The REAL Spongecola Experience
On January 15, 2010, Touch Mobile sponsored its own Ati-atihan concert entitled “Astigfest” inside Magsaysay Park. The hosts were local radio personality Mark Sy and some girl named Jaijai. TM Sim cards were distributed with the entrance tickets while the highlight of the whole concert was the band Spongecola.
Like any typical concert, there were food kiosks all around. Most of them were unnamed and appeared like they were brought in by the local government. An IT tent was placed in the middle of the park. The tables and chairs, placed near the kiosks, were protected from mild showers by umbrella-like red cloths. The wind buffeted them gracefully though they were held in place by tendered ropes. A lot of the people who came in early were groups of old men, families with young children and giddy fan girls.
I was with Khalleen that time, since it was also our monthsary, and we waited for my sister Joy and my cousin Mia. Mia’s boy toy, Ar-ar, was to arrive later but he didn’t sit with us because he brought his uncle along and it would have been awkward.
A lot of people were complaining, especially because they arrived around 7 and Spongecola didn’t play until 9-10. I found it amusing since the concert wasn’t for Spongecola, it was TM’s marketing strategy and obviously revolved around the product with the hosts struggling to ensure the success of promotional games and gimmicks. It was really disrespectful for some to yell out sexist slurs but then again those people were mostly drunk.
The best band from Davao, as the hosts called them, the Eumonics (or Euphonics, I don’t really remember their name) played before Spongecola. They offered more songs than the main event band and the vocalist was pretty entertaining. They sang songs ranging from Eraserheads’ Magasin to Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi to that pro-gay song written by bums (yes, that’s a literal interpretation and not sexist in any way). The vocalist resembled Bamboo from afar but I honestly think the Davaoeño’s awesomeness as an entertainer can not be compared. He strutted like a pretty model and danced like a slutty pole dancer during some of their numbers.
When Spongecola took the stage, with some respectful prepping by Eumonics (or Euphonics), the crowd went wild like there was no tomorrow. Everyone rushed to the center to take pictures and a closer look with the band. Yael Yuzon, the vocalist, was especially fun and funny. He introduced their new drummer and ushered in crowd participation with his jokes and cutesy charm. He also took a kid fan, who he named Jeffrey, into the limelight by introducing him to the crowd and playing with the young rocker. The fans were separated from the stage by a distant barricade so Yael took it to himself to go near his throngs of adoring fan girls and boys. He wanted to jump right to the crowd but the concert officials highly advised him not to. So, instead, he sat on the rails and got as close as he could with the masses. The band played their songs (Bitiw, Puso, Tuliro, Nakapagtataka, Di Na Mababawi, Closer You and I, etc) as well as other songs (Our Heart Will Go On, an Eraserheads Song that I can not remember, Crazy For You, etc). Their concert duration was roughly 3 hours, from 9pm to 12mn.
“Kiss? I’m sorry, my mom’s conservative,” Yael joked in Tagalog when a screaming, highly elated fan girl asked him if she could kiss him. Yael would then grant her request after those words.
Another quirky aspect of the concert was when Yael sang two songs that were pretty weird for his contest. He sang a Christmas-ish song for the intro and a Children’s Song before they exited the stage.
He also spoke in a British accent when he asked for water. He spoke really great English and his voice is so well modulated he puts Michael Buffer to shame (rock song-wise, anyway).
I’ll have pictures soon on my Facebook. Joy and Mia are still busy uploading them.
† Jofer
