strangely out of place: friendster edition

Friday afternoon Miel asked me if I wanted to go with her and watch Bamboo at the Celebrity Sports Plaza. I had just finished the first part of my interview and was feeling really stressed so I immediately said yes to my cousin’s invitation. I rushed to her house as fast as I could and got there a little after 8:30 pm. We arrived at Celebrity a little after 9. The front act was still performing, so we sat on some chairs at the back and did a little catching up.

After announcing the winners of the Halloween costume contest, the band finally came onstage, riling up the crowd with "F.U." Of course, everyone was signing out loud with Bamboo Manalac, while the ones who weren’t were screaming "I love you Ira!" at the top of their lungs.

It amuses me that probably 75% of the audience were kids who were probably unborn or at least still in their diapers when Bamboo first came out with Rivermaya. Yet there they were screaming out thier lust for two men who were probably twice their age. Then again, I can’t blame them as both Bamboo and Ira are H.O.T. Talented too.<p>

The band sang songs from their two albums, but it was when Bamboo broke into the first part of "Kung Ayaw Mo Wag Mo" did the fans start really raving. I like Rico Blanco and the current Rivermaya but it’s so much better when Bamboo sings the older songs. They also performed "Kisapmata" and my favorite Rivermaya song, "Ulan." Iba talaga boses in Bamboo (I’m so sorry Rico. Peace!)

One of the coolest parts of the concert was when Ira took a kid off the audience
and had him climb up the stage as he was getting crushed by the bigger people.
The kid sat on one side of the stage for about four or five songs, smiling and
waving at the people. Cute kid. Then, when the band was playing "Children of the
Sun", Bamboo came up to him and handed him a microphone to sing along. At the
part where the song goes "I ask you all to bear witness to the rape of these
young souls," Bamboo keeps pointing to the kid (who just kept grinning). During
the instrumental part, Bamboo asked, "Do you have a name, young man?" The kid
replied, "Joshua," and Bamboo again asked (much louder this time) him what was
his name. This time the kid yelled it. Then Bamboo started walking around the
stage while the band played, and he kept yelling "Jooshhhhhhuuuuaaaa!"
It was cool, and the kid’s got something to brag about.

The band ended
the show by singing "Masaya", with just Bamboo and Ira. The crowd sand along
with them. It was really great. I may not be the musician my brother Nuks and
Miel’s brother Lee are (both confessed to not really liking Bamboo, both band
and singer, but I don’t care), but to me, these guys are really talented.
Doesn’t help that the band members aren’t at all bad to look at either. I heart
Ira and Bamboo.