Devil’s Music - Chapter 76: Lollapalooza Festival

“Wowwwwwwwww~~~~~~”

“Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeek~~~~~~~~”

“Kyaaaaaaaahhh”

Over 100,000 spectators cheered wildly at Chicago’s Grand Park, waving their hands in response to Rob’s acknowledgment from the main stage. After catching a glimpse of Geon standing behind the amps next to the stage, Rob quickly jumped up onto a large amp on the left. The audience focused on Rob and cheered even louder.

With his hand raised, Rob drew attention to the audience and spoke, smiling, “I’m really thrilled to be part of a festival today that can resonate with the earth and sky in the name of the Lollapalooza Festival.”

“Wow~~~~~~~~~~~~”

The audience cheered at Rob’s words. He continued, waving his hands around and pointing to the stage with his right hand, “Featuring Carlos Santana on guitar!!!!!!!!!!”

“Jing~~~~~~~~~ jee-kee-jee-kee-jee-kee-jing~~~~~~~~~~”

As Carlos played a short guitar ad-lib following Rob’s introduction, the audience responded with an even louder roar.

“Wowwwww~~~~Kyaaaaaa~~~~~~~~~~”

In his seventies, Carlos played with a passion that belied his age, truly embodying a global musician. Rob waited until the audience’s cheers subsided and shouted again, “And here! Introducing Santana’s new face to all of you! The young genius from Juilliard! Kay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The audience tilted their heads at the unfamiliar name but eventually welcomed Kay with applause. They exchanged puzzled glances, unable to hide their confusion.

“Kay? Who’s that?”

“Isn’t that from Juilliard?”

“Isn’t that the school for classical music?”

“Who is that, who is that? Have you heard of him?”

“I don’t know, but seems good! Let’s just enjoy it!”

At the back of the stage, Geon appeared.

Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and a flashy coat, unlike Santana’s members in colorful pants, Geon wore black slacks, black shoes, and a black coat. Only his shirt beneath was a white dress shirt. As Geon revealed himself, the audience murmured and pointed at him.

While male spectators sent quizzical looks, the female audience erupted in cheers.

“Kyaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Oh my! He’s so handsome!”

“He’s totally my style!! Oh my, that black hair looks so mysterious!”

“Squeee! Oh my gosh!!!!!!!”

Male spectators glanced at the large screen displaying Geon’s face, observing the reactions of the female audience.

“Wow~ he’s really good-looking.”

“Cool!! Can he sing? Let’s hear him once!”

Geon looked down from the stage.

The chilly weather didn’t stop men from rolling up their sleeves or taking off their shirts, waving them in the air, cheering ecstatically.

When Geon saw Carlos and Rob, the two grinned and raised their thumbs. Geon nodded slightly, a signal of readiness, and Carlos gestured to the drummer and percussionist.

As professional musicians, the classical guitarist in front of the bassist signaled the start, joined by percussion and ballet. The bass guitar’s low notes set the melody, and after eight bars, Carlos’s guitar joined in.

A serene prelude flowed, drums entered, and the music shifted from a serene start to a rhythmic tune that made bodies sway lightly, encouraging the audience to dance. The stage lights darted around, elevating the tension, and slowly, hands rose, and the crowd started to dance.

More seemed lost in enjoying the music, dancing amongst themselves, than focusing solely on the stage, after the two previous songs.

Geon closed his eyes.

Just as the vocals were about to join, Geon opened his eyes, looking up at the sky over the heads of the hundred thousand-strong audience.

“Stay with it baby, And that’s all I ask of you.”

As his emotionally charged voice echoed through the arena, heads turned towards the stage, abandoning dancing with friends or loved ones.

On the giant screen, a beautiful young man gazed at the sky with a wistful expression.

“And I know that someday, You won’t remember, The way that this moment feels to you.”

A few female audience members gathered their hands to their chests, wearing dreamy expressions. None in the audience danced now; all eyes were fixated on the beautiful young man on stage.

Geon’s eyes glistened.

He sang, his gaze distant, lifting his right hand as if reaching for someone’s untouchable cheek, wiping away an invisible tear.

“Don’t let it go, Don’t turn your back on what you think you know,” Geon continued, his voice carrying the emotion of the lyrics.

“You never know, you know,” he added, his voice almost pleading.

“Don’t leave it alone, ‘Cause I need you to cling to,” he sang passionately.

Onstage, the session musicians, including Rob, and Carlos, were all watching Geon intently. Rob, in particular, swayed to the Latin rhythm, smiling broadly as if effortlessly absorbed by the performance. Carlos played his guitar behind Geon’s vocals, his hands slightly trembling.

“Am I shaking?” Geon wondered, noticing Carlos’s closed eyes. Playing the guitar seamlessly alongside Geon’s vocals, Carlos seemed to declare, “I am Carlos Santana.”

Geon climbed onto the large amp Rob stood on, moving naturally as he sang.

“Because you are my kind, You’re all that I want,” Geon sang, the audience now reeling in admiration.

“Here in this life, Until we are gone,” his voice resounded with passion.

“Our breath and our skin, Our hearts and our minds, They’re one and the same, you are my kind,” he sang, ending the verse.

The audience, initially dazed, erupted into cheers, their enthusiasm escalating.

“Wooohoooo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”

“Who’s that! Who is he!”

“Kyaaaaaaa!!! Kay! Kay!”

“I’m your fan from today, Kay!! Kyaaaaaa!”

“I’ll pitch a tent in front of Juilliard!”

The excitement spread contagiously from female to male spectators, and all hundred thousand seemed to sway and dance in sync to the music.

Abigail, watching from a distance behind the stage, couldn’t tear her eyes away from the image of Geon on the jumbo screen.

“What do I do? I’d even be a servant, just take me away, Geon, darn it,” she murmured, transfixed by the sight.

Kate, seated nearby, widened her eyes at Geon, then jabbed Abigail’s side, saying, “Hey, give up on that one. He’s way beyond your league.”

Kate turned her head towards Abigail, who was staring blankly at the stage without a response. A little distance away, she noticed three men. These striking men, seen before the performance, remained impassive, arms folded, as the music began.

Observing the trio with a curious tilt of her head, Kate suddenly heard the tall, dark-haired man at the center chuckling and saying something.

“You’re doing well. Want a little help?”

The fair-haired boy beside him widened his eyes slightly, glancing at the dark-haired man. “Huh? Intervening, Amdusias?”

The dark-haired man chuckled, looking at the fair-haired boy. “Well, isn’t it alright? With such tremendous energy already gathered, it’s worth taking a bit of risk for an adventure.”

Raising his right hand towards the sky, the dark-haired man flicked his fingers. Perplexed, Kate glanced between them and followed the dark-haired man’s gaze to the sky.

A curtain-like cluster of light descended from above, its gradation ranging from sky blue to golden brown. Fluttering in the air, it resembled billowing curtains caught in the wind. Kate’s eyes widened, pointing her finger at the sky.

“Is that the Aurora?”

Descending into the upper atmosphere of the polar region above Chicago’s Grand Park, the Aurora appeared. Over a hundred thousand spectators marveled at the sight, as Geon, on the stage, knelt by the amps and began the second verse. Enchanted by the beautiful Aurora and Geon’s voice, the audience gradually started shedding tears.

Reflected on the large multi-vision screen, Geon extended his hand towards the Aurora with a poignant gaze. Within the Aurora’s reflection in Geon’s eyes, a woman appeared. With black hair, she looked incredibly neat and innocent, smiling amidst the Aurora. Geon, attributing the illusion to the emotions of the song, reached out countless times to grasp her, singing fervently.

Amidst the 100,000 spectators gathered at Chicago’s Grand Park, each beheld the figure of a loved one, current or past, within the Aurora. What they all shared was the reflection of someone they had once admired or loved in their lives.

Tears welled up in Geon’s eyes as he gazed at the woman. Despite his attempts, he couldn’t capture her, his eyes filled with sorrow. The final refrain burst forth from Geon’s lips.

“Because you are my kind You’re all that I want”

“Here in this life Until we are gone”

“Our breath and our skin Our hearts and our minds”

“They’re one and the same you are my kind”

Rob, lost in the enchantment of the aurora, and Carlos, fingers dancing on his guitar yet unable to tear his gaze away from the spectacle, along with a multitude of 100,000 spectators immersed in the harmonious symphony of music.

Even after the performance ended, they both found themselves gazing blankly at the sky for quite some time.

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