The music unit ZARD's 35th anniversary concert, "What a beautiful memory ～forever moment～," will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 9 PM on March 20th. Prior to this, WOWOW released a live digest of the concert, which was held on February 10th at Tokyo International Forum Hall A (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), on the official WOWOW Music X account (@wowow_mj). A live report was also released.
WOWOW will feature ZARD for three consecutive months, including a concert celebrating their 35th anniversary. The lineup is as follows:
"ZARD LIVE & MUSIC VIDEO HISTORY" (April 28, 8 PM, WOWOW Live/WOWOW On Demand): This program will present a collection of ZARD's iconic songs that have defined an era, presented through music videos and selected footage from past memorial and anniversary concerts.
"ZARD 35th Anniversary Special Program ~What a Beautiful Song~" (scheduled to air and stream in May): This program explores ZARD's songs that resonate with people's hearts, through the words of musicians associated with her and celebrities who love ZARD.
◇Live Report (February 10th, Tokyo International Forum Hall A)
The ZARD 35th anniversary concerts, held in Tokyo and Osaka, drew a total of 7,700 people. At the Tokyo venue, the Tokyo International Forum, after the scheduled time, an image of Izumi Sakai was projected onto a gauze curtain covering the entire stage, and the performance began.
The first song was their debut single, "Good-bye My Loneliness." The poignant lyrics, set to a minor key, resonated deeply with the audience. The opening number of songs was accompanied by dazzling visuals and included tracks from their early singles such as "Even If I Love You This Much" and "In My Arms Tonight." The setlist continued, tracing the trajectory of their career. Numbers like "I'll Never Forget You," with its upbeat sound and heartfelt vocals, and the exquisite ballad "Goodbye Is Still in My Heart" were performed.
Then, the curtain rose, revealing the vocal microphone placed in the center of the stage and the band members surrounding it on either side, marking the start of the concert. After "You and me (and…)," a song that beautifully conveyed poignant emotions and resonated throughout the venue, the audience's cheers grew particularly loud for "Konna ni Soba ni Iru no ni." The song began with a danceable instrumental performance, introducing each member with their solos. Sakai's powerful vocals were unleashed over the band's passionate playing.
As the concert neared its end, a series of songs showcasing diverse expressions were performed, from the alluring vocals in "Nostalgia of Distant Days" to the powerful and energetic vocals in "Love ga Mienai." The show concluded with a triple threat of hit singles: "Kimi ga Inai," "My Friend," and "Don't you see!".
In response to the encore, "Kokoro wo Hiraite," which was the number one requested song in the "ZARD Best Request ~35th Anniversary~" public vote, was performed. This was followed by other songs from the 35th anniversary best album that are popular with listeners, such as "Kimi ni Aitaku Nattara..." and "Ano Hohoemi wo Wasurenaide," and the encore concluded with "Makenaide," a representative song and national anthem.
