Philippine Concerts

Category: Concert Reviews

  • Turn up the Heat with Close Up Forever Summer

    Turn up the Heat with Close Up Forever Summer

    Closeup Forever Summer 2014

    Heat waves have once again engulfed the country. The season of the sun has arrived. With this take-over came an extreme anticipation for the freshest beach party in the Metro. Amid the blistering weather, and the severe traffic jam, thousands of people swarmed to Circuit Events Ground Makati.

    A sea of people stepped out of their cars or cabs to walk to the venue. That’s how excited they were for the show. Circuit Grounds provided the fitting venue to cool down what with their grassy terrain. People could laze around the turf or sit on mats as they watched the sun go down while listening to the DJs spin their beats. This relaxed atmosphere was short-lived for the crowd was ready to rave the night away.

    Closeup Forever Summer Mars Miranda

    Revelers clad in tank tops and shorts pumped their arms in the air; some even getting lost in sound with their movements. Local DJs Marc Naval, Martin Pulgar, Ace Ramos and Mars Miranda started the party with their mixes. Close Up gathered the best pool of local electronic DJs. The emcee announced, as Ace Ramos and Mars Miranda wrapped up the local section of the festival, that the Filipino talent is of international caliber.
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  • Manila’s Music – a HELLO to Lionel Richie

    Manila’s Music – a HELLO to Lionel Richie

    Lionel Richie Manila Concert 2014

    Singer and 5-time Grammy Award winner Lionel Richie, changed the mood for good for his fans during his concert All the hits – All night long at the Araneta Coliseum last April 5, 2014.

    The music junkie spilled the magic of melody to his fans including hits from his days with Commodores and from his successful solo career. It was his second time in the country, the first was with The Commodores, the funk/soul band who introduced “Sweet Love” and “Fancy Dancer” that he fronted, they performed at the same venue back in 1978 so it was indeed a long overdue for his fans after he went solo. The fans went untamed as the light dimmed and began to play around. When we heard a notable voice saying “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?” which drew resonant cheers from the crowd following an uninterrupted transition to singing his first song entitled “Just for You”.
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  • Bruno Mars Delivers an Explosive Performance in Manila

    Bruno Mars Delivers an Explosive Performance in Manila

    We heard his name, we sang his songs and last night Bruno Mars (Peter Gene Hernandez) 28, striking joe and one proud Filipino, proved once again his talent to a sold out crowd at Mall of Asia Arena.

    Bruno Mars Live in Manila Philippine Flag

    After his unforgettable and most watched half-time performance at the Super Bowl, it was time for Pinoy hooligans to witness our pride Bruno Mars in the flesh, as part of his Moonshine Jungle World Tour.

    Before the ultimate music treat for his Kababayan, the multi-platinum superstar of Filipino descent proved that he knows how to have a good time when he appeared at the pre-concert party that brought excitement to the fans at Republiq on the eve of his sold out show. The Award winning singer took DJ’s Ace Ramos deck to sing at least a quarter of his hit single “Locked Out of Heaven” to where he smoothly charmed the fans who waited for his appearance. The party wasn’t a typical throng; it composed of celebrities, winners of Viber’s promo, Poreotics and executives of the night’s sponsors (MMI & Viber)

    Bruno Mars at Republiq by Viber

    Poreotics, America’s Best Dance Crew winner opened the show for Bruno to fluctuate the excited and enthusiastic crowd. Hysteria roared as the showman (his late mom described him) appeared and welcomed the crowd to his “Moonshine Jungle Tour” which started a bit late but nobody really cared because it was worth the wait. Along with his 8-piece Hooligans, Bruno Mars kicked off with “Moonshine” followed by solid pyrotechnics, which gave the Arena an uncontrolled excitement.

    Bruno Mars Live at Mall of Asia Arena

    The third song of the night, “Treasure” was obviously a crowd pleaser. Everyone was dancing and singing as we were transported back to the 80s. “Show Me” turned into a reggae session with an amazing red, yellow and green on huge LED screen.
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  • Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Shared their Same Love in Manila

    Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Shared their Same Love in Manila

    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Live in Manila

    Grammy Award-winning hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis gave us a party to remember. After the rapper dude from Seattle Ben Haggerty (Macklemore) and Ryan Lewis took a lifestyle check that made them the trendy musical target of 2013, the whole world just couldn’t get enough of them. Thanks to the viral explosion of “Thrift Shop”, the Philippines had a chance to see the Seattle rap duo demonstrate how they powerfully owned every minute on stage last Sunday night (16 March 2014) at the Mall of Asia Arena.

    They kicked off the show with an energetic performance of “Ten Thousand Hours,” followed by “Crew Cuts” and “Life is Cinema”. The excitement loaded up when the duo hit the phenomenal hit “Thrift Shop.” It was at this point when Macklemore informed the crowd that he’s been in the country when he was 19 and due to out of school, then he decided to travel, and remarked he couldn’t forget extremely large malls are all over the Metro Manila. The huge hit made
    the crowd crazier as they sang and danced to its super funky beat. Macklemore then spoke out of experience, preaching to the youth about his battle with drug addiction before performing “Starting Over”. His message was for people to embrace the change for it was never too late, and segued into an emotionally compelling a capella rendition of “Otherside”, his personal ode to addiction. He aimed for honesty in his craft through experience, even exclaiming “Its not dope if you’re 25 and move back to your parent’s basement!”

    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Manila Concert
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  • Home is where the art is: Malasimbo 2014

    Home is where the art is: Malasimbo 2014

    Malasimbo 2014 Crowd

    “This is a milestone for me,” intimated Miro Grgic, all-around talented fella (he’s a sound engineer, musician, DJ, and producer all rolled into one) and of course, the co-founder and director of the music and arts explosion that is Malasimbo Festival.

    Surveying the amphitheater filled with folks swaying and dancing about as well as taking into consideration the sheer intensity of performances past (read: Grammy-award winning Robert Glasper Experiment, Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez, and the legendary Roy Ayers who practically killed it onstage), one can’t help but agree that the 2014 Malasimbo Festival was quite a brainchild to behold.

    Jose Gonzales Malasimbo 2014
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  • Mayday Parade’s Perfection

    Mayday Parade’s Perfection

    Mayday Parade Derek Sanders 2014

    We all have favorite bands that we need to see perform live at least once in a lifetime. The opportunity to watch Florida-based band Mayday Parade live at SM Skydome was the first time for some and the second or third for many. Thanks to Pulp Live World, die-hard fans welcomed them to Manila for the fourth time.

    It has been seven years since the band released their debut album A Lesson in Romantics, a record that’s considered to be their breakout album from whence a song called Jersey gave Mayday Parade worldwide attention.

    Returning with an impressive four studio albums under their belt, Mayday Parade set out to give us another rock show to remember.

    Mayday Parade Live in Manila 2014
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  • The 7107 International Music Festival Field report

    The 7107 International Music Festival Field report

    Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at 7107 in Clark
    Red Hot Chili Peppers

     
    I would like to get this out of the way before I start Team Philippine Concert’s field report of the 7107 International Music Festival: Contrary to what the organizers plugged, it is my humble opinion that the Philippines’ music festival season kicked off with the UP Fair. The festival is fortunately riding on the season’s upswing, as it drew a mixed bag of anticipation and excitement over the course of its promotions. The festival promised to serve as a unique platform for our local artists to shine side by side with legendary performers. It is also aimed to promote the Philippine culture throughout the world. How did the festival fare? Team PC was in the midst of the action at Clark, Pampanga.

    7107 IMF Parking Lot
    7107 IMF Parking Lot with a view of Mt. Arayat

     
    Day 1. Team PC arrived at the Global Gateway Logistics City by mid-afternoon on the first day of the festival. From the sounds blaring from the speakers and the sight of giddy concert goers oscillating between flocking and scattering at the grounds, it eventually became apparent that the party was in full swing even before we neared its gates. It was almost a compulsion once one enters through the gate, after the RFID tag in the festival wristband beeps that you are good to go, to immediately drink in the premises and let the wanderlust, the one that brought you to the festival from wherever you came from, lead you on. Although the organizers made it a point to take care of its media guests by providing us with a tent with amenities, we decided to skip that part and took on the entire festival head on. Because, hey, we’re here; being here is 90% of the entire experience. The remaining 10% is what you do after setting your foot on the festival grounds, and we set off to do just that.
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  • Febfest Part 2: Surreal

    Febfest Part 2: Surreal

    The National Live at FebFest 2014

    The succeeding show of the Febfest series gave its revelers another great night. It was a different kind of music festival what with its distinct vibe. Being inside the halls of the Metrotent, the fog and chill creeping around, coupled with the unconventional tunes of The National, Youth Lagoon and Buke and Gase transported the audience into a surreal trance.
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  • FebFest Part 1: A Uniquely Trippy Music Festival

    FebFest Part 1: A Uniquely Trippy Music Festival

    febfest2014-warpaint

    February 13, 2014 – The first part of FebFest: Hostess Club in Manila saw the psychedelic and hypnotic performances of the critically acclaimed Scottish post-rock band, Mogwai, and the all-female American rock band, Warpaint. The event was opened by the Filipino producer, Eyedress. The Metrotent became the home of the uniquely trippy harmonies of the three acts.

    warpaint-febfest2014
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  • A Great Damn Tour with Avril Lavigne

    A Great Damn Tour with Avril Lavigne

    AvrilinManila2014

    Many of us grew up listening to Avril’s debut album with classic hits such as Complicated, Sk8er Boi and favorite rock ballad I’m With You.  And we know most of you guys did too, or should we say everyone went through that “Avril Lavigne era” in life.  Last night, our pop/rock queen, proved again that 5 studio albums down the road, she can still own the concert stage. The Big Dome was packed with fans of all ages that were brimming with excitement to witness her return after 3 years since her last visit.

    The stage set up for Avril was simple but she and the band were more that enough to get everyone on their feet singing and dancing throughout the show. A now grown and happily married Avril took the stage with massive energy and smiles. Wearing a Hello Kitty dress, she started the night with an intro video and then performed “Hello Kitty”. Standing at around 5’2 with long blonde hair, the 29-year old singer managed to stay true to her pop rock image from the beginning of the show up to the encore set.

    One of her many outfit changes of the night preceded her performance of “Girlfriend” followed by her latest hit “Rock N Roll.” Avril wasted no time to run around on stage with palpable energy and excitement. A few songs into her set, she also sang another smash hit, “Here’s To Never Growing Up.”

    avril-lavigne-and-chad-kroeger-live-in-manila

    Avril Lavigne and her husband, Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger wrote a duet, “Let Me Go” which is on her self-titled new album and Manila was surprised to welcome him in the flesh as they performed the song together live. Everyone went wild when another voice came out during the second stanza. It was an unbelievable moment to see the man behind hits like “Far Away” and “Hero.” Just as the song ended, Chad managed to sneak in a kiss before leaving the stage.
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  • The Power of KPOP at the Big Dome

    The Power of KPOP at the Big Dome

    DKFC2014

    6 of the hottest Kpop groups joined forces for a rare concert in Manila. It’s the time of the year again when Kpop fans were all distracted for the invasion of not one, not two, but six sensational Korean yodelers in the country. This bunch of Korean cuties came together for the second Dream Kpop Fantasy Concert (DKFC2), held at Smart Araneta Coliseum on February 2. This time, ladies and some cute kids were the most delighted because the DKFC 2 was packed of Korean heartthrobs making The Big Dome on full glee enclosed for about 90 percent female Kpop enthusiast.
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  • Like a riot, like a riot, oh! Phoenix live in Manila

    phoenix-manila-5

    January 21, 2014 – “Lizstomania”, one of Phoenix’s signature tracks, perfectly describes the Filipino crowd that evening. The concert was a craze in riotous proportions. The thousands in the pits were brimming with exhilaration as made clear with their frenetic dancing, singing and cheering. Their energy spread like wildfire to everyone present.

    IMG_0614

     Oui! Phoenix, the Grammy Award-winning, eclectically new wave/synth-pop rock band from Versailles, France finally came to the Philippines. Known for rendering unforgettable live sets worldwide, the band was on the wish list of many music aficionados in our country. So it is after 14 years and 5 critically acclaimed albums that they finally made their way to our shores. True enough, living up to everyone’s expectations, they were everything we asked and more (going hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!)

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  • The Bootleg Beatles: Reminiscing the Rockin’ 60’s Music

    The Bootleg Beatles: Reminiscing the Rockin’ 60’s Music

    the-bootleg-beatles-live-at-picc-plenary-hall

    Being part of Generation X, I was introduced to the great music of the Beatles at a young age. Like as it has been for the rest of the world, their songs have become a part of my life. It was such a treat watching their old videos: John Lennon’s body moving up and down to the beat of each song while playing his guitar strapped high on his chest, left-handed Paul McCartney and right-handed George Harrison sharing the same mic while on guitars, and Ringo Starr’s head bobbing up and down while hitting the drums.

    I always wondered, what would it be like to watch them live?

    And so, last January 17th, it was a dream come true to watch them live – as the Bootleg Beatles!

    the-bootleg-beatles-live

    At the PICC Plenary Hall, complete with their signature shiny gray suits & ties, the Bootleg Beatles, with members Adam Hastings (as John Lennon), Steven White (as Paul McCartney), Andre Barreau (as George Harrison), and Hugo Degenhardt (as Ringo Starr), gave us a night of reminiscing the music of one of the greatest rock bands in the world.
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  • Year End Serenade with Boyce Avenue

    Year End Serenade with Boyce Avenue

    boyce avenue live at resorts world manila

    If there’s one thing that Boyce Avenue and their fans have in common, it’s the passion they have for music. Bonded by brotherhood and strengthened with their ardor of music, the Florida-based trio captured the hearts of Filipinos long before their initial visit to the country in 2009. Four years later, Alejandro, Daniel and Fabian Manzano as well as their fans will agree that it has been way too long since they have performed in the Philippines.

    boyce-avenue-live-in-manila
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  • Manila’s Moment of Clarity

    Manila’s Moment of Clarity

    zedd-live-at-smx-convention-center

    It is not uncommon for typhoons to strike the Philippines what with its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. What’s offbeat is when Typhoon Yolanda catapulted into the country breaking scientific records, and labeling it as the most powerful tropical storm in history. A month later, the nation is still picking up the pieces and affected areas are trying to regain a state of normality.

    With remnants of the tragedy still in our midst, efforts of support are still pouring in. Zedd’s Moment of Clarity tour is no exception to this as he announced to the world that all profits from the show would be donated to Yolanda victims. What’s more, on the day of the concert, he broadcasted more good news: for every box of canned goods donated at the venue, a free ticket would be given away. He inspired fans to be generous; in his words, “Charity is clarity.”


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