Menthol-Guy

I am no die-hard Eraserheads fan but I deeply commiserate with Ely Buendia’s condition. Though okay, I admit that it was far more disappointing when I heard his sister’s apologetic voice onstage to pacify the crowd and make them understand what has happened but - as phony as it may sound - I just told myself to get away from it and wish Ely Buendia the best for his health. The fans and the listeners can expect nothing more than that.

I’m actually one of the people you would not expect to go for some Eraserheads Reunion concert. I don’t really liked them as a band (I was around 5 to 7 years old when I was exposed to their music). Though of course they were legendary, but, I don’t know: maybe I was too young to even appreciate their music. The radio stations air their songs a lot during my glorious elementary days and I can still remember my sisters (both studying at High School) and their barkadas enjoying Eraserheads like madmen on a feast with lots of food and the radio on the table. I just liked them for one thing: their music brings me back to the past.

It was undeniably my first major concert (it should have been Maroon 5 but I was just lazy to purchase tickets online) and the sight of the crowd was personally new to me. The staff was strict enough to even ban my chained wallet (and since my wanting to enter the concert premises exceeded my wanting to keep the chain, I gave them the chain for free) and to ban backpacks and most camera models. At the field there were hotdog stands and Fish and Co. and flavored bottled water and warm iced tea (I don’t even know why they called it iced tea, for chrissake) and thousands of fans ranging from their mid-thirties to teenagers with their own levels of inclination towards the band. The crowd was nostalgically united by sentimental desires of seeing Eraserheads onstage despite disbandment way back 2003.

“Magpapatuli ako kapag hindi yan yung tugtog,” shouted one avid fan’s voice to my right.

I felt stupid that out of the fifteen songs they have played onstage, I could only sing four of them and out of those four, I could only sing one slightly perfect (in terms of the lyrics) and complete.

Alapaap and Ligaya were two of the first few songs sang with fireworks booming (and right now, I’m still getting the chills while remembering the opening moments - seriously) and I just can remember all my childhood days - probably close to what everyone felt while Eraserheads was playing their songs: it’s like a broken boom box brought to life that made you vividly remember the past.

Of course it was hot and humid and concerts are one of the events where you have the right to sweat profusely, but when you wistfully sing the songs and your mind brings you back to your High School days or College days or anything belonging to the past, you suddenly forget how humid it was or how the air smelled or how many times you have been damping your handkerchief to the entire of your head.

So maybe the fans were somewhat disappointed not to enjoy the concert to the fullest with the permanent interruption of Ely’s condition, or maybe they felt cheated since they have paid for a huge amount (1,350 pesos to 800 pesos if I’m not mistaken) and have come from different places and provinces, but I hope that the mere sight of the band being complete again (or maybe they should just have one last group hug that night) quenches their thirst for something more fulfilling.

Do you think another reunion concert could somehow compensate disappointments?

I think Ely should rest for a while.

P.S: Thanks to Juned and Poyt (for the last-minute announcement of free tickets and for her immaculate patience) and Red Horse for the tickets given gratis. Now, PICTURES! And link-love to newly-found friends and blogger friends as well who attended the event: Ria Jose, Carlo, Fritz, Rens, Jhed, Xienah, Aaron, Alan, Shari and Bleue (belated happy birthday, btw), L.A., Coy, Jeff, and everyone else!