An evening with Moonpools & Caterpillars

There was an electric, almost palpable kind of energy inside Amber Ultra Lounge in Bonifacio Global City last Friday night. 

The place was packed with eager fans, all of whom were more or less the same age—late 20s to mid-30s. They were there to catch the second performance in Manila of a band who, despite not having played together since 1997, has retained a core group of diehard fans who never wavered in their devotion, even obsession.

The band was Moonpools & Caterpillars, and it was their first time performing in Manila in 18 years. 

Before the main act went up the stage, three local artists warmed-up the audience—Chicosci, Barbie Almalbis and Autotelic. All professed excitement at the rare opportunity of witnessing the Filipino-American pop-rock band playing after almost two decades of being away from the music scene. 

At around 10:30 pm the foursome of Jay Jay Encarnacion (guitars), Tim DePala (bass), Gugut Salgado (drums) and Kimi Ward Encarnacion made their way front and center. They had been up there at the same stage just a few nights earlier, and once in Cebu, but they still seemed to be thrilled and eager to play. Kimi particularly was visibly ecstatic. Wearing a floral dress and real flowers in her hair, she led the band in the first song, “Koo Koo Koo.”

Despite the years, Kimi and the rest of the band retained her verve and spunk. She ran and jumped around like she was 22. “Really, I am loving this,” she said amidst unending screams and applause. “You’re excited to see us but we’re just as excited to see you.” 

The band promised to play all the songs from their seminal debut album Lucky Dumpling, and they delivered. I have not listened to the album in a while, but when she sang some of the more popular singles, all the memories came rushing back. They played one of their biggest hits “Soon” early in the set, and instantly I was transported to freshman year in college, hanging out by the AS steps with blockmates and waiting for our next class. They also did “Colossal Youth,” “Trampling Rose,” “Traveling Song,” and “Crazy Old World,” and as they started on each song, there were a few in the audience who let out shrieks of approval.

I couldn’t help thinking the music of Moonpools & Caterpillars is the kind you play during a long drive, when you choose to leave the worries of real life behind and look forward to the promise of sunshine and fresh ocean breeze.

“Ren” was another fan favorite, and with the audience singing along, the refrain – “Used to walk slowly/ Now I’m running/ Catching up’s getting hard to do/ Tell me now, tell me now what’s got into you – couldn’t have been more deafening.

“Wow,” Kimi said. “The audience here the other night was loud, and Cebu was amazing, but you guys are something else!” 

Audiences were aware that the band is known for covering an OPM classic, so there were a few in the audience who couldn’t resist shouting out the request. As in the previous evening, the band played two classics, “Ang Himig Natin,” and “Beep Beep.”

“This is the sexy version,” Kimi said, singing along, mastering the song.

For a band that’s only released one album best known to many (two other releases, The Pink Album and 12 Songs are known only to the most diehard of fans), it was amazing to witness the amazing reception they got for this show. Even Kimi herself was overwhelmed and even looked like she was on the verge of tears a couple of times. “I can’t tell you how much this means to us,” she said. “This week has been nothing short of amazing. Thank you.”

They ended with the bittersweet song, “Heaven,” with lyrics that go, “Take care, and don’t go too far. I will miss you so.” When we sang along with them, we meant every word. – Rappler.com

Paul John Caña is the managing editor of Lifestyle Asia magazine and is a live music geek. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @pauljohncana