An avowed concert addict, I am listing down here my favorite concerts of 2008 with #1 as my most favorite. #10 does not really mean my least favorite, it just happens to land on that spot, as I have seen around 15 live acts this year.
KYLIEX2008 World Tour
November 27
I waited for 3 years for this concert, since Kylie had to cancel her 2005 world tour so that she can undergo breast cancer treatment. Very brave lady! We already had tickets to her HK and Singapore shows then, and we were sad when she had to cancel. Anyhow, the wait was really worth it! It helped too that I was familiar with the songs in her new “X” CD, and to hear them live, was really quite a treat! She’s an incredible performer and although she has many detractors criticizing her voice, she did sound great that night!
November 12
Asiaworld Arena, Hong Kong
Aside from Michael Jackson and George Michael, Billy Joel was one of the male singers that I truly enjoyed listening to, as a teenager in the 80’s. It started with Uptown Girl in 1983, and I only learned later on that he already had hits when I was much younger. When I heard that he was coming to our side of the world, I immediately purchased tickets since I knew he did not anymore record any new songs, and at his age (he said he was 59), it would be next to impossible for him to land in our shores again (although Elton and he are joining forces for a tour this year. Not sure yet if Asia is in their itinerary though). The show was a class act – beautiful, strong vocals; irrepressible and terrific piano playing; a truly heartfelt and sincere performance. I learned later on that this was almost the same set he had done for his recorded NY shows almost 2 years ago, but they sounded as fresh as their first shows. Billy also had a wicked sense of humor!
September 3
Best Damn Tour 2008
This show was quite a surprise for me because I actually did not quite enjoy her concert last year in Hong Kong. Yes, it was almost the same show, the same set, with minor tweaks here and there, but this time around, Avril was more spontaneous and she seemed to be really enjoying herself onstage. I practically knew most of the lyrics of her songs so it was a virtual sing along from the onset, when she sang “Girlfriend”. This is actually the third time I got to see her perform live, the first time was at the Fort in 2005, where she shared billing with Simple Plan. Arguably, her best damn tour performance yet, in the 3 times I have seen her.
My Chemical Romance
January 25
The Fort Open Field, Taguig
I love their dramatic videos and their made-up faces and fancy costumes. If I were 16 years younger, I would be brave enough to wear black mascara, hahaha! In fact, I did, in a piano concert last year in the CCP, very much inspired by their look. This was a fantastic rock show and I loooooovvvveee rock shows!!! Not only are the fans very devoted and loyal, it’s a virtual sing-along, as everyone, that is every single one in the audience knows the lyrics of each of their songs!!! How’s that for audience participation!! Also, it helped that the lead singer is not only cute, he also has the dramatic flair, fit for a lead singer of a rock band.
Rick Astley
Here and Now
August 1
Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
I just had to watch this show as Rick Astley is probably the only singer that both Papa and I enjoyed listening too. It was at the height of his success when both I and Papa were listening to the same album! Interestingly, his song “Never Gonna Give You Up” was played again and again during our birthdays that year (Papa’s birthday was on February 14, I followed the next day) and the song was very popular thereabouts. That was in 1988. Papa died one year later. Anyhow, aside from the maudlin sentimentality surrounding that very danceable hit, Rick also had other danceable hits that I liked, which he all sang during this show. There’s a fun portion too in the end, where our local version of him, through the very game, Roderick Paulate, made a fitting climax to the show!
Duran Duran
Red Carpet Massacre: Duran Duran Live in Manila
April 10
Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
It was a good year for 80s fanatics like me as a sizeable contingent of 80’s-era acts descended in Manila. Although they came here to promote their latest CD, which I actually like, it was only when they started playing Rio and A View To A Kill and all their other hits, that the local crowd really warmed up and gave them a well-deserved warm reception. John Taylor did not seem to age. Simon added some pounds, like us of course, but he still sounds great!
James Blunt
April 21
Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
I love his latest work although the audience response was so-so. He did not disappoint in the show as his strong vocals, beautiful piano playing and wild antics buoyed the sparse audience that night. Most of his songs are melancholy, and sad, but it seemed that James was not that at all. Anyhow, his voice suits his songs well, and as a live performer, he did not disappoint.
Alicia Keys
As I Am World Tour
August 5
SM Mall of Asia Exhibition Center, Pasay City
This is the second time I got to see her live, the first one was in Singapore, where she was very impressive. This was supposed to be an open air show, but it rained the whole week, the week of her show, and we were all forced to watch it indoors, at the SMEX. The venue was terrible and our seats too, although, we were supposed to be in front. Anyhow, Alicia was still a gem of a performer and her rousing encore of “No One” sent everyone to their feet!
Daughtry
July 29
Eastwood Central Plaza. Quezon City
The year I followed American Idol, is also the year that produced the most successful alumni – their winner, Carrie Underwood is a Grammy Best New Artist awardee, Jennifer Hudson is an Oscar Best Supporting Actress winner, and of course, there’s Daughtry, a certified pop-rock hitmaker, both singles and album-wise. As a live performer, he is just as good! It was an intimate show since the venue was probably the smallest among the shows I’ve seen this year, but it more than made up in the performance department!
Rihanna / Chris Brown
November 16
The Fort Open Field, Taguig
This would have been the worst concert of the year in my book this year, but I just reviewed the videos I took of the show and it did show how well these two young singers performed that night! They really performed up to par, although you could sense Rihanna was suffering somehow from the heat or maybe the lateness of the hour (Her set started at 10PM). It was, however, the venue that really sucked! Vic and I have already vowed never to watch a Fort concert again, after that Beyonce fiasco last year, but sometimes, I have no choice. Scheduling problems made it impossible to fly from HK to Singapore just to catch Rihanna after Billy Joel’s show in HK. Then, we’d have to fly to Macau from Singapore, just to watch Chris Brown. Looking back though, it would have been worth it, only if it were planned much earlier. The audience was just really too tired to react to Rihanna’s pleas for a much louder audience response, as it was a hot, sweltering night. The traffic too, that night, was a nightmare! We wasted 16T pesos on our tickets and we feel we did not get our money’s worth. I knew we would have spent more flying abroad just to see them, but we can do it anyway, if only I did plan for it a month earlier, tsk, tsk……Just really pissed us off that for such value of tickets, we would be treated like cattle.
Also-rans. Ne-yo. A certified hitmaker but a lousy, lousy live performer. He is the only act I have seen to intentionally cut off his encore performance because he said he was jetlagged. Doesn’t that just piss you off? However, I still love his current work and maybe will give him another chance because, judging from the audience response that night, I won’t be surprised if he comes to Manila again. Akon. I’m not quite into his songs and I was just forced to watch this show as our gal pal Charina likes him very much. I know it sounds very racist but although we were quite near the stage, it was hard to see him. He was that dark. His DJ though for that show was a blast! If only his live performing skills were up to par. Panic at the Disco. I love their show here but the competition for the Top 10 was just very very tough. Lots of screaming girls during the show. I felt like Vic and I were the only ones over 30, hahaha! Lifehouse. I love this show too, and for the same reason as Panic at the Disco, it was edged out of the Top 10! Simple Plan. I expected more from them, as Avril, their concert partners three years ago, delivered during her show on an earlier date. This time around, they paled in comparison. I felt like they were in a hurry to get things over with. Tsk, tsk…..Boys Like Girls. The only mall show I watched this year and the only one that’s free. They only sang five songs, I think, but they were all worth it! I missed Vanessa Carlton (it was Vic’s birthday and the Ayala Malls have a lousy, lousy way of distributing tickets, boo-hoo to them!!!) and Colbie Caillat. I did see her in Taratata, that French TV singing show and she was great there!
Shows to watch out for in 2009. The only confirmed ones are Sheen Easton, Fall Out Boy and Peter Cetera, because tickets are already being sold in a website. I will watch all three. The blogs around say David Cook will be here this month. I don’t know him very well, and I’m probably one of the few ones who hate his version of “Always Be My Baby”. To piss people off, I always sing Mariah’s version during karaoke with all the dududup-dudupdudum, hahaha! Red Jumpsuit Apparatus on March 5, most likely, because I loooveee rock bands!! Local acts, hmmmm…….maybe the classical world will be the ones to break into my list of 2009. I did miss Cecile Licad’s show last year, because I was in HK, tsk, tsk……..
