Eraserheads: The Reunion

Eraserheads. Reuniting again after how many years. So, was it worth it?

Of course it was. Notwithstanding the fact that the concert was cut short during the halftime break.


And we all thought it was going to rain. Thank God it didn't. But still, there's Murphy's Law, and nobody can stop Murphy's Law except a well-prepared boy scout. Still, nobody could've predicted that Ely's health would fail at the last minute, as they even had a dry run the night before (sound engineer, whoever you are, give me a copy of the dry run). But probably the thirty thousand-strong crowd was too much for Ely Buendia to handle.

Anyway, it was a great show. It was good to hear Raimund Marasigan behind the drums once more, Buddy Zabala spitting out his bass chops (especially in Alapaap), Marcus Adoro (still my favorite E-head) with his steady riffs, and of course, Ely Buendia belting out his masterpieces. There's something about hearing them live once more, when the last time I heard them play live was in a gig at St. Scholastica's Manila, back in 1998. Man, I didn't realize that was like ten years ago.

Anyway, here is the list of songs they performed for their first (and only) set:
1. Alapaap (after which Ely exclaimed "Thank you, and good night!")
2. Ligaya
3. Sembreak
4. Hey Jay
5. Harana
6. Fruitcake
7. Toyang
8. Kama Supra
9. Kailan
10. Huwag Kang Matakot
11. Kaliwete
12. With a Smile
13. Shake Yer Head
14. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong
15. Light Years

Let me just share something my brother told me last night. My brother was a marshall in the VIP section, and it was his job to check the names on the guest list. A guy approached him, and my brother asked, "Kanino pong guest list at ano po pangalan?" (Under which guest list, and your name, please.) To which the guy replied, "Kay Ely po, sabi niya sabihin ko raw Lito Metermaid. Hindi niya kasi alam last name ko eh." (Under Ely's, and he said I'm listed as Lito Metermaid. Ely doesn't know my last name.) My brother found this funny, being reminded of the Beatles song, so he asked the guy, "Kaanu-ano niyo po si Ely?" (How are you related to Ely?) And the guy replied, "Ako 'yung taga-basa ng metro niya." (I'm the guy who reads his electric meter.)

And true enough, there on the guest list was the name Lito Metermaid.


Rating: Four stars.