How do you top a record-breaking event? Answer: You don’t even attempt to. After gathering 5,000+ kissing couples last year, Lovapalooza 2009’s main labial action was the vocal kind. Yes, Lovapalooza 2009 was more about music than anything else. And what music it was.
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Bamboo fired up the thick mass of adoring fans and launched into an eight-odd set. The young man took to the stage and owned it. Doing OPMs and covers, Bamboo’s performance was a mass of frenetic youthful energy. Accessible and inspiring tunes, great performance and bonus pogi points to top it all. Bamboo, bassist Nathan Azarcon and guitarist Ira Cruz were the envy of the men in the audience, elicited I-love-yous from the men themselves.
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Next up was Rico Blanco, who had a lot to prove after the red-hot slot of his former bandmate Bamboo (not to mention a token Valentine-oriented competition). And prove it he did. Alternating on guitar and keyboards while doing the vocals, Blanco’s set was sonically superior. He could have done more to entice the crowd, but not while guitar-strapped and keyboard-bound, and wearing the kind of shirt dads wear to collect their daughters from weekend ballet. Blanco should hire a stylist. Stage performance, after all, is a complete picture.
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Pop-rockers Sponge Cola’s guesting was predictable, having sung the event’s theme song. (Theme song. How quaint! But, hey, it was Valentine’s Day!) Their performance was nothing to judge the band with. But the crowd loved them, nonetheless, especially the vocalist who was practically off-stage and one-with-the-crowd for most of the band’s two-song stint.
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Capping Lovapalooza 2009 were Pupil, latest group of ex-Eraserhead Ely Buendia. The fireworks-ridden performance was not that riveting, but not that bad either. While Bamboo and Blanco played to please, Pupil were onstage to play. Period. Buendia, however, was surprisingly more verbal and indeed tried to connect with the fans. He knew they were there for him solely.
Though the Metro Philharmonic Orchestra lent its strings to augment the music. After all, what’s Valentine’s Day without romance?! Without strings!? Sadly, the Philharmonic were hardly noticeable, and the groups barely acknowledged them. Even the MTV VJ-hosts only mentioned them a couple of times. Having captured that definitive Valentine event, Lovapalooza will be back next year. As long as there are people who believe in love, trust the marketers to be around.
