Green shorts, a white tank top layered under a floral shirt, and his signature white-framed sunglasses — Chang Chen-yue showed up in his most effortlessly casual look for a show that was anything but easy to get into. The two "Secret Base" Mini Live shows selected attendees through online submissions, with only 400 spots available per show, yet drew over 5,000 entries — meaning roughly 12 people competed for every single spot. In some ways, actually making it into the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park venue was harder than scoring a scalped ticket.
Golden Melody Award king Chang Chen-yue held this exclusive two-day performance starting on the 15th, saving the biggest surprise of the night for the very end: he'll take the stage at Taipei Arena again next April, marking his return after a 12-year absence from the venue. Even more significant — all 5,000-plus fans who submitted entries for "Secret Base" will receive priority ticket access for the Taipei Arena concert, effectively turning this intimate show into the setup for the next big one. Official details on the exact date and ticket sales have yet to be announced.
Two Unreleased Tracks, Saved for Last
Beyond tracks from his album *Follow Your Feelings*, Chang Chen-yue also rarely performed two unreleased songs, "Ordinary Days" and "The Girl on Provincial Highway 11." He revealed both tracks were originally considered for *Follow Your Feelings*, but once the arrangements were finished and the tracklist finalized, there simply wasn't room left on the album, forcing him to cut them reluctantly. For this rare up-close performance, he saved both songs for the finale as a bonus surprise for the fans in attendance.
A CD Kept for 33 Years — The Teacher Becomes His Student's Fan
Among the 5,000 fan submissions were plenty of personal, long-running connections to Chang Chen-yue. Some had been singing "Let's Break Up" since kindergarten; others said his music kept them going through workouts, helping them lose 20 kilograms. But what moved Chang most was a submission from a teacher who had once taught him in high school. The teacher recalled that 1993 was his first year teaching, and Chang — then a senior in high school — personally gave him a copy of his debut album *Just Because I Like You* on CD, which he's kept for 33 years since. Now that his former student has become a three-time Golden Melody Award winner, the teacher sent his blessings: "Your teacher will always be your fan." Also showing up in support were fellow musicians including Sandee Chan, Leo Wang, Mo Tsai Yang, Kid Rap, KID Lin Po-sheng, Ge Da-wei, The Crane, Gummy B, and Chang Li-chang of Wang Band — turning the two shows into something of a mini industry reunion, and quietly laying the warmest groundwork yet for next April's return to Taipei Arena.
