The year was 2004: A song on the radio starts with a metronomic lower E, leading to the most vulnerable opening lyrics you can think of, “I’m not a perfect person, there’s many things I wish I didn’t do”. It was a song you would hear virtually everywhere – on TV, in your neighborhood’s karaoke session, in jeepneys. It was inescapable. “The Reason” by Hoobastank was a certified hit with people from all walks of life. It was also in the same year that Hoobastank held their first concert here at the Manila Folk Arts Theater.

Fast forward to 20 years after, Hoobastank returned to the Philippines to perform at the Samsung Hall on February 12. The American rock band, composed of Doug Robb (vocals), Dan Estrin (guitar), Chris Hesse (bass) and Jesse Charland (drums) played their best hits, and “The Reason” was again a part of it – a small albeit meaningful part.

Filipino rock band Typecast got the show started with their staple tracks “The Boston Drama” and “Will You Ever Learn?” 

Hoobastank made their entrance with their grittier songs “Same Direction” and “Remember Me”. They took the stage without much of the theatrics – no backdrop, just the usual band instruments. The stage lights were visibly dimmer than normal; without extra bright spotlights, their silhouettes swayed around the dark as they played. Plain and simple, it was a rock show, and that was exactly how they wanted it. 

“Are you only waiting for one song?,” Doug Robb asked candidly midway. The crowd laughed with him. Of course, it was an inevitable question, but the audience, composed of many long-time fans, brought out their loudest cheers for the entire setlist.

Keeping the fuel of the show burning, Doug went the extra mile to connect with the crowd.

During “My Turn”, he assigned lines to the audience, getting them to sing along in unison. While the band was playing “Running Away”, he went down the stage, wore smart glasses and had the crowd jumping around, singing as loudly as they could. When it was time for “Don’t Look Away”, he asked them to put their phones away to focus on their performance and live in the moment. 

Near the end of the show, Doug thanked the crowd and shared that they felt lucky to be able to come back here after 20 years. “We are very humbled by you, guys, and we can’t thank you enough for your support over the years. Thank you very much,” he said.

For the grand finale, Hoobastank unleashed 3 of their best hits one after another – the frantic “Out of Control”, followed by the much-awaited “The Reason” and the raucous “Crawling in the Dark”.

Special thanks to Insignia Presents!

By Sandra Mae Laureano