I know there are some songs he also performed that I do not remember, and a few I didn’t know!  One of them--"Tian Mi Mi"--was not his song at all, but a tribute song to  the late Taiwanese artist Teresa Teng, a very beloved singer who died tragically of an asthma attack in her hotel room while on vacation.  [Many thanks to Shereen Kang for identifying for me the song title and artist in question--I couldn't remember either!] The audience was so moved by Wakin’s performance of her song, that I’m sure I was probably the only one there who’d never heard it before. 

The concert was nearly three hours of sheer magic.  It really was.  “The Wind Blows On,” is one of my very favorite of Wakin’s songs, and hearing him perform that was truly a highlight for me!  And I’m sorry, I know that Bob Dylan wrote “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” and that someone else recorded it once upon a time, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s Wakin’s song! Wow.  Every time he sings that song, I'm moved to tears!  The same thing goes for “Ocean Deep” as well, which he performed here in English and in Mandarin!  My apologies to Cliff Richard, but that song too, is completely Wakin’s!  Just breathtaking.  I love to hear Wakin sing in English!

Audience Participation

Periodically in between songs, he would stop and chat with the audience.  Like always, I wish I knew what he was saying!  I’m sure it was funny, because everyone around was laughing, including him. Many people all around the arena called out to him all through the show.  We’d hear someone scream “WAKIN!” from some dark corner of the arena, and he’d look up and laugh, or acknowledge them by saying “Yo!” and then following that up with something funny.  He has such a great rapport with the audience.  No matter how many people are in the arena, he has this way of making it feel so warm and friendly that you forget you’re sitting in a concert hall.  Just amazing how he does that! 

At one point in the show, as Wakin was walking back and forth across the stage and waiving at the balconies during a song, a group of people from the floor gathered at the base of the stage, just under where he was standing.  He waived at them, reached towards them and shook some hands, sang to them for a little bit and then moved to another side of the stage.  The group followed him, and went to stand beneath his feet again when he stopped!  This went on for at least one song, if not two.  Back and forth across the stage Wakin walked,  and quietly the group on the floor followed him, like a very large shadow.  It was so funny.  Wakin of course loved it. 

When he disappeared to change into his white suit, it appeared that the concert might be ending.  The audience started shouting “Encore!” and chanting, “Wa-Kin!”  The people in the VIP seats began clinking their cutlery so hard against their glasses that we were sure something was going to shatter!  It was clear that the audience wanted more.  Quite right, too!  So did I.  Who, after all, could ever get enough of Wakin singing, right? Definitely not this crowd, that much was certain.

When he reappeared, the concert went on another good thirty minutes.  He took many requests from the audience, and we got to participate in singing “Flowery Heart,” one section at a time!  It was great fun! 

Giving Out the Grand Prize

Then he brought out a small flat box, and opened it towards the audience.  It was the diamond butterfly necklace!  Next, he called a pretty lady in a black evening gown from the VIP section up on stage.  She gave her name, and he asked her if she could sing his songs.  She said she could not, and the fans started booing!  So he said, “Even if I give you the necklace, you would have a lot of pressure stepping down those stairs,”  and helped her off the stage.  Later he spoke to her again and said, "Since you have so many diamonds all over already, you don't need it."  He probably hated not to give her the necklace once he'd pulled her on stage.  Rowdy fans! Ha-ha! (Many thanks goes to Lily Chan for correcting my original translation and giving me an accurate account of this part of the show!)

The next gal he called was also in the VIP seats and very pretty, but more simply dressed in a sweater and slacks.  She ran up to the stage, so excited she was giggling all the way, making Wakin and everyone laugh!  We all knew then he’d found a fan--and the girl who would certainly win the necklace! 

            He sat down on the steps, and she sat next to him, so excited she kept giggling and hiding her face, and flopping her head against his shoulder.  Wakin was falling about and laughing so hard that he couldn’t talk!  This of course, made all of us laugh too!  Finally he started off singing, intending that she should pick up and finish the line.  She literally wrenched the mike out of his hands and sang that song with all her might!  She was auditioning for that necklace, and she was determined to prove she knew the words!  Everyone applauded loudly when she had finished, pulling for her to win! Everyone enjoyed her performance, and when she finished he gave her the necklace!  I don’t think her feet touched the ground all the way back to her seat.  Lucky girl!  Now THAT'S one cool concert souvenir!  Ha-ha!

All Good Things...

   After giving away the grand prize necklace, he sang a few more songs. Then all too soon, Wakin and band members joined hands across the stage and took a series of well-earned bows.  The long-awaited, much anticipated show was over!  In actuality it had lasted nearly three hours--perhaps more.  But for me it went by so fast! 

    It was one of those happy little times that I think we all come to at some point in our lives, when we want to freeze time, grab hold of a special moment and never let it go.  But of course, such things are not possible.  All good things must come to an end, at least under heaven, anyway.  All we can do is relish each minute to the fullest, and hold onto the memories in our hearts, long after the curtain falls. 

Dreams Really Do Come True

   Seeing Wakin live in concert has been a dream of mine for several years now.  Many people may not understand why someone would go through all the trouble, time and expense to fly four hours across the country just for a concert,  but that's okay with me.  I know that everyone has something they would literally crawl over cut glass to own or experience.  This just happened to be one of those things for me.  The fulfillment of a dream, no matter how big or small it may be, is a feeling unlike anything else on the face of the earth.  When something is important enough to fight for, it makes the victory all the sweeter.  The San Francisco concert was so worth everything I had to do to get there, I'd readily do it all over again!  Here's hoping that sometime in the near future, Wakin will come back to the USA again, and I'll have another chance to do just that. 

Want to see more pictures from the concert?  Check out the exclusives section of the gallery!

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