Eraserheads Reunited in Dubai: Walang Nagbago

Ely Buendia

I am one of the millions of huge fans of Eraserheads. I grew up to their music, embracing every song and eventually injecting them to my ultraelectromagnetic system. But I never had a chance to see them perform live during their heydays (yeah, huge fan); and I thought it was too late for me to do so.

I had a starstruck experience in my first year high school when we attended the birthday party of Ely’s sister, my classmate, right at their residence in Las Piñas. Being a ‘promdi’ then, I had to compose myself – didn’t bothered to say hi to the big brother, and even forgot about the autograph.

Marcus Adoro

Though I was at The Final Set reunion concert in Manila in 2009, it still feels surreal seeing them together on stage. I saw Ely, Raimund and Buddy perform separately as part of Pupil, Sandwich and The Dawn, but there’s really something if the 4 of them are together.

An excited jampacked crowd at Dubai Media City Amphitheater loudly welcomed the Eraserheads. The show started with a dramatic 15-minute countdown, and the Heads entered in an unusually less-melodramatic way. Raimund did his traditional entrance as he raised his drumstick up, while Ely engaged with the crowd that early urging to make louder noise. Buddy was in his usual quiescent self, and Marcus seems to elude the spotlights. Unlike in their very first reunion concert in 2008, Ely engages a lot with the crowd this time.

Buddy Zabala

They opened the show with a very fitting “Walang Nagbago.” The digital backdrop is amazing as a huge waving Philippine flag flashes on. The stage is spectacular! The crowd went wild from thereon. Ely addressed the crowd as “Pilipinas”, all throughout the show, until finally singing “Magda-drive ako hanggang Dubai…” Why not, about 11,000 Pinoys troop to the concert – the crowd’s at its best. There’s a magical high level of energy from the band, particularly Ely and Raimund. They performed songs from their albums except Carbon Stereoxide. Alapaap, which for most in the crowd expected to be the opening song, is the last one on the encore. The surprisingly non-stop 2-hour and 30-minutes set include the following 27 performances (in particular order of performance):

Walang Nagbago
Maling Akala
Back2Me
Sembreak
Kaliwete
Ligaya
Huwag Mo Nang Itanong
Kailan
Spoliarium
Overdrive
With A Smile
Poorman’s Grave
Huwag Kang Matakot
Julie Tearjerky
Lightyears
Harana
Waiting for the Bus
Paru-parong Ningning
Torpedo
Minsan
Super Proxy
Kama Supra
Magasin
Ang Huling El Bimbo
Pare Ko (on encore)
Toyang(on encore)
Alapaap(on encore)

Raimund Marasigan

Raimund’s vocals was not in the show, and Marcus’ too – well I guess, the reggae version of Huwag Mo Nang Itanong is exclusive in The Final Set in Manila. Reunion in Dubai, for me, is better than the first Reunion Concert in 2008 (save for the great entrance and opening performance Alapaap).

After Alapaap, the show finished with the quartet and Sancho(?), the 5th Eraserhead on that night, bowed in front of the fulfilled crowd.

Listen to the crowd, here’s a clip of the countdown to the opening performance: