Eh-eh-eh-eh 2NE1!

The Party is the first highly anticipated concert of my sister’s favorite Korean pop sensation, 2NE1, in the Philippines. Since the release of the hit single, Fire, CL, Dara, Minzy and Bom won the hearts of fans not only in Korea, but also here in the Philippines. My sister and I were just two of the thousands of screaming fans that flooded Araneta Coliseum last night.

I am not a super fan as many of the people in Araneta last night, but yes, 2NE1 is one of the two Korean bands that I actually follow. With their fly fashion and awesome music videos, one can’t deny that these girls got swag!

With their awesome comeback stages and live performances in Korea, I have high expectations for yesterday’s show. The girls drove the crowd crazy with a powerful entrance!

Well, performance-wise, 2NE1 did not disappoint. They sounded and moved the same as they’ve had in their music videos, which is amazing! Even without back-up dancers, the four of them commanded incomparable stage presence. Though it is pretty disappointing that they only performed 8 songs and that they didn’t have many costume changes (I was after the fashion, see). I think lugi yung mga nagbayad ng Php8,500 for front seats, well that’s just me.

Thanks to my super zoom lens, I have a 2,800-peso view from my 1,200-peso seat. *laughs*

Aside from their short performances, I think the low-points of the night are out of the girls’ hands. For one, the weather’s so hot while we were waiting for the gates to open! We were outside for 3 hours before we got in! Also, there were too many front acts! Though I enjoyed performances by Christian Bautista (who can resist a balladeer with a handsome profile?), Bloomfields (kasi cute yung drummer nila), Philippine All-Stars and Callalily (which is totally UP Fair-ish).

Another issue is the lighting. It’s either there were too many lights or they are pointing at the wrong direction. But there were times that it’s very hard to see the performers. The use of those shape-shifting party lights were not helping the view (at least from my seat at Upper B). I also don’t get what the technical director is doing in his booth. I’m not the best expert but from what I know, you project in white screens to give those who are far from the stage a good view. If that’s they purpose, why the hell do you superimpose stuff that we can’t even see the video already? Yes, that’s the BC major in me talking.

Aside from those mishaps, it was really a fun night! The crowd’s energy is just infectious. They were cheering loudly and singing and dancing along — even when Sandara sang In or Out, her single before going back to Korea.

Fans sang along as if the song was not deemed as jologs back then. *laughs*

Pero bitin talaga. I hope when they come back, it’s a full-blown concert with more than one costume and more than 8 songs! 🙂

Since I found time to do a decent post…

I give myself three pats on the back for being able to finish all of my to-do lists for today relatively early. So here I am, making a post that does not contain a picture of me waving back at you.

So last Friday, amidst the mountains of requirements we still have to finish before we could march across the stage wearing white dresses (or barongs) and sablays, Rachel, Rix, Eunice and I took our the night off to watch an Up Dharma Down gig at Route 196. They were big fans of the band, while I, on the other hand, is the friend who tags along because she wants to destress and drink.

Side story: Arianne was supposed to be with us that night. But around 7:30 PM, she texted Rachel that her mom was at the airport all the way from Surigao for a surprise visit! Of course, families come first, so she had to miss the night out.

Anyway, we arrived at Route 196 at around 9:15-ish. I like the place. It’s small, cozy and very intimate. Though the waiters take forever before serving your orders. It’s actually perfect if you want to catch up with friends over good food, some drinks and better music.

The Obligatory Rachel-Alexis Picture of the Night

After a while, Chammy arrived alone. Apparently, she is Up Dharma Down’s number #1 fan! She just came to Route 196 for the sole reason of seeing the band! Saludo naman ako kay Chammy na talagang dinayo (well, not really, since she’s just from Katipunan) pa nya yung gig para lang mapanood sila. Fan talaga!

Sino ang feeling celebrity?

There were three bands that performed that night. First up was Not Another Boyband.

I'm liking the 'fro.

He's the bassist doing his thing in one corner.

I really do not understand what kind of music Not Another Boyband has. They have really good melodies but the singing is off-beat. Maybe they are not just my kind of music, but they were good. They were very good, actually. There was this one song where the vocalist was doing an adlib of the song’s lyrics. Not to mention, they’re very funny and animated. I enjoyed watching them, but I guess their music will take me a while before fully appreciating it.

Next band to play was Hidden Nikki. Now, they were my kind of music — a little pop, a little jazz. Their keyboardist have mad skills, so mad it made me regret stopping piano lessons. I really, really enjoyed their performance.

Finally, the reason why everyone was in Route 196 that night. The main act. The finale. Up Dharma Down.

Armi Millare. Vocalist.

With her voice and her legs, I was easily converted to being a fan. I’ve known the band for a long time already, and I’ve grown to like their music. But hearing them live is just plain awesome! Grabe. No words. Ang galing lang talaga nila. Not to mention na naka-relate din ako sa isa sa mga emo heartfelt song that they performed live.

I am actually considering watching them again live. Hope I’m free this weekend!

Hidden Nikki and Up Dharma Down will be performing at the Earth Hour gathering at the SM Mall of Asia on Saturday (March 26), 8:30 PM.