Two years after his last soldout concert, Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao returned to rock Singapore with his World Tour 2012 concert.
By Audrey Yeo
Hsiao in a golden outfit reminiscent of a matador’s garb that preceded several other suitably outlandish costume changes throughout the three-hour show.
Since 2007 when he made the first of many appearances on the popular Taiwanese talent search show One Million Star, Hsiao’s star has risen steadily. His popularity was attested by the almost-full house at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Jan. 14.
Expressing solidarity in their love for their idol, Hsiao’s fan club members came decked in his signature color purple, waving purple light sticks in the air. In case their presence went unnoticed, the deafening cheers and shouts that erupted from them ensured that everybody knew that Jam Hsiao’s most steadfast Singaporean fans were in the house.
They—and the rest of the audience—were not disappointed in the least: Hsiao displayed much versatility and emotional intensity in his performance of a setlist that featured many covers, including Michael Jackson’s “Black Or White”, Teresa Teng’s classic “The Moon Represents My Heart” and Sammi Cheng’s “Overjoyed”. Considering that there were no guest performers, he also displayed remarkable stamina: even in the last hour, his famed vocal ability never faltered nor did his showmanship wane. He also mesmerized his fans as he sang and played the piano.
CN PHOTOS: Tu Jie Rui.
In the second half of the show, he brought the house down with some rock numbers, driving his fans to their feet. With his fun-loving personality and charisma, Hsiao connected with his fans despite his limited banter—they laughed and cheered at his stage antics.
For his encore, the star re-appeared with a shiny set of drums for a “drum duet” with his drummer. It was an interesting end to the whole repertoire; Hsiao looked as at ease with drumsticks in hand as he did with a microphone.
In three short hours, Jam Hsiao set on fire every fan in the stadium—and probably made a few new ones.
