Maybe the night was great. No, it was epic!
Pagtingin pa lang sa crowd, nakaka-lunod na. Tila kathang isip ang hiwaga ng gabi. Di alintanang walang upuan, dahil sabik na nag-aabang sa pasalubong ninyong tangan.
Every second was worth it. Half-day leave, di ka sayang talaga! Kahit araw-araw tayong magkatagpo, hanggang sa susunod na habang buhay… Dadalhin ang pangakong, all will be alright in time.
But why does it feel like comets when it’s over? Oh dear, it’s still an awesome ride home after the show, ain’t it?
Truly they made it with us.
Hangover
That was just me and my hangover.
As they say, music can literally patch up the holes in your heart. But Ben&Ben did more than just that last night.
16,000 Liwanag – that’s SIXTEEN THOUSAND strong fans! One of the largest turnout at the Jubilee stage in Expo.
90 minutes of golden music.
9-piece nuggets.
Countless ‘thank yous’ and ‘maraming, maraming salamat.’
A jubilation at Jubilee
It’s been 2 years since Ben&Ben performed in front of a massive crowd, and they can’t help but express in between songs how grateful they are for the opportunity to do it again; And for Expo 2020 Dubai for being that incredible avenue to do it, to feel the crowd, to see the magic of it, or should I say, the hiwaga.
Droves came from all over the 7 emirates. Gen-X, Y and Zs. Some came straight outta work, while others took one-day off (or should I say, “Ben&Ben leaves”). Others brought the whole fam, kids playing around, some lying on the ground, and dads carrying the little ones on the shoulders while jamming.
Four years ago, when they first came to Dubai, I asked them how surprised they were that the crowd was singing along all throughout the show – they were just starting to soar back then, and Spotify wasn’t a thing yet. Fast forward to today, I felt stupid for asking that question. I mean, being named as the Most Streamed Philippine Artist for 2021, and recently Best Asian Band, speaks volumes.
With this kind of craft, and their meaningful inward and outward impact on emotions and mental health, this band will reach the galaxies. In addition to the quadruple-platinum surprise they were given last night, can we give them the National Artist award already?
The fireworks brought tears
And… How more fitting could it be, when you’ve just got handed 4x platinum award, on to your finale, the Expo fireworks popped up the sky as if inviting everyone to jump higher in jubilant celebration. Mahiwagang mahiwaga!
Here’s last night’s playlist in order of performance
14 songs inside 1.5 hours including a couple of new songs that debuted in Dubai.
- Pagtingin
- Maybe The Night
- Lunod
- Pasalubong
- Dear (debut)
- Upuan
- Make It With You
- Di Ka Sayang
- Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay
- Leaves
- Comets (debut)
- Kathang Isip
- Ride Home
- Araw-araw – encore
If you want to relive the experience, you can watch the full show here: https://virtualexpodubai.com/listen-watch/events/ben-and-ben
Agnes, Andrew, Jam, Kiefer, Miguel, Pat, Paolo, Poch, and Toni, you were thanking us a million times last night, but we really thank you for constantly giving us reasons to celebrate. Our hearts – whether mending or joyful – is always full and shining with Liwanag.
Photo from @benandbenmusic
