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!

Pasok Bisor

Hahaha...

This term was coined just recently between me and Rakel.

Pasok Bisor means you go to work like a supervisor. You own your time. You can over sleep if you want to... Just like today...

After this entry, I'll be going to take my bath and proceed to Town Center. I have been so tired the previous days I've been really wanting to get a massage...

I guess this entry is just as random as my brain could be this morning...

I opened my Facebook profile and *tada* cez left a message that my boyfriend David Cook will be in town in May 16.... Hallelujah!!! I'll get tickets for us... How exciting!

I also had a late night at the final wake service of Honey's grandmother yesterday. I missed her so much that I opted to stay and chat and bond with her even if I have errands to do this morning. Losing someone is truly sad, especially if you have fond memories of them.

Got to go now... ATC is waiting and I need to be back in church at 1 pm.

Ciao!

My Life with David Cook

...charos...

So much has changed ever since I heard David sing "Always Be My Baby" in the American Idol Season 7. I heard myself say "Wow" as he sang it passionately. I rarely have those moments when I fall head over heels over a voice that carries the life that the song depicts. I was awestruck the first time.

That was when I decided to follow him closely as the season nears it end. During the finals, my house was divided in 2 tribes: the Archuleta fans and the Cook fans. But all in, the finals was so potent and compacted with pure talent it was really hard to focus on the other guy alone. I mean, this must be the best season ever.

Cheers were heard for blocks away from our place when Cook won. Our tribe won!!! Hahaha (Sorry, Babes. This is my blog. I can say whatever!) Rejoicing upon rejoicing for all David Cook fans around the globe.

From there, I did these:

1. Ask Hanna for downloads of DC music (I was actually thinking more of the audio files. But she gave me VIDEOS! What more can I ask?)

2. Download his pre-Idol music at www.david-cook.org (Travis, you're the greatest fan Cook has!)

3. Promised a friend that we would buy his album together

4. Ended up buying 2 copies of his album in Singapore

5. Receiving a David Cook 2009 calendar from Ryan and Ricci for my birthday (which I plan to frame any time this week)

6. Browsing Youtube for more fan videos and the rest of the net for info, info, info, info

7. Watching his Walmart Soundcheck with the band (I swear. When I go to the US, I will get an autograph from everyone from the band)

8. Repeatedly watching his Walmart Soundcheck videos from early this morning til now (This is what I call a cookie fix)

9. Writing a blog on David Cook that I have been planning for quite some time

10. Wishing it was now that I am in the USA so I can watch him start his Declaration tour

11. He is on top of my USA to do check list. All caps, bold fonts, size 125, font in red and underlined. Hahaha!!!

Paula said I have become a fan girl as well. (Like she is to Laruku and Hanna to Arashi). Pau and I shared some music of David that she finds interesting. Idol-wise, it was Music of the Night and album-wise, it was Come Back To Me. I am a fan girl now. I follow every bit of info I can. I am not a stalker though. Just avidly appreciating the music world with David Cook now in EXISTENCE. Where was I before then?

But for me, everything about David is perfect. (But I must admit, the guy is just as human as I am. Not yet musically perfect, but still worthy to be given fame and the opportunity to show the world WHAT GREAT MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT) It is more than the face and the voice and the band that is with him. It is the heart that is delivered with a passion with every song. Music is the universal language of the heart. SO to connect to a heart, an artist must have the heart to connect. And THAT IS DAVID COOK!

I AM SO HOOKED!!!

A Day with an OFW

This is my friend Olive. She is a public school teacher in San Mateo, San Francisco, US. I am so honored to have spent one entire day with her before she left for the States again.

She called me one Thursday afternoon to ask a very huge and urgent favor. She needed me for some paperwork required for her to fly back to US. So I told her, "I don't have all the requirements now." But from what we were able to obtain that day with mistrials with the office fax machine and the urgency of her request, her brother Levi picking me up from the office in a huffle, arriving in that office in the nick of time, we were able to have the documents partially processed. (Which is good considering we were only there for like an hour). She asked me if I could go with her again the next day. Again I say yes but half the day only. I had a meeting waiting for me at 3 pm.

The following day, we met at McDonald's ATC (such a famous meeting place for most people) had some hot chocolate and went to go to Ortigas to finalize the documents. That finalization took us ALL DAY!!! Signatures weren't required until about 2:30 in the afternoon. I was in a spot where I ask myself "To the meeting or Stay with Olive?" The latter question won. I realized that if I left my friend now and all the hassles of paperwork were left to her, cuffing her in this country for the next month, then I would be left at fault here. And besides, I wouldn't be able to see her for the entire year and a half. So I decided to stay and HELL to the meeting. This is my friend we are talking about!!!

So at that point, Olive also wanted to throw all the lounge chairs. She needed to meet with her flight agent to get her ticket. The office closes at 5:30 pm and at 5:25 pm, we were still in that office, waiting for the final documents to be released. But favor of God upon all of us, the agent waited for us.

To cut the flight of adventures short, Olive met with her agent, paid for the tickets, relaxed and went to US the following evening. She was so grateful for all the help I gave that she said, "Don't buy the glam bag. I'll send you one through Kuya Levi." But then again, this is my last opportunity to speak up. I said, "Never mind the bag. When I visit you next year, I want us to have front seats in a David Cook performance"

So til this day, even if David Cook doesn't come to the Philippines for a concert, I will see him and Olive next year. (David will be so busy with his Declaration Tour until Apil 2009. The concert will have to be in May or June.) I am excited!!!