why are there just huge blocks of seats, not even filled? You know what I mean. So same thing. I was like sold out show but there's gaps everywhere. Yeah, and I mean there were. If you had a floor ticket, it was floor ticket. If you had seated tickets, it was seated. Yeah. So it wasn't like people were sneaking down onto the floor right because they couldn't get it, so it was like there's a capacity, you know.
Speaker 2That's why you have, you know, a ticket number, because, yeah, you're allowed to be in there. So if I'm an art, you know, if I'm the artist, it'll be like because they look and talk as one of them that he just likes to take in the whole crowd and he looks and see, okay, let's see what's going on here. Where's everybody? So, yeah, I can see, here are my peeps, you know, I know where to come because you know they show up. If you know, if it's a sellout and it's like what happened to the sellout.
Speaker 2You know I mean they're not going to be paying attention to like.
Speaker 2Going back to the let's say ticket master and be like how come these are on resale? But now companies are seeing this and you know I'm just thinking that 1ok rock have noticed the pattern and maybe hoping that this app will help the fans get to see them, not as some scalper out there just buying tickets to, you know, take your money and not have not that, avoiding real fans to go to their shows because of it you know, yeah, I was trying to think with the back to travis, japan and the fan club stuff, I think, because it's so hard to become part of the fan club anyways.
Discussion on RM's New Sound
Speaker 1I'm sort of thinking that that's the same thing as what one okay rock was doing is, because it's fan club, most of the fan club people aren't going to be buying tickets to resell because they're in the fan club, they're fans. Obviously they want to see the show. So I'm wondering if that's sort of part of what's make makes it harder for things like this to happen. Right, I could be wrong, but it seems sort of like that's along the same lines as having your own app the way one okay rock does and, like I said, I'm pretty sure epic high did too yeah so it's, yeah, just another way of trying, trying to.
Speaker 2I'm sure epic high has seen this game control like this is not fair. This is not fair for our fans. You know they, you know they're excited to see us. We want to see our, our fans, exactly you know.
Speaker 1And this has got to stop and we don't want our fans to go broke trying to scramble for tickets from outside forces scalpers. Yeah, so yeah. Now that makes me even more curious to see how the travis japan sales ticket sales are gonna be I want to see what happens after may 20th and see if there's gonna be any resale.
Speaker 2You know if it's gonna be a resale for people who bought it on the 20th, or resale for like, or if there's already resale. Oh girl, I'm gonna check that out. So curious about it. Maybe, um, I don't know, I don't know so any other big news?
Speaker 1well, how about this sort of on an almost personal level, if, if you do have yeah go ahead.
Speaker 2Personal ew. What do you mean? Well, no, no.
Speaker 1Look at me personally. No, I don't mean like your boy, rm. His album's coming out soon, yeah, and his single's already out, yeah. Come back to me. I don't know if we're going to do a talk on it or not at another later date, but how do you feel about it?
Speaker 2I love a talk on it or not at another later date, but how do you feel about it? I love that song. I know right, and you know, watch my color from hyoko was part of it. That's why I had that vibe. I'm like, yeah, I can hear it.
Speaker 1I can hear it. Yeah, no, I think he's. He just released the the track list. Looks like he's got a few different collabs going on. Yeah, but it was interesting because I was like, wow, this is like. I mean, indigo was really different when you think of rm rapper from bts, yep. So you're like, oh, wow, this is more his musical styling right some people.
Speaker 1I've seen a couple of people being like, oh, that's not the sound I expect from him. Okay, why do you not want him to grow and expand his horizons as an artist and experiment with things and try out new stuff? Like he's stretching himself? This is him testing himself and what he can do and how creative, you know, creatively diverse he can be, and you know, of course, yeah, not everything's your, but like to totally just discount it and be like, oh, that's not the sound I expect from him I sometimes listen to this one.
Speaker 2I ask you know, like, how old are you and when did you start listening to BTS? Those are questions, those are very important questions, because I think, in my opinion, some younger ARMY are not going to vibe this as per ARMY who's been there from day one, or ARMY who are more like older ARMY, which we have plenty.
Speaker 1Yeah, definitely army, who are more like older army which we have plenty?
Speaker 2yeah, definitely, and so it just also depends how old are you?
Speaker 1you know how old is this? Well, I mean, I know it's. It is a lot is musical taste. But if you expect a certain thing and it doesn't happen, then of you're disappointed. But like, how tunnel vision, how micro focused is your taste in music that you can't sort of appreciate. You know, I don't know Because we listen to so much and we are so all over the place, because a lot of people were like that with Layover, with V.
Speaker 1They were like, oh well, I I was like it's not, he is v of bts, but this is not bts exactly so that's the same thing with, you know, with rm with sugar, with j-hope with jungkook jimin, you know, like they're, they're all it's their solo project. Yes, not BTS. This is.
Speaker 2RM off BTS Right. People need to separate that. This is his solo. This is RM.
Speaker 1Well, and I was thinking too, you sort of need to wait for the whole album to come out as well, because I'm pretty sure there's probably some sort of fluidity to to the music and the sound that's going to be expressed, much the way indigo did, and you know what I mean. All of them, their albums always have sort of this connectivity about them. So I you know there's probably more than one sound happening on this album. So I hope people aren't going to not listen and not give it a chance based on the fact that they don't vibe this particular sound. But I don't know how you can't. There's something so smooth and cool about this. Comeback to me.
Speaker 2Do you know what I mean? They're like, it's so voice here right, yeah that's what I mean. It's so personal. That is, oh, my baby, I was like it's like, uh, I'm like, oh well, it's.
Speaker 1It's really just from that first, I'm like well, what I really like about it is it's it's sort of like you're just listening to him talk to you about something right and that's what I really.
Speaker 1When I first listened to it, I was like, wow, this wasn't quite the sound I was expecting, yeah. But as I listened to it, I was like this is such a personal moment between me and RM and it's not because the whole world's listening, yeah, but the way the song is presented is like he's just talking to you, telling you what he's sort of going through, what he's going through what, what's in his head and how he's feeling about things.
Speaker 1You know what I mean, and so. So that's what I really love about it. I'm like, oh my God.
Speaker 2I know I'm going to get into my delusional head right now and this is a delusional talk. He's been listening to us because that first thing on the video, when the guy gives him a cigarette and he's like, no, I'm like say your favorite smoke, I, I'm like say your favorite smoke. I was like in my head I'm like pick it up, rm, pick it up, show them that you smoke. Pick it up. He's like no, no, and I'm like come on you playing around, I know you do.
Speaker 2I love that. I'm like he doesn't have to say anything about the video the cigarette part. I'm like, oh, the. I'm like he doesn't have to say anything about the video the cigarette part. I'm like, oh, the cigarette. I'm like you chewing it away. No, come on, pick it up. Smoke, tell him. I mean, I smoke.
Speaker 1Oh my God, oh my, that's so funny Right.
Speaker 2Oh, my God and like.
Speaker 1I said, I know, not everything is going to be everybody's particular taste, and there's certainly songs out there that I'm like, oh yeah, I don't know if this is quite my vibe, even though it might be exactly like something else I do. Right, that's the other thing. You know, sometimes it's it could just be the headspace you're in at the moment when you hear something. It just isn't quite. But the minute I heard this, I was like I did have a moment of wow, this wasn't what I expected. But then I was like, wow, this is so awesome.
Speaker 2Remember, the teaser came out and I said to her this is going to make me cry, why do you have a? Feeling that this song is going to make me cry, but it? Why do you have a feeling that this song's gonna make me cry? But it did not make me cry.
Speaker 1It just felt, very, felt, very personal, and it was just rm having a conversation, you know yeah, I love it was the video was pretty cool, him going from room to room looking for somebody well, yeah, just trying to to get back to something, yeah, that remembered or felt, you know. And there are times, yeah, you totally feel out of body experience. You're like, why am I here? This is not me, even though it was you at some point, and maybe you are trying to get back to it or maybe you're just reflecting on who you were at that time. But yeah, I, I really liked the whole way that that that worked. He comes full circle with it and he's there. He is drink I don't think he was smoking, but he accepted a drink and he was laughing and having a good time.
Speaker 2You know what I mean drink is acceptable, not to smoke. It was not holding the cigarette.
Speaker 1Okay, I didn't think so, but I was like you know it, it does. It comes full circle, sort of after this period of reflection and just talking, putting it out there, getting it off his chest, saying, hey, you know.
Speaker 2He was just different people. It was just not him, it was just different people. There was the breakup with you know your girlfriend. You know you're having a fight with your girlfriend. The part that you're a family man but you don't feel like you're there for your family. The part that you are with friends or whatever co-workers that party that he was there but he was like.
Speaker 2You know, I'm not feeling this place so just just like you're leaving all like disheveled and like confused and not feeling happy with yourself and also going from room to room looking for the happiness I want to say or the comfort, your comfort. Yeah familiarity, something.
Speaker 1No, it was all really very, very well done. He was different people.
Speaker 2He was just not like oh, the baby you know.
Speaker 1Oh, yeah, yeah, Well, and that could also Think about, you know, the expectation on him to be to be a family man, to be someone in a relationship with no rocky traumaticness, to be the life of the party all the time, to be the good, well-behaved kid. You know what I mean? Yeah, Like all of these things like expectation and him coming in terms with whether or not he can do any of those, and it's okay to not do all of them or to do all of them or to just do one. You know what I mean? That it's something that there's so many things.
Speaker 1There's so many, no, exactly, and also that it's okay not to be okay right you're not going to be vibing any of those things right, well, and and that none of them, as perfect as everyone you know tries to say oh, when you have a family, everything you know, it's not always the perfect solution?
Speaker 1it's not always the perfect way, you know. Oh, you're such a perfect couple. Well, people like you don't know what's going on behind that, and you're the dutiful son or daughter, you know, and it's not always how that is Like they come with stresses and pressure and, yeah, I think the whole thing was very clever and very well thought out and very reflective of who he is as a person. I mean he, you know, he's always thinking about all of these things, all at once yeah.
Speaker 1Like the amount of responsibility and pressure, pressure he puts on himself all the time, things all at once. Yeah, like the amount of responsibility and pressure he puts on himself all the time, all the time, you know, because he is always scrutinized. Yeah, poor guy. We love him the way he is. He's fine. You're good by us RM.
Speaker 2He is perfect to me. It is perfect to me. He brought out the woos in you.
Speaker 1Of course I miss him, so I'm really happy about that and I can't wait.
Speaker 2I can't wait for that to come out. I got the pre-sale yeah, me too. You just have to now that we're talking about rm, I've been looking up to buy the most recent army bomb because I need to get ready just in case we don't have the most recent army bomb. I don't want to buy it from amazon, but you're part of weavers, right. Can you buy me one?
Speaker 1I'll pay you back yeah, no, I was thinking of that. I was like, no, maybe I'll just buy them. Yeah, so we have them yeah, I can do that.
Speaker 2Okay, hopefully they don't throw a new one out.
Speaker 1We'll be like dang it well, this particular version has like sold out and been restocked like numerous times ready. Yeah, yeah, they're getting ready. No, I can totally do that.
Speaker 2And if there's any other stuff for BTS, I do want to still get that Suga shirt, the extra extra large, the white one.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, no, they don't have any of that. No, no, they don't have any.
Speaker 2It's amazing, suga, although they have Suga um, I won your old merch I want to live from you this freaking army with the stuff we missed out on. Come on, the lady gave him the wrong one, but I'm surprised both of us that's messed up.
Speaker 1I know we both got a wrong item with all our stuff Because we couldn't open it.
Speaker 2They just like Anyways.
Speaker 1I know we can go on another tangent.
Speaker 2We can go on tangents on merch Tickets. We're not going to get over this.
Speaker 1No.
Speaker 2Because I am doing my own investigation. I'm taking screenshots and I'm posting it out there. This just has to stop. I don't have the manpower or legal. Next, you know Legalese, legalness. Or at least a lawyer to be next to me and be like okay, you can talk about this and say about that, you know. No to scalpers, please. Buy merch only from the reputable website you know.
Speaker 1The official fan club sites. Exactly Right.
Speaker 2That's what I did with Bad Bunny. If they had it at the venue, of course, I'll buy at the venue. Otherwise, I just go to their website and buy it over there. Exactly.
Speaker 1Well, I was going to say, as private citizens, we're allowed to state our opinions, so it's okay.
Speaker 2yes, it's all good, and we state them frequently and adamantly I do want to say that I did bought a bootleg out of sheet t-shirt just because they don't make it my size and they don't make this at all. I want to say it was um fan made merch. Yeah, I think it was. It was fan made birch merch.
Speaker 1So, yeah, it's not like you bought a faked concert t-shirt, right, yeah, I know, remember, you're like, I like that.
Speaker 2I'm like, well, it's not. You know, it's bootleg. This fan made merch. So people just say, oh, that is so cute, and I'm like yes, they are and it doesn't say are actually too so. But uh, if you're a narration and you see it, you'll be like, oh yeah you so know yeah, they'll know it's like, but that's not official. No, it's not official, it's fan made. It's all fan made. Now, sar Sarah says we're over an hour We've been talking a lot.
Speaker 1When we talk about ticket prices, we get very poetic.
Speaker 2Yeah, no, I'm going to keep going. Like I said, this is going to be a continuation, especially now with the Travis Japan tickets. I'm going to do my investigation, see what's going on and see if there's any pre-sales after that. Yeah, girl has to stop, has to. Oh, and I want to double check also, uh, what's going on with one okay rock and see if there's any resale oh yeah because they already went on sale on through that app.
Speaker 2All right, yeah, I have some investigations to do. We'll talk about it for the next time all right, so please rate review and cheer, cheer, cheer. Give us five stars because we love our constellations and our astrology today was omg, I know right, but also, if you're so inclined, please become a subscriber. So we can maintain the podcast. These episodes will stay in archive for quite some time and talk about it.
Speaker 2You can listen to them as many times as you want. You can share it with your friends, share, share, share, like I said, and have discussions, which some people have having some discussions with our episodes. Yeah, yeah, you saw that that posts in uh x twitter. Yes, I did all right and yes, make your request, just like bestie did on that last episode. We did listen, we did get your request. Sorry it took a while, but we ask please use that form, are we good? No, I think we're good, until next time. Bye-bye, bye-bye, johnny.