“I’m at a point in my career where I do things I like. I will not sing to please everybody… well, not totally.”

Lea Salonga 40th Anniversary Concert

“I’m at a point in my career, where I do things I like. I will not sing to please everybody… well, not totally.” That opening statement dictated the song choices for Lea’s 40^th Anniversary Concert. She gave a tribute to the late lead singer of Hotdogs (Manila Manila, Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko with Mark Bautista), sang songs from her favorite Broadway shows (“Vanilla Ice Cream “from the musicale She Loves Me), and unexpectedly did a medley of Prince’s songs.

Lea Salonga with her special guests

The highlights of the evening, however, was when Simon Bowman joined her on stage. What a delight it was when we were regaled by the Broadway stars with songs from Miss Saigon. (Sun and Moon and Solo Saxophone). Simon also sang songs from George Michael and Sam Smith (theme form Spectre). Lea’s daughter Nicole Chen sang “Shy” from Once Upon a Mattress while child guest performer Esang De Torres gave an impressive rendition of “Quiet” from Once Upon a Mattress.

I also loved Lea’s special song for her mom Ligaya (Sa Ugoy ng Duyan) while my little one applauded when she sang Princess Jasmine’s song from Alladin (A Whole New World).

Lea Salonga’s little fan. My daughter with her signed programme.
Other memorable performances are “I Will Never Love Again” by Lady Gaga and a song from Himala the Musicale.
There is no stopping the force that is Lea. After 40 years, she is still so good and no one has emerged to take her throne. Congratulations Lea Salonga! Bravo!
With a pocketful of glitter,

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I told my date that Ed started his show exactly on time in his previous concert. No band, no back up singers and no dancers. Just good ol’Ed singing his heart out and changing his guitars after every song. Well, he was and hour late this time around but his performances were better than ever. He mostly sang songs from his Divide Album like Perfect, Shape of You, Gallway Girl and my all time favorite Dive. (So don’t call me baby, unless you mean it, Don’t tell me you need me, if you don’t believe it. So let me know the truth, before I dive right into you…) and also gave the shrieking fans memorable renditions of his older hit songs like “Thinking Out Loud” and “Photograph”. Ok, “Happier” gave the audience all kind of heartbreak feels. Aaarggghh!

With panels upon panels of gigantic LED screens on stage , Ed Sheeran was a force to be reckoned with. Singer, songwriter, rapper , percussionist (he used his guitar as a drum in a few numbers) and gifted guitarist, Manila fans sang and screamed as Ed belted out one number after another—non stop. Ed shared that he is quite over the moon because his Divide album has gone 8 times platinum in the Philippines. A fact that surprised him because his album’s sales in the Philippines are the same as in his home country , the UK.

Under the starlit sky, with wafts of the Manila Bay air making its way to the concert grounds, we all enjoyed the songs of Ed Sheeran. A Perfect night, indeed!

Congratulations Universal MCA Music for another successful concert!

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Undoubtedly the most awaited concert  (Tickets were sold out since last year),  the fans could not contain their excitement as they entered the venue.   From her last concert in Macau,  three Boeing 747 planes carried lights,  sound equipment and props to our city.  The stage is really the  first thing to catch your attention.  An elongated cross with a heart attached to the tip and a rectangle stage with protruding balls at the end,  it was an early forboding  of what the show would be.    That show would start almost three hours late – at 11:42 to be exact.
When Madonna finally came out from a cage suspended in the air, the whole  Mall of Asia Arena exploded in shouts and cheers.   Madge mostly sang songs from her newest album.  I so loved when she did Rebel Heart.  “Why can’t you be like the other girls? I said oh no, that’s not me. And I don’t think that it’ll ever be.”   Flashes of  the music icon rendered pop art style flashed on the giant  screens showing her evolution through the years.  It was a visual feast as well as well as a hefty serving of lyrics to awaken the soul.  “So I took the road less travelled by. And I barely made it out alive.  Through the darkness somehow I survived. Tough love I knew it from the start  deep down in my rebel heart.”

 
Of course, she had to sing her old songs from the 80’s!  The people asked for  “Crazy for You” but  she denied that request and sang other favorites instead. Reworked to sound more appealing to millenials, I wished she sang the songs in their original versions.  Still Madonna’s performance of “Burning Up”  while playing the electric guitar,  literally set the stage on fire.  Audience were treated to  La Isla Bonita,  Just Like A Prayer, True Blue, Material Girl and Music.

The costumes were fabulous! Japanese warrior , Spanish Senorita, Sparkle-clad 20’s girl and Rocker Goddess—all showed her well-taut physique.  How in the world could this woman be pushing 60?!   She had plenty of Asian dancers, aerialists who wowed the crowd from twenty foot poles and a moving stage that kept everybody at the edge of their seats.  The audience lapped up the profanity and applauded all the perfectly choreographed numbers. She ended the first night singing  “Holiday” while straddling a dancer as he carried her on his shoulders.  And yes, she draped the Philippine flag around her body and waved it to the adoring fans.

The politics and religion I will leave to others to write about.  Was it a show for kids? No it was not .  “ Vogue” had the 12 disciples, Mother  Mary and Jesus both on screen and on stage “posing”.    Some will say that Madonna is  nothing short of crass —  irreverent and unapologetic.   No one , however ,can deny that she is one of the most gifted women performers of our time .   The concert was a brilliant two hour   spectacle — nothing more , nothing less.   Hail to her Madjesty, Madonna!

With a pocketful of glitter,

 

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The spiels were funny too. At one point,  Regine motioned to the bleachers and said, “Akala ko ba mayayaman ang audience ko, bakit jan kayo bumili ng ticket???”  Martin Nievera chided Erik Santos for stealing “his song” (referring to This is The Moment) prompting the latter to retort “Bakit? Ikaw kumanta ng original?” “Hindi.”  “Eh bakit mo inaangkin?”  These and many more exchanges drew laughter from the crowd.
There were emotional moments too.  After Angeline and Regine did a series of Whitney Houston songs (which made the hair on my arms stand), the younger singer hugged the latter for a good two minutes.   In tears, Angeline said that she could not believe that  she was performing with her idol.   Regine complimented her by saying “Pwede na ko mag-retire.  You are so good!”

Highlights of the night included songs of Basil Valdez sang by the men and Nat King Cole/Natalie Cole  sang by Martin and Angeline.  The four also rendered a medley from Eraserheads (“Huling El Bimbo”, “Pare Ko and “Magasin”).

The singers also delighted the crowd by dong songs from the 80’s.  At one point Vice Ganda and Ogie Olcasid joined them on stage.  What an enjoyable concert!  Was not aware that three hours had passed by.  I must say though that Angeline Quinto made a fan out of me.

Up next — MADONNA!!!
With a pocketful of glitter,

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       Last August 27, 2015, Imagine Dragons held its first ever concert in the Philippines. Lead singer Dan Reynolds and his band-mates, guitarist Wayne “Wing” Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman, brought their Las Vegas rock music all the way to our shores.

I first learned about Imagine Dragons through video games. I was playing an IOS game, Infinity Blade 3, when I heard “Monster”. I really liked it! My curiosity led me to discover that they also sang a lot of my favorite songs such as “It’s Time”, “On Top of the World”, and “Radioactive”. I apparently hadn’t been giving them due credit. They are such a laidback, “unpretty” band with great songs.
The concert started at around 8:45 PM. They casually entered the stage looking like they had just woken up from a late night’s sleep. However, once the show started, it was clear that they were prepared to jam like crazy. “Shots” was first on their playlist.  Although the Mall Of Asia Arena was only half full, the place was filled with a multitude of voices as the crowd sang, “I shot, shot, shot everything that I loved!”  The band’s next song “Trouble” was received as warmly.
Dan lost no time making a connection to the fans.  “Mahal ko kayo! (I love you) This morning my bandmate told me “Bobo ka ba? (Are you dumb?) – a phrase he must’ve picked up somewhere.”  As the crowd laughed at his attempts to speak the language, the singer said, “Ikaw ay gundumgundum.” (You are pretty.) Acknowledging that they must sound like crazy Americans, Dan then shared that his two brothers lived in the Philippines and that his best friend is a Filipino.
“It’s Time” was sung next. Dan said he heard that Filipinos were good at karaoke. He put our singing skills to the test as we sang along with him – something that fans would do for the rest of the night. “Forever Young”, “Smoke and Mirrors”, “Polaroid” and “I’m So Sorry” rounded the first half of the concert.
Although the concert was called Smoke + Mirrors Tour, there was no trickery involved. Great singing and a fantastic light show made the whole thing spectacular! Everyone happily sung along as the band played their second half playlist-“Gold”, “Amsterdam”, “Demons”, “Hopeless Opus”, “On Top of the World”, “Friction”, and “I Bet My Life”. It got so incredibly loud that I could feel my whole body vibrating.
The second to the last song “Radioactive” sent the people into an excited frenzy! I saw people jumping up and down as they bobbed their hands and waved their hands. The show ended with the band playing “The Fall”. Dan got a Philippine flag from a fan and waved it as he sang.

This concert was definitely one of the best I’ve been to.  Not once did I sit down! Days later, I found myself listening to their songs on YouTube. Their lyrics are relevant, relatable and appealing to the young audience. I think that’s why the band is so popular among the youth. I can’t wait until the next time Imagine Dragons rocks the Philippines again!

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DJ Tom Taus played his mixes at exactly 8 pm.  Half an hour or so later, Ariana Grande took the stage amidst deafening shouts and screams.  The singer opened the show with her hit “Bang Bang” (a song she recorded with Jessie J and rapper Nicki Minaj) which she followed with a string of hits  like “Hands On Me”,  “Right There” and “Be My Baby”.   “I’ve always wanted to visit the Philippines and now I’m here,”  Ariana said to the adoring Manila  crowd.   To endear herself even more to the fans, the cherub –faced performer shouted,  “I see your messages!  You guys are always on Twitter!”

There’s nothing dimunitive about Ariana Grande.   If at all, she’s quite  a dynamite. Proving that she has the vocal power to back her international superstar status,  Ari gave an amazing rendition of Whitney Houstons’s  “I Have Nothing .”   She described the song as “one of her favorite songs of all time.”   Shortly after,  everyone was up on their feet dancing and singing along as she belted   “I’m Every Woman” and Madonna’s  cult  hit “Vogue.”

The two hour show ended with Ariana singing “Love Me Harder”, “Honeymoon Avenue” and  “Problem”.    With minimal costume changes ( I counted two cat ear headbands and  one lopsided  black mesh bunny ears),  a big screen background, and a handful of backup dancers,  the show really anchored its totality in Ariana’s powerful voice and  performances.   She hit her high notes with ease , danced with 6 inch stilettos on  and on more than one occasion put  a hand in one lobe  to elicit more  adulation from her die-hard Arianators.  Manila certainly wasn’t disappointed!

We want you back soon Ariana!
With a pocketful of glitter,

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Wearing a deep sea green dress with a black mesh overlay, Idina had a wonderful time interacting with her audience.  At one point, she playfully took out her net skirt and asked , “Did that get you excited?”.   She also asked for help in saying “I love you” in Tagalog.   The songstress likewise attempted to sing her signature song “Let It Go” in Tagalog but had a difficult time pronouncing some of the words.  She repeated her Frozen sequence (this time singing it with more ease) but finally said “Ok guys, I’m sure you all know this song in English too!”

 Proving that the country has an infinite pool of talented singers, three lucky  members of the audience,  who were selected by Idina herself, belted out “Take Me or Leave Me” from RENT.  Ms. Menzel could only say in admiration , “You are such a cultured people – you know your Broadway!”

In one touching number, Idina sang “For Good” in acapella.  A sea of lights (from cellphones) started to glow from all sides of the arena.  An almost teary-eyed Idina extended her microphone to the crowd and we ended the song with her.   Undoubtedly, this was the most memorable moment of the night!

As the show went on, Idina regaled with more songs from Broadway.  “I was the first Wicked Witch of the West , you know,” she proudly announced.  Ms. Menzel also gave a slow and touching performance of  “Tomorrow” and sang a beautiful ballad that she wrote for her son.   Her splendid show was powered by PLDT HOME Fibr.

See you soon Idina!  Manila will be waiting to hear more of your enchanting music!

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Garbed in jeans and  a checkered polo over a white shirt,  the British singer played his hits to a jampacked Pinoy audience.  There was no band, no back-up singers and no dancers .  It was a solid two and a half hour performance which had the people singing, dancing and screaming.  After the first set, Ed shouted, “ This could be the best reception I’ve ever had! Thank you Manila!”

There was no front act, no intermission or memorized spiels, Ed just sang one song after the other.  He was very surprised to hear the Filipino audience singing along with him.  Ed said “ When I wrote my songs, I thought only the people in my country would be able to hear it. I never thought my music would travel all the way here.”

With gigantic screens serving as his backdrop, the singer sang, rapped and played his guitars (he kept changing guitars after every song) like there was no tomorrow.  The concert was over before ten thirty  and everybody went home high on the music of the ultra-talented , down-to-earth and phenomenal Ed Sheeran!

Until my next post!

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The second set featured Ikaw and lahat sa Akin (Martin), Ikaw lang ang Mamahalin (Lani), Ang Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw (Regine ) and Gary’s  heartpulling rendition of  Sana Maulit Mulli.

I thoroughly enjoyed the third set with  Martin and Lani performing songs from their Vegas stint –“It’s not Unusual and  “Proud Mary” respectively.  After this, Martin sang his signature hits “How Can I?” and  “Say that You Love Me”  I could hear the hubby singing along to my left.
Gary impressed the crowd with his app that recorded the three other singers’  beatbox debut.  They all sang Pharell’s  “Happy” using that as background.

Highlights of the show included Martin’s rendition of  “This is the Moment” to honor the Fallen 44, Gary singing “ Take Me Out Of the Dark” and  Regine ‘s tearful “If You Go Away”.  The night, however, belonged to  Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha.  From doing unbelievable operatic vocalization, to rapping “Sirena” by Gloc 9 (which sent the audience into frenzy) to her jaw dropping performance  of Whitney Houston’s  “I Will Always Love You” – Ms. Misalucha is truly a world-class act and in a league all her own.  It was evident even to her co-performers.  Regine  jokingly cried “Wahhh.. Mama!!!” after Lani performed because she knew she had to put on her game face since she had to sing next.  She didn’t disappoint with “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing. “

 The night ended with paper hearts falling from the rafters of the Mall of Asia Arena while the quartet sang   One Voice”.

It truly was a magical night.  The best Valentine’s concert I’ve seen thus far.  I hope there will be a repeat!

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The award winning singer came out in  a silk gown as she sang the love anthem “Love Story” (…You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess . It’s a love story, Baby, just say yes…)  Everybody knew the lyrics to this one and so everyone sang their hearts out.  She bade the people goodbye after this.  But, as expected, she returned and sang the finale.  The ultimate revenge and moving on song “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” was the fitting number to end the night.  As a carousel flashed on screen, Taylor Swift came out in a ringmaster costume and sang her hit song.  And with one last “wink”, the singer disappeared from stage.

In terms of production value, I have seen better shows.  This one just had a big screen and dancers thrown here and there.  The screaming girls didn’t mind.  At one point, the singer even forgot the opening lyrics to “Fearless.”  I will give Taylor Swift big brownie points though for being very considerate to her fans.  She went down the stage and took time to hold as many hands as she could.  She also spent a lot of time in the middle stage so she could be nearer to people in the back .  But whatever she did, the crowd just simply adored her!
I can’t wait until my little R grows up so I can bring her to watch Taylor’s show. Until then, au revoir Little Miss Taylor!

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