Philippine Concerts

Tag: mall of asia arena concerts

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.

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)

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.

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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March 24, 2014
The Mall of Asia Arena: Feast for the Eye

The Mall of Asia Arena’s first 14 months have been marked with great concerts, sports and special events that brought international recognition to Philippines’ sports & entertainment industry including Lady Gaga, NKOTB,Backstreet Boys, Nicki Minaj, Jonas Brothers, David Guetta, Keane, JenniferLopez, Big Bang, Swedish House Mafia, Paramore, Psy, Aerosmith, All Star Basketball Challenge PBA vs NBA Legends, Zac Efron, Lee Min Ho and Lebron James. It’s also the new home of the UAAP.

In addition to the sports and concerts described above, MOA Arena is set to host Grammy winning band Linkin Park, Hollywood actor Taylor Lautner, global superstar Rihanna, Disney Live, Matchbox Twenty and the 1st ever NBA preseason game in Southeast Asia and in the Philippines . The two teams playing in the preseason game will be the Houston Rockets versus the Indiana Pacers.

It has proven to be a home court advantage for our Philippine team Gilas Pilipinas, as the arena serves the main venue for the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.
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August 9, 2013
Aerosmith Live at MOA Arena

Aerosmith Live at the Mall of Asia Arena last May 8, 2013!

Steven Tyler and Aerosmith Live in Manila

Great Drum Solo by Joey Kramer along with Steven Tyler

Aerosmith Live in Manila Setlist (more…)

May 10, 2013
The Para Thrilla Take Over

The stage, like a boxing ring, was ready for its entertainers to step in and give one heck of a performance. A day after Valentines, everyone was still painting the town red. This time, it was a different kind of celebration: one that both couples and singles would relish.

Almost three years since their debut concert in Manila, it was about time for the Franklin-based group to come back. It was only months since their first concert in the country when the fanswere hit with sad and shocking news – the Farro brothers had departed the band. Fans were left wondering what was next for Paramore. Fast-forward to 2013, the band made it through, and are more excited than ever to conquer the world (again).

The night began when American musicians mewithoutYou officially kicked off the show. According to Paramore’s lead singer, Hayley Williams, mewithoutYou has been a band she has loved since she was a teenager. To have them open for her own band must have been a surreal experience.

The crowd was brimming with so much energy even from the beginning; as the stage was being prepared for Paramore, fans were already screaming in excitement. At 9’o clock, the lights in the MOA Arena went out. The crowd knew, as Hayley would later in the night put it, “It all begins now.” (more…)

February 20, 2013
Raving the Night Away

The sixteenth day of 2013 witnessed an extravagant party that left its attendees hung over for days. On that chilly night, the Mall of Asia Arena was transformed from a simple concert venue to fit the ultimate rave. To describe that night as epic would be an understatement.

Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, and Steve Angello, better known as The Swedish House Mafia have definitely made a mark in the electronic dance music scene. Their debut concert in Manila is also their last in the country. They announced late June of last year that they would be going on One Last Tour – the official name of their current tour.

Inside the Arena, the atmosphere was an excited one. People were shuffling in and out of the venue, and official merchandise was selling out fast. Upon entering the Arena proper, one would get a club-like vibe. There was a huge dance floor, and to its left and right were sections with tables and two bar areas. If not for the surrounding bleachers behind the tables, one would have mistaken the Arena as a club.

At around eleven in the evening after Martin Pulgar and Quintino finished their sets, it was time for the rave to begin. Lights out, hands raised, heads banging and fists pumping — the crowd was psyched for the Swedish trio to take their places behind the DJ table.

The whole arena was at a blackout when suddenly lights started flickering on stage. The screen, which was as huge as a movie theater’s, showed 1/3 of their logo — a white dot — fading in. Suddenly, everything went black again as if teasing the already animated audience. The screen lit up again, this time with more images flashing together with thunder-like sounds. The beats were getting faster until finally they hit a cliff: a cue for the audience to scream even louder as they anticipated the trio to enter.

The stage went white. What appeared to be the screen was actually a white cloth that fell to ground, and revealed the set-up: there were two silhouettes mixing behind the huge table, and the real screen lay at their backs. By the third minute of their introductory song, the screen displayed their official logo.

“We Come. We Rave. We Love.”
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January 21, 2013
Big Bang: Beyond Alive

As early as the afternoon, VIPs, how Big Bang fans are called, were already beginning to flock the surroundings of the Mall of Asia Arena. The booths outside, which featured the band’s official merchandise and some of their advertised brands, were raided by fans. Their life-sized cardboard representations alone proved to be quite an attraction to the frantic audience that was just waiting to storm the arena to see their much loved Korean boy band.

Even with the overflow of foreign acts that passed Manila, Big Bang’s Alive tour remained to be one of the highly anticipated events of the year as the band makes their way around unchartered territories for their first ever world tour. K-pop, which has spread its influence over people like wildfire, definitely burned its influence in the Philippines, as the genre infectiously catches more and more Filipino fans who ardently and painstakingly make the effort to learn their language just to sing along to their songs and understand their raw interviews.

Since their debut in 2006, T.O.P., G-Dragon, Daesung, Seungri and Taeyang have always stood out among others not just because of their undeniable good looks, but also with their trendsetting fashion sensibilities and their ability to compose their own songs. Over the years, they have proved to be capable as both musicians and performers by creating their own brand of hiphop. The band is now one of the most well known Korean acts across the world, inspiring a cult-like following from most of its fan base.

The 24th of October was marked as their first stop in Manila. Surely enough, no rain, no distance, no threat of bankruptcy was going to keep their fans from seeing the show. Outside, long queues of people were frantically waiting for the gates to open. The VIPs, proudly wearing crown headbands and strutting in outlandish fashion, eagerly waited to get in among thousands of others. On their hands were meticulously designed banners that express their appreciation for the five boys and the official Big Bang crown light sticks. Their imagination, running wild. Their anticipation, just so obviously soaring.
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November 3, 2012
Keane’s Strangeland Hits Manila

After eight years of breaking through borders with the familiarly melodic tunes of Hopes and Fears, the second day of October 2012 was finally set as Keane’s first visit in Manila for their Strangeland tour. Since the release of Strangeland last March, the British quartet has been on an extensive, nonstop tour across the globe to promote their new album. While the country-hopping could surely be exhausting, the four of them showed absolutely no sign of it as they powerfully enthralled Manila with an overwhelming set of 26 songs that lasted for almost two hours. The SM Mall of Asia Arena became the venue that thousands of Strangers (how Keane fans are called) and casual music enthusiasts would remember as a night of great, pure music. Indeed, every person on that arena can tell you with every ounce of truth that experiencing Keane’s music live was worth every year, every second of waiting.

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October 13, 2012