Carole & Tuesday Live ~The Loneliest Girl~ + Exclusive Post-Show Interview

6:37 PM August 16, 2019

Anime

Carole & Tuesday [Anime Title]

Pickup,

Jet Nebula

DSC6358-CAROLE-TUESDAY-Live-Capture Carole & Tuesday Live ~The Loneliest Girl~ + Exclusive Post-Show Interview

“Carole & Tuesday’s Concert Review: Mars’ Brightest Come To Life!”

Event: 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～The Loneliest Girl～
Date: Sunday, August 11th, 2019
Location: Harajuku Quest Hall, Tokyo

Intro: An Intimate Venue

On Sunday, August 11th, 2019 the first live show for the hit new anime by Shinichiro Watanabe “Carole & Tuesday” was held at Harajuku Quest Hall, 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～The Loneliest Girl～. The show featured the singing voice talents behind Carole, Tuesday, and Angela - in that order, Nai Br.XX, Celeina Ann, and Alisa. Harajuku Quest Hall is also currently the location of a limited Carole & Tuesday pop-up cafe, so it was the perfect place to also host the concert. There were actually two shows that day, one in the early afternoon and one in the evening which we attended. When we arrived 45 minutes before the doors opened, the queue for entry was already down all three flights of steps from the venue to the ground level! Everyone was ready to see their favourite new anime girls brought to life.

Just outside the concert hall, huge flower displays for the performers were showcased for everyone to see. There was even an exclusive merchandise stand selling concert t-shirts, towels, can badges (which sold out very quickly!), a cute Giggy plush, and of course the Carole & Tuesday first album. The venue itself was very intimate, with about 300 seats set up in the hall with a stage in the front. The backdrop for the stage was a huge screen that displayed the Carole & Tuesday Japanese logo, with a single keyboard and acoustic guitar waiting for their musicians. Because of the limited space, no one had a bad view of the concert and everyone could see the singer’s faces clearly. Plus the show was live-streamed for people currently at the Carole & Tuesday cafe, as well as fans around the world who could tune in on YouTube! So while around 300 Carole & Tuesday fans were waiting in person for the concert to start, countless others around the world were around their computers getting ready, too.

The 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～The Loneliest Girl～ show was attended by almost exclusively Japanese fans, but from all ages and genders. Most people were also dressed quite fashionably, fitting in perfectly with the Omotesando vibe just outside the concert doors. It was great to see an anime bringing together so many different types of people all excited to hear the same music and enjoy the evening together.

I watch Carole & Tuesday every week right now! I can’t wait for Thursday.

Me too! I always keep my Thursdays open for my girls.

Performance: An Emotional Stage

The 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～The Loneliest Girl～ live show began with the same opening that the anime has projected on the big screen behind the stage talking about the upcoming seven minutes’ of fame, putting the audience right into the anime from the start. During this intro, Nai Br.XX and Celeina Ann entered the stage, Celeina carrying her acoustic guitar, and accompanied by the keyboard and backup acoustic guitar player. As soon as the introduction finished, the musicians began the first opening song from Carole & Tuesday, “Kiss Me.” The screen continued to project different scenes from all the episodes of the anime as they performed. During this first song, the audience remained respectfully silent, stunned to hear the voices of Carole and Tuesday brought to life by two real young women. To add to everything else, Nai Br.XX had her hair pulled back in Carole’s style and was sporting a pair of Timberland boots, Carole’s favourite shoes. And Celeina was wearing a white dress much like Tuesday’s and was even playing a Gibson Hummingbird - the same guitar that Tuesday uses. They really were Carole and Tuesday, brought to life on the stage!

After the first song ended, the audience erupted into applause and remained more interactive for the rest of the show. Between each song, Celeina did most of the speaking in Japanese for the audience, setting up each song by explaining its significance in the anime. Nai may not have been able to speak much Japanese, but she instead spoke to the YouTube viewers around the world and introduced several of the songs in English as well. It was obvious from their interactions that Celeina and Nai had also formed a friendship off the stage from working together, and their chemistry both when performing and speaking made the friendship between Carole and Tuesday even more believable.

Two of the most moving songs were “Round & Laundry,” which the audience enthusiastically clapped along with, and “Lost My Way,” which Celeina performed without a guitar just like Tuesday had to in the anime. “Lost My Way” was especially emotionally charged, with dark lighting on the stage and Celeina and Nai holding hands together. It was a dark and stressful time in the anime as well that brought Carole and Tuesday together as partners and friends, and it was great to see that brought to the stage as well.

After the first five songs, Nai and Celeina left the stage and Alisa, the singer behind Angela, came on. Alisa was wearing a long, sparkling sequence skirt that Angela herself would have been proud of, and absolutely commanded the stage! Throughout all five of her songs, she was using the entire space, walking around, moving her arms, posing, and moving along with the music. Her first song, “Move Mountains,” featured an Angela montage from the anime on the screen behind her. And her last song, “Not Afraid,” was accompanied by strobe lights and dramatic visuals on the screen that really suited Angela’s character. Between each song, Alisa did a great job interacting with the Japanese audience and also switching to her native language of English to talk with fans viewing the show on YouTube. Alisa’s entire time on the stage was electric and upbeat, and the audience praised her with thunderous and lasting applause after each song.

When Celeina Ann and Nai Br.XX came back onto the stage, they took some time out of their performance to also introduce the keyboard and back-up acoustic guitar player - along with challenging them to some English questions from Nai! Then they jumped right into the second Carole & Tuesday opening, “Polly Jean.” Then, in “Day By Day,” the girls got the audience involved singing along with the chorus. Even though the song was in English, the audience did their best to mimic Nai and Celeina and sing, too! The more they did it, the more confident everyone got until the whole venue was alive and singing and clapping along. One of the most powerful moments of the whole show, though, was the performance of “The Loneliest Girl.” Celeina revealed that not only was it the first song that Carole and Tuesday sang together, but it was also the first song that she and Nai did together! After the song finished, the audience clapped for a long time - and the girls more than deserved it, because they really brought their best to the stage.

Celeina Ann and Nai Br.XX were so cool on the stage.

And don’t forget Alisa, too! She had such a powerful stage presence, just like Angela.

Outro: An International Experience

Just as Carole and Tuesday’s chemistry in the show built up over time into something great, the vibe at the 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～The Loneliest Girl～ started out weaker and grew stronger as the performance went on. The more the audience interacted with Celeina, Nai, and Alisa, and the more the young women talked with their fans, the more comfortable everyone became. Plus it was obvious to see how well Celeina and Nai especially performed together, and beautiful to hear their amazing harmony in person! For fans of Carole & Tuesday, it was unforgettable to get the chance to see the anime characters brought to life by their actual voice artists, especially in such an intimate setting. Plus seeing all of the young women embodying elements of their characters in their clothing style was really special for fans and showed the special connection each of the musicians as formed with the character they are bringing to life.

While all the songs were well-performed and sounded great, one of the most special parts of the 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～The Loneliest Girl～ live was hearing all of the small stories from the performers about the show and themselves. Celeina revealed that her favourite song so far in the anime has been Crystal’s song “Unbreakable” because of how powerful it is, and Nai really likes “Gravity Bounce” by GGK. When Nai, Celeina, and Alisa were all on the stage, they were able to talk about how amazing it was that they are from three different countries (America, Japan, and Australia respectively) and can work together on the anime, and how unique Carole & Tuesday has been with all-English songs. Celeina and Alisa have also already been to the Carole & Tuesday cafe and had the chance to teach Nai a little about concept cafes and themed drinks in Japan. Both for the live fans and for those tuning in from around the world on YouTube, it was great to see such an international exchange between everyone - not just Celeina, Alisa, and Nai, but also to know that fans of the anime exist in many different cultures. Carole & Tuesday is an anime breaking boundaries with a diverse cast of characters, and the people behind them are just as diverse, too. The 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～The Loneliest Girl～ show highlighted that in a truly beautiful way.

The 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～The Loneliest Girl～ live was a huge success with no empty seats in the house, and everyone left feeling uplifted and emotional - just like after watching many episodes of the anime! And the best news of the night? There was an announcement for the next show already! The second show, 『Carole & Tuesday』 LIVE ～Army of Two～, will be held at Shinagawa Prince Stellar Hall in Tokyo on October 6th, 2019 - and you can count on Honey’s Anime being there again to bring you the news straight from the show.

I wish that we could really see Carole, Tuesday, and Angela live in concert.

What are you talking about Bee-kun? We just did!!

SETLIST

Celeina Ann and Nai Br.XX “Carole” and “Tuesday”

1. Kiss Me

2. Round & Laundry

3. Someday I’ll Find My Way Home

4. Whispering My Love

5. Lost My Way

Alisa “Angela”

1. Light a Fire

2. Move Mountains

3. All I Want

4. Breathe Again

5. Light A Fire

6. Not Afraid

Celeina Ann and Nai Br.XX “Carole” and “Tuesday”

1. Polly Jean

2. Army of Two

3. Day By Day

4. Give You The World

5. The Loneliest Girl

6. Hold Me Now

Honey’s Anime Post-Show Interview

(Conducted and Translated by Andrew Le Roux)

nai

celeina

alisa

Honey-chan

So, to begin with, how was the live?

I think both sessions were pretty good. I was a little more comfortable on stage the second time, but yeah, it was a great show.

There was that nervous, fresh feeling that you get with a first performance, but the audience was really warm and even sang along with us. It was awesome.

I’m actually not used to performing in a big venue like this, so I was really nervous. But the audience clapped to the beat and nodded, so it was really fun.

So, how were your roles decided? Were you offered the roles? Or did you go through an audition?

The two of us (Celeina & Nai) went through the global singers audition. Basically, we sent videos of us singing, and we were chosen. But the results only came a few months later, so I was already convinced that I’d failed by the time I got the call.

I didn’t actually take a video of me singing. I sent them some paperwork explaining the songs I’ve written and what I do, and in the same way, it took a while, but eventually, the call came.

When I talked to the voice actors, they mentioned that Tuesday’s singer’s personality is more like Carole’s, and vice versa. Is this true?

Oh yes, that is true! Or at least, I felt that way in the beginning, but the further story progresses, the more I see of both character’s personalities, and the more I realize that I have some things in common with Tuesday as well. But I think that’s great because I can sympathize with both of them.

In the beginning, I thought it was really funny because we were almost playing switched roles, but as time went on, I started to identify with both characters…

Oh my god, I just said the exact same thing in Japanese! (laughs) I’m glad we’re on the same wavelength!

What about you, Alisa? Can you relate to Angela’s personality?

To be honest, I related more to Carole & Tuesday in that I haven’t really been on the music scene for that long, and I was just sort of in the right place at the right time, I suppose. I’ve been given all these amazing opportunities, and I’ve kind of found myself, which is more similar to Carole & Tuesday’s experience with the video going viral online than Angela’s.

What does Carole & Tuesday mean to you?

Well, when I think of Carole & Tuesday, I think of my journey as an artist, and the ups and downs of it all. You know, the people I’ve worked with and what it really takes to be an artist. When I look at Carole & Tuesday, it’s like a reflection of what I’ve been through.

It’s a story for everyone! Especially people with dreams. Or people who had dreams but forgot about them somewhere along the way. I think this story might help them rediscover those dreams.

I think this is a show that music lovers can appreciate. I also think kids can enjoy it, and there’s also lots of English, so it kind of has something for everyone. I hope that people who aren’t usually into anime will give it a chance once it releases on Netflix because I think they might change their minds after watching it.

I understand you were singing songs written by multiple composers, and I definitely noticed the large variety in music genres you sang today. Was that difficult?

At first, we were working in a new environment, and we had just met the staff, so we were really nervous, but as we went along, it became fun. And as an artist, I think I expanded my horizons, so it was a really good experience.

Yeah. The music in the anime is very different from what I usually do, so learning it was difficult at first, but after continuously getting new songs and learning them, it became easier and gave me more of an appreciation for different kinds of music.

In the story, I remember the part where Angela is strapped to that machine, and she has to sing at a really high pitch. You must have practiced really hard for that, Alisa.

Yes. After I was chosen, I found a new voice training coach. I explained that I had to sing all these new songs and begged them for help! So, I really learned a lot through this. It made me realize that I need to learn how to use my voice properly.

Finally, I’d like to ask all of you a two-part question. First, what do you like about your own character? Second, who’s your favorite character apart from your own character?

I really like Carole’s independence. Even though I think she was forced to become independent, I still really admire it. You know, how she lives on her own and makes her own way in life. For me, as a woman, I’m just starting to get into that independence, so it’s something I can relate to. I’m not 100% sure about which other characters I like, though. Maybe I’m biased because I play Carole…

Didn’t you say you like Thundercat?

Well, yeah… Yes, I do like Thundercat!

Wait? What’s his name? Skip! The character’s name isn’t Thundercat! (laughs) I like Tuesday’s spontaneity. I mean, I bet she just suddenly decided one day that she was going to run away from home, and then she went and did it! And the way she burned that sheet music…she just did it! I think I’m quite similar… Ah, don’t worry, I won’t burn your papers! (laughs) Her spontaneity is just really cute and I love it. The other character I like is Roddy.

What I like about Angela is…well, this sounds bad, but she has no real friends, right? All she has is her work. That’s her whole world. But instead of giving up, she works extremely hard at it. That’s really cool. My other favorite character is…Carole’s alarm clock, Giggy! (laughs)

Writer

Author: Jet Nebula

Living the dream in Tokyo, where you can find me working at a theme café catered towards women. When I’m not writing for Honey’s, I’m working on original dystopian science fiction or blogging about Tokyo’s trendy coffee scene. I spend my free time in Harajuku and Shibuya wearing alternative Japanese street fashion. I love video games, J-rock, tattoos, and Star Wars.

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