So I got to Kyoto at about 4:10 ish and headed over to the live house. When I got there, Grey hadn't come yet, so I checked the area out a bit and then waited for him to come out front. When he came, we went and got in line, which just turned out to be line for buying goods before the show...they stopped the presales right before we got to it.
While there, we saw pillows shirts of olden times, and even a bunch that we didn't even know existed. Funny Bunny, CARNIVAL, Swanky Street, sonna fuu ni, an old Hybrid Rainbow shirt, Sick Vibration...pretty much everybody was a hardcore fan decked out in Busters apparel. Most of the people I talked with said that the pillows was their favorite band.
When it finally opened, we went in and made our way up to about the fifth row of people pretty much straight out from Jun's place. The hall was medium-small, only about 400 people. While waiting, the opening music was a slew of unreleased noodles songs.
When the pillows finally came out, the awesomeness began. They immediately busted out with Wake up! dodo. After about six or seven songs, Sawao commented on the two Americans in the crowd, and that "that guy over there has even been singing along the whole time!" pointing at me. Then he looked at Grey and exclaimed "Seattle!" And he pointed it out to Manabe and Shinchan who both waved/thumbs-upped at Grey. Total badassery.
Very soon, when Sawao busted out the Taylor, I called out "Are you going to play Tonight?" He laughed, "play tonight, huh." ...AND BUSTED OUT ON THE SPOT. They weren't planning to play it, so they only did half of it, but it pretty much was the most godly thing ever. It was even better than the studio recording, Sawao's vocals have gotten REALLY good recently.
After that finished, all the Japanese girls nearby started calling me things like "champion," "good boy," and "tall boy." Yamanaka liked "tall boy" and laughed at that one, and those girls started referring to me as "tall boy" and Grey was "seattle."
Anyway, Sawao was all "I was actually going to play Boat House," and commented on me knowing such an old song. He proceeded to kick ass with Boat House.
After that, he said "the next song is pretty old, from our album 10 years ago..." I turned and said "GIRLS DON'T CRY," and a second later, Sawao confirmed it, and they played another flawless tune. Sawao laughed again and commented at the end of the song "Look, he knew all the words to that one too, even though it's old."
They also did Kim Deal, Like a Lovesong, Terminal Heaven's Rock, The Third Eye, and Walkin' on the Spiral during the main set, along with all of Wake up!x3 and the Scarecrow b-sides. I didn't recognize Kim Deal at first because they cut out the intro, but it was absolutely amazing, and brought tears to my eyes.
Century Creepers and Scarecrow were both wonderful. Sawao's unbridled emotion shone through and the whole audience was singing along. When he did Tsuyogari, he said he thought it was the best of the songs they've recorded lately.
Before the encore, Sawao came out and played with one of the yo-yos to advertise that tour good. When he took it off, seeing all the people in the front clamoring for him to give it to them, he grinned and said "A souveneir for Seattle," and threw it to Grey. Fucking, Win.
The encore was Sad Sad Kiddie, ROSS, and Little Busters. Pretty awesome. After the last song, Sawao told everyone to enjoy the rest of the summer, play a lot, and look forward to the new single in August.
After the pillows went offstage, they played Youngster on the speakers, and everybody sang along together, which was totally sweet. After that, a bunch of the random Japanese people kept coming up to chat with us and several of the girls wanted pictures with us, ekekkee. They were impressed with my pera-pera, Sawao granting my request, and the band recognizing Grey. Also, two people recognized Grey from youtube.
I bought the skinny blues shirt, the wristband, and a cloudy busterkun keychain. We went to a convini to get water, and then got back there right when the pillows were coming out. Sawao and I exchanged thumbs-ups, I asked Manabe to come back to America sometime, and they drove off in their van.
I thought that would be the end of the night, but when I went to get my bag from the coin locker in the nearby station, I met two of the girls from the live, and they started talking to me. After chatting a bit, one of them took off this wristband from her wrist and said "They don't sell these anymore, I got it at one of the lives a long while back. Have it as my gift to you." She thinks it was from around the Penalty Life tour or something (edit, it's from the Thank you, my twilight tour: http://www.pillows.jp/p/goods/2002thankyou.html), it's a black with white edging leather wristband with BUSTERS imprinted into the leather. I was shocked, and asked if it was really okay, but she really gave it to me.
I talked for a bit, then bid them farewell, saying maybe I'd see them next year if there was a live in Kyoto during the summer.
I got my bag and ran into ANOTHER pair of pillows fans who wanted to talk with me for a bit after that.
All in all, it was pretty much the best night of my life. Having Sawao play my request when the song wasn't on the list, the band recognizing Grey, being impressed with us knowing the songs, and a random amazing gift from a fellow buster pretty much made my year.
Interestingly, despite people's bitching about the pillows, this live just made me into more of a fangirl. They performed every song flawlessly; nobody missed a note at any part on any song, even on the hardest parts. The energy, the emotion; everything that makes the pillows great was there, plain to see.
So in summary, I don't remember the order, but I don't think I forgot any songs:
Wake up! x3 (11 songs)
Scarecrow b-sides (2 songs)
Walkin' on the Spiral
My Foot
Rock'n'Roll Sinners
Kuuchuu Resister
Kim Deal
Girls Don't Cry
Like a Lovesong
Third Eye
Terminal Heaven's Rock
Tonight
Encore:
Sad Sad Kiddie
ROSS
Little Busters
Total: 26 songs of godliness
I don't think much can top your experience there. I just can't beleive he played Tonight, right THERE! Did he do the whistling too? 
Girls Don't Cry must've been kick ass, I'm sure. How was Boat House and Century Creepers live?
