Yoshiki – Carnegie Hall – New York (A PopEntertainment.com Concert Review)

Yoshiki – Carnegie Hall – New York, NY – October 28, 2023

Yoshiki is a Japanese musician and composer. As the drummer, pianist, and founding member of the rock band, X Japan, he is no stranger to playing iconic stages around the world like Wembley Arena, Madison Square Garden and Coachella – just to name a few. Fresh off of the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, Royal Albert Hall in London and the Garden Theater in Tokyo, Yoshiki’s classical “REQUIEM” tour made its final stop at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The audience filed in one by one, some in costume as it was Halloween weekend and some in their finest attire. Soon enough the room was full, the lights were dimmed, the ushers let in some final stragglers and the performance began.

The show started with the orchestra alone playing a piece composed by Yoshiki before he took the stage. A short video was played after the first piece to give the audience a glimpse into Yoshiki’s life. It talked about how music had been a part of his life since he was a kid, what his relationship with his parents was like and what being the first Japanese artist to have his handprints and footprints in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood meant to him.

He reflected on moments in his career when doctors told him he wouldn’t be able to play the drums again after getting surgery for severe damage done to his neck over the years and how he was able to overcome this and get back to drumming once again.

With a smile on his face, Yoshiki then took the stage, and the audience welcomed him with open arms. The performance consisted mostly of pieces composed by Yoshiki where he was accompanied by individual vocalists and a full orchestra behind him. He also performed songs from X Japan’s discography, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake where he was joined by a ballet dancer on stage, and even a drum solo.

Every person listened attentively and with great appreciation, you could feel the excitement buzzing in the room before he even took the stage and it only felt stronger when he began to play. It was a beautiful night that felt like a true celebration of music and Yoshiki’s career to this point.

Ruth Bekele