Because for approximately two hours, I get completely lost in the vibrations and lyrics and lights. For the price of a concert ticket, I am permitted to throw all caution to the hazy wind and jump as much as I want and scream my lungs out even if I sing out of key. It's videoke at a national anthem level (I am Pinoy after all), singing alongside kindred spirits, and for those two hours, there is no war, just peace, love, and an unspoken understanding that we are all here to have a good time -- and respect each other for it.
I'm only grateful that I was able to experience this on one unlikely evening in April, eighteen years after I experienced the same high with the same band.
I describe it as "unlikely" because there was nothing special about April at all.
First of all, like I said, this band's last gig in the country was eighteen years ago, so who would have anticipated that they would be in Manila that month? Secondly, I had been in some sort of concert drought, not having watched anything in a looooong time for various reasons, though one can easily blame how "life" and "priorities" have changed. Thirdly, due to the gig's de-prioritization in my supposedly-mature adult life, me and my supposed-concert date -- my best friend (let's call her Stevie) who I watched the concert with when we were 13 years old -- ended up buying a different concert ticket date from mine, so it wasn't exactly the ideal reunion scenario I had in mind.
Fast forward to April 8, Stevie watches the first gig and gives me a blow-by-blow SMS update pre-show. The concert starts and she's silent. The concert ends, and she just says, "No words."
Fast forward again to April 11. There were three bands to do the front act but we only entered when the third band was playing. The place was overly packed, people seemed pre-occupied with booze and cocktails; simply not the concert vibe that I know. Meanwhile, I counted down until M&C was up...
And then it started. Those butterflies as the band steps onto the stage. Those goosebumps that go with realizing that something you've wanted for so long is just within your grasp, and within seconds of unfolding right before your eyes. At ang pinaka nakaka kilig sa lahat -- the first strum, the first bass pluck, the first drumbeat, or the first echo. In this case, it was the drum intro to "Sundays".
Listen to how "Sundays" starts off and see what I mean!
(Better yet, listen to the whole track and weep with me)
Immediately I understood why Stevie fell "silent" on her text messages to me.
From that moment, I time warped to when I was thirteen years old. I shocked myself that I still memorized most if not all of the lines from each song in the Lucky Dumpling album, and even Polyester from 12 Songs. I jumped up and down and up and down with a leather bag on my shoulder the whole time. I laughed at myself for forgetting that I'm NOT supposed to bring a bag to a concert! I shrieked and hooted and cheered at every chance, as if each additional decibel would yield a higher percentage chance of the band doing another gig in the next 24 hours. Oh, and did I say that I jumped up and down and up and down???
While each song seemed to carry an unexplained significance, my favorites for the night were "Koo Koo Koo", "Crazy Old World" and "Traveling Song".
Thinking more about it now, it was very liberating to sing-along to Koo Koo Koo's lines, which now strikes me as a very confident and cheerful way of saying "I'm my own self and I'm quirky and imperfect and I don't need to be like you and I'm aye-okay!" Slowing down to "Crazy Old World" in the middle of the super-energized night was an overwhelming reminder of how beautiful life and earth is, and to never forget to give due credit to its Creator. And "Traveling Song"? Can I just say I went crazy to how the band kept us hanging to the extended "I believeeeee..." and guitar strums so that we would go crazier once we all hit the chorus together: "...It is simple just being...FREE! Eeyow-eeyow-eeyow-ee-yee-ee-yow!"
There's no way possible I could recap the happiness of the night with mere words. Let me try to share my joy through some photos from camera phones ("unlikely" night, remember?) Much thanks to my sister for taking the pics and the whole group for waiting on me as I fan-girled after the gig. :)
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| Eeeeek, my view is blocked by camera phones! |
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| Aaaaahhhhh finally, thank God, I see the guys :) |
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| Stealing a shot of Jay-jay through all those videographers |
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| Gugut! He looks much different without the long hair of the Lucky Dumpling photos ;) |
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| Here we go!! Proudly showing off my memorabilia shirt from their 1997 concert. They look amused, yiheeee!!! |
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| My double-signed shirt! Bought and signed at the front and back in 1997; signed again in 2014! |
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| Check out my wide-eyed kilig smile even though no one is looking (yet) |
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| Take two! Much better. HAPPINESS!!! |
Let me go back to Sundays as I close this post. :)
I've lost once before / I'm older now
Sometimes I cannot remember / Sometimes I cannot forget how
I've lost once before / I'm older now
But sometimes I forget my age
Is there a yearning inside / that keeps the spirit free
Is there a yearning inside / that reminds us we'll succeed
- Sundays / Moonpools & Caterpillars
*****
If you got curious about Moonpools & Caterpillars from all my gushing, check out my favorite coverage of their recent visit:
- Inquirer Lifestyle Article by Pam Pastor
- Yahoo! Entertainment Article by Francis Reyes
- Lucky Dumpling Album Review by Ren Aguila
- YouTube videos of the April 11 concert (which I watched) by user deminfinitus8 (thank you, whoever you are!)
