Philippine Concerts

The afternoon rains are slowly getting more frequent as the last days of May peel away. In a few days, we can only expect the weather to get more bipolar with the rains steadily pouring and the heat becoming less infuriating.

Yes, summer is drawing to a close, and Circuit Fest was just about the perfect way to give it a proper sendoff. Throughout the season, we’ve seen our glorious share of music festivals, but one thing that made Circuit Fest stand out was the lineup. For pop to punk enthusiasts, the 9 international acts served a dream team of sorts which included bands who had been frequent visitors in Manila such as Mayday Parade, This Century, We Are The In Crowd and Yellowcard to the highly anticipated first-timers The Downtown Fiction and Before You Exit. All of them shared one stage. What more could they have asked for?

To spice things up, the event also highlighted skating icons Riley Hawk who is the son of the skating legend Tony Hawk and the Fil-American skater Willy Santos. A mini ramp was set up near the entrance with local skaters showing off their skills amid the slippery slope caused by the rain.

At around 3:00 in the afternoon, the festival began. The wide stage was perfectly set in the center of the venue, decked with the colorful circular logo of the event and a huge LCD screen which featured the current act’s animated logo and occasionally, the overview of the crowd. At both sides, 2 smaller screens that highlighted the performers up close. Right in front of the stage was the moshpit, tightly packed with aggressively hardcore fans. Another highlight of the event were the vibrant colors of the lights, well complemented by the sporadic spurts of the smoke machines, which both gave the festival the flare it deserved.

Globe Circuit Event Grounds was very well suited for concerts, appropriate enough for the festival. With various booths encircling the venue, the atendees was delighted to browse different merch, apparel with a few freebies along the way. The event was also hosted by Glee’s Mark Salling who interviewed a few skaters and some of the bands right after their performance.

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In an era where there is a swift turnover of things, it is easy to get lost in the blur of the fast-paced life. Take a step back, slow things down, and enjoy the music with Wanderland Festival. This is exactly what attendees were able to do last May 18, 2013.

Globe Circuit Grounds proved to be the perfect environment for an event such as this. Surrounding the area were food and merchandise booths as well as food trucks. Brands present were Captain Morgan, Oishi, PLDT, RayBan, Keds, Bauhaus, Roxy, DC, Quiksilver, Olukai, SneakPeek, Havainas, Bobble, Magnum, Nestle, Gap, Monster Energy Drink, and MTV Asia.

The atmosphere was very relaxed. Mats, cloths, and towels were on the grass as people lay down as they watched the performances. The stage was a spectacle, an artistic monument, with its unconventional design. Its canopy roof aesthetically attractive against the skyline, adding to that laid back vibe that the festival had. Other features included an inflatable slide, a Velcro wall, and a joust area. Nearby were blank blocks of wood where artists such as Anjo Bolarda x Martojaks, Secret Fresh and Thursday Room had done their live art as the program went on.
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Jason Mraz‘s Tour is a Four Letter Word finally made its stop in Manila last Tuesday, May 14 and the Grammy winner nailed every performance.

I’ve never seen an artist who went up on stage just to introduce his opening act without drawing much attention. He is so humble, fun and over all a good guy. A full night of music began with a 30-minute set from one of the newest singers and Youtube sensation Zendee. She did a great job warming up the audience before Mraz. She also returned during the performance of Lucky.

When Jason got on stage, the crowd went wild. He appeared in casual style as usual, t-shirt, jeans pants and the straw fedora hat. Mraz and his band kicked off with The World as I See It, followed by Everything Is Sound and one of my favorites The Remedy. The screen behind him showed beautiful graphics as he sang, especially during Butterfly.
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Manila’s club scene has just become more exciting. From the organizers of BigFish, an electronic dance music party producer, comes a new nightlife hang out that dubs itself as the “the ultimate clubbing experience”. BigFish has found its official headquarters for its epic dance parties. Positioning itself in the heart of Bonifacio Global City’s club scene, in the Fort Strip, is Club Haze.

It welcomed its first customers on May 4, 2013. The club’s soft opening was not complete without musical guests what with BigFish’s expertise in that area. There were DJ sets from John Paul Lee, Chris Raeuber and Paul Oakenfold.
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CloseUp Summer Solstice
April 27, 2013
MOA Concert Grounds

Partying ‘til the Morning Light

With rising temperatures around the Metro, most people usually head for the beach. Boracay isn’t the only summer party destination anymore as Close Up presented its Summer Solstice Music Festival – twelve hours of partying – in the MOA Concert Grounds. It was the first Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival in the country.

 Aside from bringing together local and international acts, Close Up Summer Solstice provided its attendees with numerous activities inside the venue. Throughout the grounds were food and merchandise stalls, reverse bungee jumping, basketball booths, and a huge stage-like photo frame. There were stilt walkers in fancy costumes roaming about. An empty piece of land had been turned into an area buzzing with people, activity and, of course, great music.

Dubbed as the Philippine Rock Heroes, Urbandub, Sandwich and Sponge Cola set things off. Urbandub opened the show, and played hits such as First of Summer and Guillotine. During Sandwich’s set, lead singer Raimund Marasigan encouraged the audience to support Filipino music as he introduced one of their new songs. Finally, Sponge Cola closed the local line-up.  Each band showcased their talent, played a good mix of new and old tunes, interacted with their unique styles, and hyped the crowd with their on-stage energy.

As “Jump Smokers” flashed on screen, a swarm of people rushed towards the stage. “We got smoke, we got that fire,” the song went. And everyone’s hands were up in the air. The electronic dance party had begun. There were dancers on stage with hoses that were filled not with water, but smoke. Roman, Jump Smokers’ singer, was chatty and very interactive with the crowd. At one point, he even went down the stage, cruising through the VIP area, to perform with those in the Gold section.  As they played their set, fireworks decorated the sky, foreshadowing the epic night ahead.

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On the evening of April 6, Franco Reyes made the Music Museum the home of positive vibes, good vibrations and great music as he owned its stage to mark his first major solo concert. With his laidback aura, his magnetic charisma and his striking musical talent, he held the attention and fervor of the jam-packed venue of Suspitsados and concert enthusiasts.

Formerly known as a superband during his debut in 2009, Franco is now making his own way as a solo artist. Supporting him onstage are Paul Cañada on guitars, Dave Delfin on bass, Victor Guison on drums who are all more than capable in handling their instruments and performing live. With the very recent release of his second album titled “Soul Adventurer”, he has proven that there’s still so much that he can offer the Filipino music scene. There’s still a lot we have yet to see and hear, and Franco is just about to get started. He proved that all too well that evening.

“Hey, you guys, stand up, man!” he encouraged the crowd in good humor. “This is a rock concert. You have plenty of time to sit down.” Astoundingly, Franco is as, if not more, positive spirited in person as he sounds in his songs. Just like his songs, he emanated “positive vibes” and “good vibrations” with his words and his beaming smile. All throughout the concert, he was overflowing with gratitude to the attendees and the fans that he kept thanking them almost after every song. He even went on to say, “thank you for keeping OPM alive.” Read More…

We were hoping for a miracle, or something very close to it. Bloc Party made one happen in Manila.

Eight years after the release of their iconic debut album, Silent Alarm, Bloc Party finally made their first stop in Manila to give their Filipino fans a rocking musical experience that would be difficult to top. Before the Southeast Asia leg of their tour, Japan was the only Asian country the band had frequented over the years. Thank the heavens and all the goodness in the universe for their decision to put Manila in their itinerary for their world tour this year, because for the thousands of their hardcore fans who were in that hall, the experience really was one hell of a miracle.

For an hour and a half, the Hall D of World Trade Center echoed out the united roars and shrieks of the thousands of hardcore fans and music enthusiasts. Kele Okereke, Matt Tong, Russell Lissack and Gordon Moakes put out a performance that was beyond enthralling and so powerfully moving. Both the VIP and Gold area were bursting with crowds of people who were frenetically awaiting the band’s performance. Read More…

In support of their third album #3, Irish rockers The Script performed to a packed show at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Easter Sunday with more than 14,000 screaming fans.  Mark took the stage and play as the crowd screamed, then on drums, Glen Power. Just when we couldn’t wait anymore, The Voice UK coach, singer-songwriter and The Script frontman, Danny kicked off their 2nd sold out show in Manila with a rap inspired song GOOD OL’ DAYS from their #3 album and followed by WE CRY. It was a good start with incredible amount of energy.

An early treat was given to all concert goers when they performed one of their signature songs BREAKEVEN, it was one of the highlights as the entire Big Dome sang the chorus. The band continued with SCIENCE AND FAITH. Like other fans in the venue, I was waiting for “going back to corner when I first saw you…” and then a piano started to hit the first few notes of their breakthrough song THE MAN WHO CAN’T BE MOVED. The first verse was performed by the crowd with a little background music and it was amazing, considering the Big Dome was full house, so imagine how the entire song sounded and felt. Read More…