SUMMARY
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Millennials came to the Mall of Asia Arena to wax nostalgic and sing the anthems of lost years… once more on Friday, March 13. This is the fourth time the band has played in the country, and this number is telling.
Frontman Brandon Boyd was quite transparent about it, telling the crowd that it felt good to be back in Manila. He was simply reciprocating the feeling that was readily apparent. I looked around, and everyone was clearly there to let good music take center stage.
Generation X, the MTV Generation, Generation Y, millennials – just convenient phrases, really, but these also speak of youth culture as they were – before YouTube, there was MTV; before the iPod, there was your collection of CDs, etc.
Those were very important, transitional years, and that was the time when we first heard eminent chart topper “Drive” (from the album Make Yourself, 1999) as it aired on MTV. But Incubus’ songs matter because of the things that we appreciated alongside at the turn of the century, or as a friend puts it more profoundly, those were the years when we were forging our identities, which happened to be tumultuous times.
These were anthems of our youth, simply put, and the appeal was palpable at the arena with a wall of sound (which Manila audiences, at any given concert, are famous for).
On stage, was a familiar setup but also quite the unconventional additions: a djembe and a turn table. Some will bemoan the appropriation or outright adaptation of trends of across musical history, but you cannot deny that the way Incubus has done things still works to bring about modern classics.
Their opening act, Lindsey Stirling, a classical crossover violinist, is therefore apt (her work might be considered as part of the classical crossover sub-genre, by way of Vanessa Mae, Bond, Maksim, etc.).
Her unabashedly analog instrument’s sound meshed decently with the bass drops of the dubstep piece, “Crystallize.” I feel however, that Incubus could have just gone further by asking her to session in a song or two on their set.
The band started right away with one of their classic hits, “Wish You Were Here,” off their album, Morning View.
The set was consistent, full of a characteristic energy bolstered by the impeccable charisma of its frontman, Brandon Boyd.
Fans sang their hearts out with the more aggressive hymns, such as “Circles,” “Nice To Know You,” or the stick-it-to-the-Man (and arguably politically charged) “Megalomaniac.”
New material like “Absolution Calling” and “Trust Fall” were equally well-received, especially by up-to-date fans.
It goes without saying that there must be a sense of symmetry when the band playing is incredibly good. that is, audiences can make or break a concert. At any concert, you’ll most likely hear a shameless jokester fan scream, “I love you” at the performer; these moments can lighten up what is, in many ways for many concert-goers, a spiritual experience.
We were indulged with the obligatory encore, consisting of “The Warmth” and “I Miss You,” both from Make Yourself, a landmark album in their career, and closing with “A Crow Left of the Murder,” cleverly juxtaposed with excerpts from “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” from the Lennon-McCartney songbook.
Were you at the concert? Let us know your favorite parts in the comments below. – Rappler.com
Paolo Abad is a film/television editor and motion graphic designer. He is also a self-confessed concert junkie. Follow his Instagram for live music @outoftunephoto
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