BAMBOO ROCKS PERPS

By Arlo Lee D. V. Marquez of BSN 4 AE

January 30, 2007

Whoa... oh... hoh... oh...

Almost everyone at the ticket line that night is singing that tune, hoping for
Bamboo to come out of a sunroof of an SUV holding a megaphone while pointing at the
screaming fans... Well I guess that only happens in television.
Being one of the biggest band in the country, Bamboo put on a show that very
few would forget. The combination of former Rivermaya vocalist and bassist Bamboo
Mañalac and Nathan Azarcon with Ira Cruz and Vic Mercado, formerly of the Passage
band, put on an amazing show that had all the elements of what a true rock concert is all
about. For those of you who have been living inside a cave, Bamboo, named after the
frontman of the band, is credited with changing the entire soundscape of the country's
music industry.
The concert was for the benefit of Supreme Student Council, Nursing Student
Council and College of Nursing Alumni Association on their outreach program. It took
place at the open football field of our very own campus last November 25 th, 2006 and
had the feel of a very intimate show. The event was hosted by Jason San Pedro and
meant to start at 5:00 in the afternoon but begun at a little passed 8:00 in the evening.
The middle section of the venue was totally packed by the time the front acts had
finished their set. A big shout out, by the way, to the equally amazing bands, Mid
Summer, Pieces of Jane, Oblivion, Hateration and Pasahero, whose performances were
quite forceful and a very good lead-in to the main band.
The band came out with their hard-hitting single "Mr. Clay" off of their first album,
"As the Music Plays." It was the perfect choice to open with because it really got the
crowd going right from the start. The next few songs they played were vintage
Rivermaya songs and the crowd seemed to love hearing this combination of musical
genius that is Bamboo.
Then it happened.
"Noypi." Everybody who was at the concert was waiting for this song to begin
and it blew everyone away. Personally, the glittering memory of the evening's
proceedings came during that song.
 After the first set concluded, the band returned for the couple of best songs of the
night. "Hallelujah" was played and it was as though the crowd was rocked back to life
after the melodic lull of "Waiting In Vain." Following that, came my favorite song of the
night, which totally electrified the crowd, "Ulan."
It was as though the crowd was one force that night. One body. Everybody was
screaming the words at the top of their lungs and jumping up and down with fists pointed
towards the sky. Bamboo, indeed, rocked Perps.