Four years late and still enthusiastic

It’s been a week since Vertical Horizon visited Manila for their first concert in Asia, and up to now the folks are reeling over their much-anticipated concert. Never mind that publicity was almost nil until two weeks before the concert, held last 7 December. Never mind the fact that the band has long since disappeared from the radar, after the 2003 release of their last album Go. For some reason, this concert epitomized what is considered as the perfect one – good music, and better crowd.

Also tagging along was Rivermaya, long proclaimed as the “banda ng bayan“, in their first major performance with their new vocalist Jayson Fernandez. Providing comic relief (and, admittedly, a little more risque) is stand-up comedian Jamie Kennedy.

And if anything turned out as a surprise in this concert, it’s the simple fact that, as the band genuinely put it, the crowd was beyond receptive. You’ll actually notice if a band is just saying the obligatory “you guys are great” line – in this one, it felt so real.

The front acts: Rivermaya and Jamie Kennedy

Rivermaya’s recent struggles were never kept private – Rico Blanco’s departure from the band was given such a profile by the press, to the point that speculation of the band eventually disbanding were very much alive. One can say, thus, that their set capped off a jubilant return, after successfully searching for a new vocalist via the television talent search Rivermaya: Bagong Liwanag. A new album is slated for release in January next year, after the release of their seven-track EP (which backed up the reality search).

All ears, though, are on Jayson Fernandez. The new vocalist, just eighteen, obviously has a big act to follow. The band’s first vocalist, of course, is Bamboo Mañalac, who set the Rivermaya sound in their most memorable, if not anthemic, songs of the 1990s. Rico Blanco, who replaced him, has been the band’s lead songwriter throughout its entire history.

I’ve seen the new line-up perform before, during a Myx event at DLSU, and already Jayson has impressed me. However he improved in their first Araneta event. Still developing his style, it’s a good thing to hear him not trying to imitate his predecessors. The other members of the band, already veterans of sort – Japs Sergio, Mike Elgar and Mark Escueta – ably assist him in the task.

But there is something weird with their performances. I don’t really know what – maybe I just have to get used to the fact that everybody in the band now sings (although it’s always been like that, especially if you listen to Between the Stars and Waves). Or maybe it’s because the expanded Araneta set, and the much shorter DLSU set I saw, are almost the same. It starts with the opening riff to Isang Bandila, then to Elesi, then to Banda ng Bayan with Sugarfree’s Hari ng Sablay thrown in. In other words, the set managed to feel a bit safe, not too risky, but understandably so, since Jayson still has a long way to go.

In the concert, though, they performed You’ll Be Safe Here and it’s here where Jayson stood out. Somehow the song suited him – nothing too high or too low. If this is the way to go for the band, then it is an indicator that growth is very much inevitable for this long-standing group. Oh, and still representing the Filipino vibe – Jayson ran around with the Philippine flag.

Jamie Kennedy came on next. Popular for his show The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, his inclusion in the night’s line-up seemed a bit off. What’s a stand-up comedian doing in a rock concert?

Aside from the fact that he’s got shows on MTV (who spearheaded the event), he’s somehow tasked to provide a breather, some sort of comic relief, before Vertical Horizon finally went up the stage. But a breather, it wasn’t – you know how stand-up routines go. And, as mentioned earlier, it really was a risque thing to do – his half-hour revolved around impressions, a few racial references (although nothing against anyone), and sex. He is very animated – very graphic is probably the better term. The two girls behind me were on the verge of getting annoyed.

Still, the audience ended up laughing pretty hard. The intermission break spent on setting up the next band’s equipment became the real breather.

“We’d be looking for apartments first thing tomorrow“

Vertical Horizon has been out of the radar for so long. Go has brought with it two successful singles, at least in the Philippines – I’m Still Here and It’s Over, both of which happen to be personal favorites.

But the moment they went on the stage, everybody in the almost-full Araneta Coliseum – probably only the general admission seats were empty – stood up, and stayed that way for almost the entirety of the concert. We were singing along (or, in my case, admittedly, mumbling along) to their bigger songs and cheering to the rest which we haven’t heard; some in the set are part of a future album.

And throughout the twelve songs, the crowd was just so enthusiastic, the band seemed to be drowning in it. Vocalist Matt Scannell ended up blurting out, “we’d be looking for apartments first thing tomorrow.” Everybody – bassist Sean Hurley, guitarist Keith Kane, and the session drummer whose name slips me – seem to be also staging a comeback of sorts, at least to the Filipino audience who’ve been playing their older songs, like Everything You Want and You’re A God, as a soundtrack to whatever it is they’re up to. And their showmanship stands throughout – it may be a simple set, with many guitars used in between songs, and a few tricks here and there, but they sure know how to carry a show.

They eventually came back for a two-song encore. Disappointingly, one of my favorites wasn’t performed (but maybe it’s because It’s Over was not a US single release) and yet it felt that everybody was young again. The crowd was surprisingly varied – from teenagers like us, to the twentysomethings who grew up with the stuff from Everything You Want, and maybe earlier, and even the thirtysomethings, who went after the drumsticks hurled to the VIP patron area twice throughout.
It would be nice to see them back here – they were obviously amazed, a good thing for their first Asian gig, and maybe their first international gig, even. Hopefully they come out with a new album really quick. The world has waited for so long.

Many thanks to Mary Anne Tupas of MTV Philippines (and my professor in school) for the free patron tickets. Fifth Year Holler has a photo album on the event, but they’re mostly bad mobile phone photos. The photos used here are courtesy of Karla Peralta. There is also a thread about this in PinoyExchange with more information that I could probably get around to having.