Gin Blossoms. Live in Manila

Poor Man's View,
or People in the Cheaper Seats Clap Your Hands

Months before the Gin Blossoms show, I just learned that they released an album called No Chocolate Cake just this year. So I already knew that this Manila concert would be part of a tour to promote their new album. And based on experience, an album tour would play all songs in the new album, while the more popular, older songs being used merely to add to the set list.

So with that in mind, I've encouraged everyone who'd be watching the show to listen to the Gin Blossoms' new album, since their hit songs are far less than the number of tracks on the latest album. But unfortunately, I haven't encouraged them enough. Why do I say that? Check this out:

• Tickets said "8 PM". It's been past 8 already, and 6 Cycle Mind is still onstage. They even featured Gloc 9. And Cookie Chua as well.
• 6 Cycle Mind never sang any original song. For less than an hour, they became 90s tribute clones. I would've felt sorry for them, but then I remembered I didn't like them.
• Official front act Fahrenheit 43 begins their set. The female guitarist is cute.

Fahrenheit 43: Australian band with that really cute girl

• Gin Blossoms begins their set with "Follow You Down". Band members secretly pleased that Filipinos know this song.
• Band seems pleased that the Filipino crowd reacted with such enthusiasm. They follow it up with the first track of their new album, "Don't Change For Me".
• Blossoms proceed to their next song, "'Til I Hear From You". The crowd's loud screams make the band members forget that no one seemed to know the song before this one.
• Encouraged by the collegiate-chick screams from the crowd, the Blossoms decide to do another old song, "Found Out About You", which again brings the crowd to an almost-riotous frenzy.
• Realizing they might run out of old songs to play later on, the Blossoms play "Miss Disarray", another song from No Chocolate Cake. And again, nobody sings along.
• Gin Blossoms front man Robin Wilson announces, "Hey Philippines! We got a new album out!" What he really meant to say was, "Why didn't you guys buy the album so you could be singing along, you pricks."

But of course, he would never, ever say Filipinos are pricks, because he is such a nice guy. And of course they play "Hey Jealousy" as their second-to-the-last song, because the people in the bleachers would riot if they didn't play "Hey Jealousy".

And seeing that the crowd (save for a few exceptions, yours truly included) knew nothing about their new album, they even had the nerve to ask for an encore. Yeah right. Like you'd sing along if they did an encore. They already sang all their old hits.


*some info from Manila Bulletin
pic from Fahrenheit 43's Facebook page


Gin Blossoms: Live in Manila. Philippines. 2010.


Rating: Seven out of ten.
Promoters not specifying that this would be an album tour and not a greatest hits tour: Minus one point.
Final rating: Six out of ten.