So sorry for the late post, been busy for quite sometime, but here it is!
The Switchfoot Experience
You already take me there
So it has come to the day, the concert itself. i went to the office early so that i can be able to finish my stuff and leave early, why? so that i can leave early and watch the greatest concert (In my opinion) this year, Switchfoot. i have a friend whom i’ll be seeing in the concert so we agreed that we’ll meet at the Cuneta Astrodome. i left at around 5pm and so the travel to the venue begins
Oh! Gravity
While on the bus, i was stucked in traffic and so often thank god, buses do have television sets inside. I caught up bleach and meteor garden (you know what channel i was talking about) until i saw he ad for their new fantaserye “Zaido” all i can say is that, imagine the armor of “robocop” but less tougher than it looks. While in Meteor Garden i can’t help but reminisce about college days (when they were still so popular amongst girls and every) anyhow, i can’t describe the feeling that the band i admire the most and i love to hear is finally here in manila, and they’ll be playing live (the last time i watched them was only on the Live in San Francisco DVD) and that made up my mind that im going to see them if they will perform here in the Philippines. Oh! Gravity is what i felt as i stepped down the doors of the bus and into the venue.
Circles
I went to eat dinner first before i verge on the long lines that turned into circles in front of the Cuneta Astrodome. Show starts at 7:30 pm and i arrived at around 6:30pm. perfect, i’ll eat dinner first. The crowd was mainly composed of young and yuppie girls and guys but the best part of it is that the crowd looks somewhat peaceful (as opposed to “some” concerts wherein you will be pissed off because of the so-called “bastard” gatecrashers and concert goers) I was also hoping to get merchandise once i get in
Dare you to move
I was in line at around 6:50pm. the long line hasn’t moved at all, and it’s nearing the said time. Good thing the started to let people in at around 7pm. but wait, the show starts at 7:30? well, as long switchfoot hasn’t started playing, it’s fine with me. Finally at around 7:10, the line started moving.
Stars
And so we are on the special ringside area of the venue. The place was cold, full of lights and screaming fans in the moshpit area. i saw some notable personalities, Stars as they would say, Monty Macalino of Mayonnaise and the members of Hale was in the moshpit area, as i told myself that they also are big fans of the band (FYI: switchfoot is one of the influences listed by the band HALE, in which case i can hear on some of the arrangements of their songs) along with some of the DJ’s from Magic and the MYX crew.
Adding to the noise
The show stared at around 8:30pm, it was opened up bay band namd Salamin, they rocked the place. Fans were screaming and they are having a good time. A sign that this will be a very noisy and rockin’ night.
Edge of my seat
And so it has come, the lights were dimmed, the crowd was screaming and 5 tall guys walked up the stage. Switchfoot was ready to rock manila! alright, even the people sitting in the ringside, lower box and bleachers were standing and on the edge of their seats as the show started. the guys started playing Oh! Gravity, from their new album with the same title. They followed it up with Stars which happens to be one of my favorite songs from them. Manila was really singing with them.
Here is their setlist (Courtesy of Switchfoot Manila blogsite)
- Oh! Gravity
- Stars
- Dare You to Move
- American Dream
- This is Your Life
- Learning to Breathe
- Chem 6A
- More Than Fine
- Gone
- On Fire
- The Cowboy Song
- Awakening
- Meant to Live
- (Encore) Only Hope
- We Are One Tonight
Highlights from the show:
- The 2 minute freeze time on American dreams (that was sooo cool!)
- Learning to breathe (i was shocked upon hearing this. On of the most memorable song for me was played live, though some of the crowd don’t know the song, i was singing to myself each and every lyric of it. sweet!)
- The Balut-eating portion after the members of the band were introduced onstage. Jerome fonatmillas was so clever, he only got the penoy, something less-grosser than the blaut. It was a first for a foreign rock band to eat balut onstage! hehehe
- 2 crazy fans got up onstage running so the bouncers were out to get them. i thought after their first run onstage it was over. but no, the even came back! cool!
- The encore part. Everyone was singing “Only Hope” probably because A walk to remember was one of those hit movies here in the Philippines. No offense to Mandy Moore fans (*ahem heheh) but the full band version was better. ^_^
We are one tonight
The show ended at 10:30 pm, it was a rockin’ exeprience, something that will be kept in my mind for a long time (Next to the Incubus concert in manila woohoo!) The crowd was great, everyone was singing and definitely, we were one tonight! Unfortunately, no pics but audios and video of them eating balut is up on my accoutn. do visit it and see it!
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