Philippine Concerts

Tag: carlabarretto

  • Nothing but Love for Christina Grimmie

    Nothing but Love for Christina Grimmie

    Christina Grimmie was moved to tears from the massive love that she felt during her first show in the country. Filipino Frands, as her fans are called, have been a strong force of support from the beginning. Seeing this support through her recent mall tour in the country filled her with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

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    Her tour kicked off at the Alabang Town Center with the second show three hours later at Glorietta. The third and final show was held the following day at Trinoma. During her show at the Alabang Town Center last October 4, 2014, Christina expressed how she had been longing to visit the Philippines because of her Filipino fans.

    Dressed in an all-black ensemble, she emerged for the first time on Philippine stage after a snippet of her latest single, Must Be Love, was played on screen. The activity center was ringing with screams and shouts, an expression of love, no doubt. Opening her set was her song, Tell My Mama.
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  • Bastille Live in Manila Photo Gallery

    Bastille Live in Manila Photo Gallery

    Bastille Live at World Trade Center Manila last January 5, 2015 by Karpos Multimedia.

    Photos by Carla Barretto

    carla-barretto
    Carla Barretto is a busy bee that eats, sleeps, and breathes concerts. When she’s not shooting shows, she’s planning them herself! Her production and multimedia backgrounds blend into this peculiar mademoiselle with a love for live music.

    Follow Carla Barretto on Twitter @heycarlaaa

  • Astronomical Flare: Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider Live in Manila

    Astronomical Flare: Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider Live in Manila

    Sam Tsui and Kurt Hugo Schneider Live in Manila
    YouTube stars Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider conquer one country, one show at a time.

    Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider’s musical breakthrough can be likened to the beginning of a star. Like gas clouds pulled together by gravity, music was the gravity that pulled them to similar paths, and set their world into a whirlwind musical adventure. From College Musical to collaboration projects, and composing original songs throughout the years, their light has only gotten brighter.

    This light passed by Manila with intense luminosity, even if for a few nights. Two shows, two different crowds coming together for the supernova that is a live performance. Inside the concert hall, early birds waited patiently, as more fans trickled in the venue.

    Rita De Guzman

    Rita De Guzman, clad in an all black glittery outfit commanded the stage with her confidence as she opened the show. Though her time on stage was brief, she showcased her vocal abilities in three songs. She ended her set with an original, which was refreshing from the norm where local talents limit their capabilities to renditions or cover songs.

    The atmosphere, though dark and frosty, rang with anticipation. The crowd knew what was coming next. Red lights in synch to a pulsating beat triggered more suspense. As drummer Joel Manduke, followed by guitarist Jason Pitts, appeared on stage, the hall resounded with screams. As Kurt ran to his keyboard, the screaming intensified, and the crowd broke loose as soon as Sam darted on stage.

    Sam Tsui at SMX Convention Center
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  • We The Kings Resume their Reign in Manila

    We The Kings Resume their Reign in Manila

    We The Kings 2014

    “Every time we come to the Philippines it feels like we’re home.” shared frontman Travis Clark at the beginning of the night. The band is indeed no stranger to the Philippines, with the Art of Tour visit being their third time to play on the Manila stage. The SM Skydome rang with approval as the relatively small yet tightly knit crowd delighted in the statement.

    Currently with four albums in their discography, We the Kings had Manila waiting a good two years since their last visit in May of 2012. Unsurprisingly, the punk/powerpop band’s fanbase came in full force to welcome back Travis, Danny, Hunter, Charles, and Coley.

    The band began their set with a sampling of most of their albums, opening with Queen of Hearts, Skyway Avenue, and Any Other Way, followed by older favorites We’ll Be A Dream and Whoa.

    We The Kings Manila 2014 Travis

    The bond between the artists and their fans was quickly reignited as if the two years had never passed. Almost halfway through the 18-song set, Travis issued a dance challenge: not to be the best dancers, but to have the most ridiculous moves. While many were hesitant at first, it wasn’t long before the crowd finally gave into becoming a mass of pure flailing, jumping energy.
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  • The Return to Wanderland

    The Return to Wanderland

    Wanderland 2014

    It was a confluence of conditions that made Wanderland’s sophomore effort a triumphant repeat performance. The festival, as true as it was last year, definitely gives a different vibe from Summer Slam, Bazooka Rocks, Malasimbo, and even 7107.

    Say what you want about Metro Manila weather, but I could not imagine Wanderland being scheduled in any other time of year. People were at their most comfortable festive get ups: their shorts, their skirts, flower crowns, tank tops, cotton everything, flower crowns, sunglasses, I-wish-I-was-in-Coachella costumes, flower crowns. Karpos brought the party favors with the carnival staples, the carousel, that inflatable thingamajig with the velcro wall, live art sessions. And booze and food. Amenities in Circuit were topnotch. It is perhaps the best and appropriately stocked locally-produced music festival I’ve gone to. Wanderland certainly did a great job recognizing and acknowledging its audience judging by the effort it put into field logistics alone.

    The Drums at Wanderland 2014

    Wanderland 2014 Crowd

    Architecture in Helsinki at Wanderland

    Wanderland’s distinct vibe is most probably due to the music the festival showcases. In the most simplistic and convenient of terms, blurted out by no other than Lourd de Veyra on stage: hipster. It is the music, the culture, the clothes, the attitude, the entire shebang the term imbibes, incurs, and inspires. Be it as it may, the lineup runs a gamut of musical styles diverse enough to avoid monotony but consistent enough tug a unifying thread binding all of them. All of them except maybe for Franco. It is always great to see them perform on stage, so I would assume the organizers threw them into the fray as a wild card to keep things interesting. And it was.
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  • 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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  • 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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  • Like a riot, like a riot, oh! Phoenix live in Manila

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    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.

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     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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  • Capital Cities live in Alabang Town Center Photos

    Capital Cities live in Alabang Town Center Photos

    Capital Cities live in Manila
    Alabang Town Center
    January 11, 2014

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    Ryan and Sebu pumping up the crowd during their cover of “Staying Alive”

     

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    The duo makes a ‘shady’ entrance in dark shades and retro inspired jackets

     

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    Ryan taking a moment to watch the energetic crowd

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  • Alicia Keys: The Girl on Fire Illuminates Manila

    Alicia Keys: The Girl on Fire Illuminates Manila

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    “Music has a way of lifting your spirit and that’s what I hope to do for the Filipino people … To the people of the Philippines: my heart is with you” – Alicia Keys

    14-time Grammy winner, singer, songwriter and pianist Alicia Keys delivered a powerhouse performance on a Monday night at Mall of Asia Arena.

    It’s strange to think that when Alicia Keys first stepped into the music business with her already amazing vocal skills, she was but a fresh faced 19-year old. Her debut single Fallin’ took over the charts and spent weeks at number 1. She hit the ground running and it wasn’t long before her music and her signature braids achieved iconic levels worldwide. The good thing is that even in present day, she’s still just as relevant, writing hits to inspire people.

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    Last Monday, the now 32-year old singer set out to put some much-needed smiles on all the concert goers faces as the country goes through post-Yolanda healing. Hours before the show, Alicia took the time to go to Villamor Airbase to visit the survivors of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The singer’s presence boosted morale and helped ignite hope among the typhoon survivors as she chatted with them and provided supplies to help the relief efforts.
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  • Fall Out Boy Brings Manila More Great Memories

    Fall Out Boy Brings Manila More Great Memories

    Save Rock and Roll Tour: Fall Out Boy live in Manila Concert Review

    Fall Out Boy Live at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
    The screaming fans who shook the packed Big Dome


    Fall Out Boy is such a talented band. Infinity On high is one of my most played albums ever! In 2009, after the release of Folie A Deux, the band went on hiatus. Last February, they announced that they were coming back with a new album and world tour. That tour included Manila, and the show proved to be tremendously successful. Fall Out Boy returned from their 4-year hiatus with their latest album “Save Rock and Roll” and on August 8, Thursday night, an approximate 9,000 fans in the Araneta Coliseum witnessed the much awaited performance of one of the best punk/emo bands in the world.

    Patrick Stump - Fall Out Boy Live in Manila
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  • The Pianist’s Pianist Concert Photos

    The Pianist’s Pianist Concert Photos

    The Pianist’s Pianist
    Cecile Licad, Gerard Salonga, ABS CBN Philharmonic Orchestra
    Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater

    Cecile Licad, together with the ABS CBN Philharmonic Orchestra and the leadership of Gerard Salonga delivered a stellar night of classical music that only further reinforced her title of The Pianist’s Pianist. Much can also be said of the musicians who shared the stage with her as their well-oiled machine of an orchestra truly created a myriad of sounds that all blended into a single melodious feast for the ears.

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  • Summer Ends Loudly at Circuit Fest

    Summer Ends Loudly at Circuit Fest

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    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.

    circuitfest_skate

    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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  • Escape to Wanderland

    Escape to Wanderland

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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.

    wanderland-festival-2013

    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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