From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

咚咚咚. 咚咚咚.

The drumbeats arrived, a call from ancient times, deep and heavy, distant and vast, breaking the shackles of time and space, resounding deep within the soul.

Thump, thump, uncontrollably, irrepressibly, the heart followed the drumbeats, pounding against the chest, blood began to burn fiercely, completely losing consciousness and completely losing self, lost in the long river of melody, yet involuntarily boiling with enthusiasm, waves of numbness rushing from the soles of the feet to the top of the head.

A kind of simplicity, also a kind of purity.

At this moment, the stage in front of them was no longer a performance, did not belong to the Grammy Awards, but was simply a kind of enjoyment, allowing everything to return to music.

Returning to the essence of music, returning to the simplicity of music.

In his gaze, Anson was so focused and so immersed, raising his eyes from behind the drum kit, those eyes filled with stars and seas froze the world.

Then, he looked at Lily.

The corners of his mouth lifted, their eyes met, the two exchanged a glance, and Lily's fingertips landed on the black and white keys at just the right moment, and Anson began to sing again.

“Whoa oh oh, oh oh…”

The clear and bright piano keys actually interpreted a texture of percussion instruments, intertwined and collided with the drumbeats, flying up and down and colliding between the high and low string sounds of the cello and bass.

Anson, was singing.

“Whoa oh oh, oh oh…”

Stars, scattered, as magnificent and dazzling as the Milky Way falling from the nine heavens.

Happiness and joy, brilliant and unrestrained, crashed head-on unexpectedly, causing a tingling in the nose and blurred vision.

However.

Archie didn't care, not at all, he didn't even need to wipe the tears from his eyes, raising his arms high, singing clumsily with his slurred voice.

Whoa oh oh, oh oh...

This was difficult, but he was still persevering.

And tonight, he knew he was right, foolishly and naively believing in dreams, he was not alone.

In the August 31st band, from the tenacity and sadness of the first song, to the persistence and joy of "Wake Me Up", to the magnificence and unrestrainedness of "Viva la Vida"—

They, equally small, equally fragile, equally insignificant, however, they were fearless, they were forward, they resolutely embraced the sun and the universe, showing smiles in the face of storms and disasters, striding forward to create the future with their hands, and music and dreams were their weapons.

Foolish, right?

Simply hopeless.

But Archie was willing to raise his hands high, cheering them on, following them all the way.

Because this kind of life was much more interesting.

Whoa oh oh, oh oh...

Again and again, Archie stood there like a fool, stubbornly and lonely singing, searching for his companions in the endless darkness.

Then, the singing gradually gathered.

Turning his head, Archie saw Gloria's face, her cheeks flushed red but still smiling, raising her hands high, jumping and singing and reveling to her heart's content.

Gradually, it became a single piece.

An unprecedented scene appeared on the small square outside the Staples Center.

However, they were lonely.

Because of the live broadcast delay, the broadcast on the CBS television screen was delayed by a full five minutes, so that the Staples Center was like an isolated island, quietly but wantonly reveling alone in the boundless darkness and desolation.

Yet it was perfectly in sync with the August 31st band's performance, breaking the fourth wall and forming a resonance inside and out.

Heart surging.

Rolling heat waves surged from the outside to the inside, completely surrounding the stage.

Miles. Connor. Lily. Anson.

Exchanging glances, sensing each other's existence, even without verbal communication, they could still complete the bond through their performance, the ups and downs of the past two years running all the way, finally climbing to the peak tonight, they could finally completely let go of their burdens and pressures and enjoy the music to their heart's content.

Smiles, blooming at the corners of their mouths.

Happiness, blooming in their eyes.

Between the surging and colliding melodies, Anson sang again.

“I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman cavalry choirs are singing, Be my mirror, my sword and shield, My missionaries in a foreign field.”

“For some reason I can't explain, Once you'd gone there was never, never an honest word, That was when I ruled the world.”

A clean and crisp fade-out, drawing a full stop, but without time to catch their breath, after a short four beats, the atmosphere changed dramatically in an instant.

咚咚咚, 咚咚咚. The drumbeats, rapid.

嗡嗡嗡, 嗡嗡嗡. The string sounds,激荡.

It could be seen that Anson and Miles sang in harmony, and their passionate performances released all the power contained in the melody.

Like a rainstorm.

蹭蹭蹭, 蹭蹭蹭. Bass, heavy.

叮叮叮, 叮叮叮. Keyboard, light.

Subsequently, Connor and Lily cooperated with each other, pouring all their passion and enthusiasm into the notes between the sweat, and the world fell into a roar.

Comparable to a torrent.

Surging, echoing, spiraling—

The charm of musical instruments was undoubtedly revealed at this moment.

Perhaps, the important difference between classical music and popular music lies in the fact that classical music relies more on the playing of instruments, and the emotions are娓娓道来 with pure melodies. Whether it is classical instruments or modern instruments, the beauty of notes and melodies will never change.

The reason why music can break the shackles of culture and national boundaries is源自于 the resonance of melody.

Tonight, with Beyonce's dazzling stage performance of fifteen minutes at the beginning, and the medley of familiar classic songs commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Beatles, the atmosphere of the Staples Center has already been pushed to the peak, and the现场 guests are completely immersed in it, and the general public is no exception.

Who can refuse such a视听盛宴?

The so-called stage should be a visual and auditory enjoyment, from songs to dances, from lighting to styling, the entire performance constitutes缺一不可.

This is a fact, a 100% fact.

However, from what time did this evolve into a fact?

Once upon a time, folk songs, soul, blues, jazz, did not need vision at all, and could touch the temperature of the soul only through hearing. In the era without television, the melodies flowing from radio programs could also拨动心弦.

For performances, vision is very important, but it can never and should not replace the status of hearing.

In front of them, the August 31st band was proving this with practical actions, creating a world belonging to melody with instruments and performances.

Reveling, falling, falling.

No one could refuse.

Everything,妙不可言, one soul after another was消融瓦解 in the performance, transcending language and thought, only the交流 at the soul level, the entire Staples Center融为一体 in the world created by the August 31st band, without distinction, without exception.