Monumental Moments: 10 Concerts Circa 2014
In 2014, I had covered my fair share of concerts as contributor of Philippine Concerts, with genres ranging from pop-punk bands to J-rock to K-pop. It has been a fun, bipolar musical exploration which got me tripping all over the place and falling in various pits in erratic time periods. (And I do mean that in a positive way.)
Despite the lack of updates in my personal accounts, my memory wouldn't be so dull as to forget them. I couldn't even if I wanted to, believe me.
2014 has to be the year when I actually fell really deep for certain bands/artists. Each in this list made one hell of a lasting impression in my mind. As a semi-late wrap-up, here goes the list of the best 10 concerts/moments in 2014 (with a few personal notes on the side):
1. Phoenix at the World Trade Center was my first concert in 2014. The whole concert was a blast, but what I took from it was this: slapping Thomas Mars’ back when he went down the stage during Phoenix’s concert in January.
He suddenly went out at our side of the stage first. It caught me off-guard. If my friend hadn’t pulled me and told me it was Thomas, I would not have noticed. So on we followed him, and guess what? Instead of the very normal response of shaking his hand or simply approaching him, I slapped his back repeatedly as he walked around. Like a psycho. In all fairness, it was a light pat, and it wasn’t anything close to assault.
Read more here:
Like a riot, like a riot oh!: Phoenix Live in Manila
2. Febfest, a two-part music festival at Metrotent, which featured Warpaint, Mogwai, Youth Lagoon and The National. The lineup was to-die-for. As I was researching them before the concert, I drowned in the sheer melancholy and the trippy vibes of their music. Also, I ended up in the photo pit, which was my 2nd time (First was during Toe.) I remember feeling very uneasy about it as I moved around the real pro-photographers whose websites and works I’ve seen and admired from afar. Being in the same place as them felt weird, I have to admit. Even worse, I have only acquired my DSLR a few days before the 2nd part, and really, I was the biggest noob in using it at the time. I was confused, nervous and lost during the entire time, but really all the bands/acts were topnotch.
See more photos and read more about it here:
Febfest Part I: A Uniquely Trippy Musical Experience
Febfest Part II: Surreal
3. Next up is tricot, an awesome Japanese math rock band who held their "What' Ochansensu-su?" concert at 19 East. I saw the ad at Japan Foundation’s page a few days before their concert. Having no prior knowledge of who they are, I researched them. It took one song: “Oyasumi” (Good Night), and I knew I absolutely had to see them. I have this affinity for J-rock due to my long drawn connection with animes, Japanese dramas, the language and other generally otaku-ish tendencies, so their music was something that I found in synch with my taste. As it turned out, they were worth the curiosity. That evening was the last gig that would have Komaki as their drummer (who is completely amazing, by the way). Their music, played live, was also energizing. Add to that, the crowd’s palpable energy. Well, not completely necessary, but the travel to the venue, as far as it is from where I live, was quite the adventure. I went with two friends, one who was directionally crippled as I was and another who knew the way. It took a train ride, a bus, a jeepney and a lingering which-part-of-the-world-are-we-in sort of feeling to get there.
See more photos and read more about it here:
Tricot Served Ochansensu-su to Manila
4. The first ever silent concert, "Music Deserves Respect" in Manila which featured Ely Buendia and Bamboo -- There was a glass encasing around the stage, and the audience had to plug their headphones in order to hear the music as they played. Music, presented that way, sounded raw, as if every element of the song is fragmented and amplified to make it more whole. In addition, it was also my first time to see Ely Buendia live,and he played Eheads songs so really it made a dent in my memory
Read more about it here:
MDR Live: A Silent Concert of Historic Proportions
5. Taylor Swift: Red Tour -- Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see that concert, but when I was told to cover it, I figured why not? It was an eye opener of sorts, really. Before seeing her concert, the only thing I had known about her was her notorious reputation for dating, dumping a lot of celebrities and recycling their affairs into the catchiest pop songs on earth. However, the most important thing I realized during her show was that she is indeed a musician – a composer and a great stage performer. In any concert, the next most important factor to consider after the artist is the audience – their response and behavior. Personal prejudice aside, I learned to appreciate the crowd as much as the artist/s onstage. During her concert, I was fascinated by the generous appreciation of the audience who sang their hearts out to each of her songs. I figured, if she can inspire people as much, her music is worth listening to. True enough, her music is pretty good. At one point during her acoustic set, I unexpectedly got goosebumps while listening.
Read more here:
Taylor Swift in Bright, Burning Red
6. Bazooka Rocks Festival 3 which was extended to 2 days this year, and spectacularly featured 2 of my much loved bands as a teenager: Taking Back Sunday and The Used -- It was epic to see both bands simultaneously in the same night. I heard all those songs I occasionally etch and delete from my memory intentionally because of you know, reasons. Despite the multi-faceted appreciation, I had the best time that evening being near the front row and having those momentary eye contacts with Adam and Bert as they sang. It was magical. Add to that, Adam’s suave mic swinging, Bert’s perennial energy and the crowd’s exhilarating cheers.
Read more about it here:
Bazooka Rocks Festival 3: Grander than Ever
7. Seeing Anberlin for the first and what would be the last time during their Farewell Tour – I only started listening to their music a month before their concert. For some reason, I never really came across the band years before even though they were really good and they did have a strong following to back them up. When I was there, I realized how much I had missed. Albeit late, their music resonated with me in the same way that my high school playlist had. As I was there, I could just feel the sadness and longing in the audience as they listened and jammed to every song for the last time. It was just beautiful.
Read more about it here:
Anberlin Says Farewell to Manila
Now, I move on to the other side of the spectrum – Kpop. Ever since I saw Bigbang in 2012, I’ve developed an unquenchable interest for Kpop. It’s a fascinating world altogether – the musical style, the theatrics, the fans and the culture. There’s so much to see and dissect in it.
8. This year, B1A4 had their first solo show at Araneta Coliseum. I had the privilege to see it with my friends. As much as it caught us all by surprise, we ended up partying the hell out of it and liking the band for putting out a great live performance. I didn’t think much of B1A4’s music at first, but when I witnessed their concert, I was taken aback by how good they sounded live. They played with a live band for their entire set, too, which is by all standards, amazing. Up to now, “Lonely” still gets me whenever it plays.
See more photos and read more about it here:
B1A4 Road Trip: An Adventure Worth Exploring
9. “Can’t Stop” CNBLUE – the tour title that eventually became an ominous pun for their concert here. It was raining furiously for the whole day of their concert, causing major disturbances in the city. Regular work and a major fashion event were cancelled, but the concert pushed through. Even I didn’t know that I could go until I harnessed the YOLO mindset an hour before the concert. I like CNBLUE’s music as they are a band – that is, a band who plays their own instruments. Their brand of music is not strictly rock, though, as it incorporates the snazzy elements of Kpop, which I guess makes them unique. It was my 2nd time to see them. I liked their Blue Moon tour so much, it opened up my curiosity about Korean music and language in general. Their latest concert didn’t quite live up to that, to be honest, but I was still more than happy to have winged it and been there to witness it.
See more photos and read more about it here:
Yes, CNBLUE "Can't Stop"
10. Lastly and ultimately, the best concert experience in 2014 goes to Bangtan/BTS, a seven-member Korean hip hop group. I occasionally try to listen to all sorts of genres but I never stuck to hip hop. However, when I heard their music and read between the lyrics, I knew they are something else. They are different from typical Kpop groups. For one thing, they compose and produce their own songs, and they do an amazing job at it too. They have a good command of poetry matched with a refined sense of musicality. Also, their choreography for their live performances is topnotch. It’s astounding how they’re able to do it impeccably each time.
In truth, the last quarter of 2014 would not have been the same without Bangtan. Due to my friends’ persuasive pressure, I started listening to their music in late September. I was skeptical at first, but as I dug deeper into their songs, and gradually understood the lyrics, I was inevitably and completely drawn in. In a lot of instances this year, their music became a source of inspiration and daily happiness. Upon Pulp’s announcement, without second thoughts, my friends and I secured front row tickets along with all the possible value-added fan experiences. It was just about the best thing that happened this year.
See more phots and read more about the concert here:
BTS: The Red Bullet Hits Manila with a Bang
There you have it -- 60% of my 2014 in a nutshell. Since 2012, I've attended and written about various kinds of concerts. Until now, I still feel extremely lucky to continue doing it. If anything, I would have been literally bored to death for 2 years if it weren't for this.
Admittedly, I still have a lot of aspects to improve on -- particularly in photography which I intend to learn properly this year. All this time, I’ve taken pictures using nothing but instinct, a stint which has both worked and failed me at certain instances. That's one resolution set for 2015.
Cheers to another vibrant year for concerts here in Manila!