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On May 8 at the Rockwell Tent, MDR (short for “Music Deserves Respect”) showcased history as it brought together two of the greatest OPM icons in one stage, and in a silent concert which was to be the first of its kind in the Philippines. Bamboo and Ely Buendia treated hundreds of spectators to the wonder of what a silent concert ought to be. Not only that, as a very welcome bonus, their sets also induced waves of nostalgia as the two played some of their classic hits from their former bands from the ‘90s.

So how does a silent concert work? First off, the stage was enclosed in a soundproofed glass which appeared to be a recording studio transposed to the center stage. The artists, with their accompanying bands, were subliminally mute to the crowd unless they plugged their headphones into the docks spread out across the venue. Similarly, people behind the glass couldn’t hear anything from outside.

It was a most unusual setting for everyone present. At the beginning, it took quite a bit of getting used to since it was very much like plugging your ears to an ordinary music player. As the concert progressed, however, the crowd got to experience the difference in terms of the quality of sound – how every note, every instrument and every bit of sound seem to blend seamlessly into something you usually call music, only purer and more personal.
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