MORRIE brings back the feeling of Solitude in second New York live show

MORRIE, the influential frontman behind the bands DEAD END and Creature Creature, has returned to New York for a second installment of his Solitude concert series. He has been doing these series of shows in Japan for some time, but only recently has he performed these shows in America, the last New York date being on August 27, 2017. Having it held in the same venue as the last date made it feel familiar, in a way. For instance, I knew who I had come to see, but I also came with the mindset of “will this show be as similar as the last? Or will he bring us something new?”. The audience, who seemed more tense at the last show, seemed more relaxed and quiet this time, but excited chattering could be heard throughout the seated venue.

As the show began, the lights were dimmed, with just one singular spotlight on MORRIE as he walked onstage. His setup, was essentially the same as the last show, with two electric guitars, an acoustic guitar, one amp, pedalboard, and two wine glasses with water next to a small bowl of guitar picks. He calmly walked onstage, without saying a word, and began to play. Stripping down complex songs into versions that require the only person to play guitar surely does bring about a feeling of solitude. MORRIE definitely captures this well through his solemn stage presence, and one might assume that he is a man with a very stern or serious personality, but this is entirely not the case, as his small speeches in between songs showcased his surprisingly charismatic personality. Touching upon many subjects in between songs was a nice change of pace, otherwise the show would have seemed monotonous.

My most favorite word is “Nowhere”. When I was in junior high school, I found that Nowhere is a combination of Now and Here. Here. Where? Here. Nowhere. That really indicates the truth.

MORRIE explained in between chuckles. Definitely more comfortable with speaking to the audience this time around, MORRIE took his time sharing stories with the audience, as well as asking questions like “Is it too hot? Too cold?” and “Is it too bright onstage?”.

MORRIE is definitely loved by many fans worldwide, even in the United States, and it shows in the number of people who showed up, ecstatic to witness him perform. Not much has really changed from the Solitude live last year, as MORRIE has decided to keep the very core and essence of his sole performance intact. It’s atmospheric, mesmerizing, and definitely showcases MORRIE’s musical talents, alone in solitude.

Setlist

Melancholia Ⅲ
Kanpeki na Sora (完璧な空)
Sleep In The Sky
Lilac Wine
Unchained
Epinoia
Riding The Night
Kaosu no Naka ni (Cosmosの中に)
Kokodewa nai Dokoka (ここではないどこか)
Shin-En (神猿)
Definitely Maybe
Harukurue (春狂え)
Go Under
Sign
Vanishing
Calling You
Hikaru Kouya (光る曠野)