David Cook Manila Concert EPIC

I have waited for months for May 16, 2009 to happen... And it came and surprised me in a way I would never have expected! The Lord is good!



I bought a SILVER section ticket. This is the first standing section in the Mall of Asia Open Grounds. Out of 40 thousand people, you'd have guessed that this section is relatively far away from the stage. LCD screen were the only way to keep track of ant sized artists moving onstage. Nevertheless, I didn't watch the concert from the SILVER section. I watched it from the side line of the PLATINUM, the 2nd most expensive section FOR FREE! (Com'n people.. Let me hear a WOW!)



At 3:00 pm I asked a friend if he was going to continue on the volunteering stint for the David Cook concert. He said not. Too bad, I replied. It's a once in a lifetime event. David Cook, in the Philippines, in his FIRST international gig! And it's with David Archuleta! No wonder fans from Asia and the Middle east flew all the way to our country just to SEE him in the flesh!


So me and four other friends travelled to the venue, enduring the temperature of the van we rode in. The MOA cooperative van was airier even though it didn't have an aircon unit. (My make up was starting to melt off even before the concert started. Arrrg!)

When we reached MOA, I opened my phone and saw that the friend I was telling about was trying to call me. So I called him back. And amazing is the news he told me, the organizer gave him not one but TWO all access passes for the concert. In my excitement, I said take me instead of Zarah. She's not a fan. Hahaha! It was settled then! I went with him to the area near the stage.

Okay concert proper mode. Archuleta started of with TOUCH MY HAND. In all fairness, I like his song list that night. Back when I visited Singapore I bought both Cookie and Archie's album. So I relatively was in the know of the songs he sang. I loed his rendition of Zero Gravity. Whew! That song was so full of energy@! The crowd was with him all throughout. BUT...

Even before Archie's last song ended, David Cook appeared in the sidelines. I saw him grabbing the post with his two hands... I guess releasing some pre-concert butterflies. Darn my mobile phone died on me during Archie 3rd song. So I wasn't able to get much of Cookie's appearance and actual performance. Good thing my friend had a digital camera, and he was able to get shots of the performances.

So they had a 20 minute break where the sound check re-did the stage set-up and the tech guys were line-checking all the guitars and other equipment that will be used by the band. After which Skibby was up and was playing a slow instrumental intro for THE WORLD I KNOW while Cookie was under the platform, entering the stage via an elevator floor panel. With guitar in hand, he started singing, and the crowds were cheering and howling and hooting for his grand entrance.. I wasn't expecting anything like this at all.

Just the sight of Cook was taking my breath away. I was practically drooling over every song especially when he sang off-album tracks like MAKE ME, ALWAYS BE MY BABY, LITTLE LIES, STRAIGHT AHEAD... I mean, I know all these songs. Craziest thing David did for me was his guitar dance for the extro of KISS ON THE NECK! I mean, those were some hot moves! I said, "David Cook, ang landi mo! Bumababa ka nga dito at umuwi na tayo!" Hot hot hot!

I couldn't remember which part that was but there was a portion where Joey and Neal were flying onstage with their guitars! I mean, lead vocals was already a hot item on the menu but add on 4 guys equally hot as the first one, Jalapeño special is what you get!



It was all after the concert where i felt all energy drain from me. We met up with my friends and had dinner at Carlos Pizza, the last shop open in the Mall. It was an enchanted night for me. Sad that it ended with me having no picture of David or any of the band. When I get to the States next year, I'll go see him everyday! But really, thank you OEDIE for sharing your passes with me! You are one blessed guy!