I thought I would be sad because I wasn’t able to catch Up Dharma Down—the whole reason why I went to Glorietta in the first place. But since they played early around 4:00 PM (WTH, guys?? They should’ve been in the prime-time slot!), I was praying to catch other cool bands like Franco, Urbandub, Taken By Cars, Techy Romantics, and Rico Blanco.
And yep, I did! I like Taken By Cars and Techy Romantics, but sadly, they didn’t fit a venue like Glorietta. Their music is disco, pop, electronic, and dancey—the kind of songs that make you want to groove. But since it was in a mall, the audience was sitting down, so grooving wasn’t really an option. I felt sad for them because they deserve cool, energetic audiences.
But they were really great. Seeing them live made me want to watch them in a venue where dancing is okay and people won't judge you because they're dancing too.
Then came Franco. They were stupidly introduced as Sponge Cola. WTH?? They played about 3–4 songs, and I only knew tracks from their first album, pero Franco Reyes really rocked the house down! I was up on the 3rd floor of the mall, and I saw the crowd really moving—the kind of energy I wished they had for Taken By Cars and Techy Romantics. Charismatic Franco definitely captured my heart!
After Franco, who should play next? Of course, the other rock superstar, Urbandub. I noticed that when Franco finished, a huge chunk of the crowd left. I’m not really sure... is there animosity between Franco and Urbandub fans?? I know they have some history, pero I hope all is well. So back to Urbandub—as usual, Gabby Alipe was hot! That scar on his face… hahaha…
Then Sponge Cola. WTF happened to them? Even though I don’t like them anymore, I still consider their first album, Palabas, to be one of the best. Yael did a lot of screaming and fist-bumping with the audience. Actually, this was the first time I saw them perform live. They were my first love in the OPM band scene. So I waited 9 years for this: ear-shattering noise from Yael, my former love. Hahaha. Anyare, Yael??
Buti na lang at merong RICO BLANCO. What a blast! I loved his performance—the robot moves, the Ati-Atihan dance. I saw him last year doing an acoustic set; it was great, but I didn’t really like it when he sang songs associated with Rivermaya, like "214" and "Himala." But when he’s in his “Fiesto Bandido” vibe, he is amazing, even when he sings "Kisapmata," "Elesi," or other Rivermaya-era songs.
Everything seems falling into pieces. I’ve waited for 2 and
half years and now I have what I wanted. Am I happy? Of course I am. I prayed
for this. I worked hard for it. But looking back to those years when I am
waiting for this to come, everything seems stopped… everything seems
incomplete.
