By Jose Paolo S. dela Cruz / Photos from Ant Savvy Creatives and Entertainment
The much-awaited return of Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala and Marcus Adoro at last night’s “Huling El Bimbo” reunion concert at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque City may have been quite different from your favorite Eraserheads playlist, but it did paint a clear picture of who the iconic OPM band is beyond their greatest hits — funky, unafraid and still very relevant.
From fans who staked out at the concert venue hours before showtime to casual Angkas riders (this writer included) who braved new modes of transportation to watch the highly anticipated reunion concert — it was clear that Eraserheads remains indelible, even after a 10-year hiatus. But when showtime came, a somewhat different Eraserheads took the stage.
Staying true to their promise of training the spotlight on their lesser-known songs, the three-and-a-half hour show kicked off with “Superproxy,” followed by songs such as “”Back2Me,” “Fine Time” and “Kamasupra,” among others. On the backdrop was a floating giant “E,” surrounded by large screens that showcased rather trippy horses, stylized butterflies and other graphic elements for the duration of the show.
So where did “Magasin,” “Pare Ko,” and “Minsan” go? Well, these “popular” tracks were scattered sporadically across three sets. The first mainstream hits to connect universally with the audiences, judging by the crowd’s reactions, were “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong” and “Maling Akala,” which were played at least an hour into the concert. These gave more casual fans a chance to sing along with the music legends.
The sequence of the songs, which rarely put two of the band’s mainstream hits in succession, gave the concert a somewhat offbeat mood, wherein audience reaction would peak and fall every now and then, instead of the usual, gradual escalation of energy that most concerts employ. One welcome boost of energy was Gary Valenciano, who gave a jolt of pure energy to the show with a riveting song, dance and percussions number.
While Ely returned with his trademark nonchalance, he, too, sounded somewhat sentimental as he thanked the audiences for making “With A Smile” a go-to anthem at the height of the pandemic. “It’s great to be back here on stage, with all of you. You’ve inspired us in the darkest times of the pandemic and inspired us to come back. This is for all of you,” said the Eraserheads frontman. Raimund also took to the microphone to sing parts of “Slo Mo,” while Buddy stole hearts with his rendition of “Tama Ka,” which he wrote with wife Earnest.
The second set, which ended with “Magasin” paved the way for a much more relatable third set, which included numbers such as “Pare Ko,” “Minsan,” and “Alapaap,” before ending with the headline song, “Ang Huling El Bimbo.” An amazing fireworks display, which lasted for a good five minutes followed.
While seeing the Eraserheads onstage once more was most certainly magical, it wasn’t enough to make the audience forget fan favorites such as “Huwag Kang Matakot,” “Toyang” and “Julie Tearjerky,” along with a handful of other songs that didn’t make the 31-song set list. Could it be that they’re saving them for another reunion? Well, hopefully we get the answer sooner than 10 years later.
Another definite winner in this sold-out concert is Ant Savvy Creatives and Entertainment, which made every Eraserheads fan’s dreams come true with the staging of this concert. “More than being a business, it is our thrust to create stages wherein we can shine the spotlight on Filipino artistry. Being part of the Eraserheads reunion concert is a dream come true and a daunting task at the same time. As a company that started self-producing concerts this year, this is just the first platform and there are more live entertainment platforms that we have lined up in the near future,” said Sarah Ruth Matias, CEO of Ant Savvy Creatives and Entertainment, Inc.
