If you weren’t in Clark Global City, Pampanga on April 16 and 17, you might have missed out on one of the most fun you would ever get to have this summer. Presented by EP!C Events, the Clark Aurora Music Fest featured some of the hottest Filipino acts and bands including December Avenue, Ben & Ben, Kamikazee, Parokya ni Edgar and Ely Buendia. The two-day music festival drew in an estimated total of 120,000 people who jumped and partied tirelessly. On center stage, bands played one by one, the stage with full-on spotlights, smoke machines, a disco ball and a giant LED screen.  On the side was a scenic view of hot air balloons floating amidst the sunset until the night sky. Nothing quite like it, to be honest. 

The first day of the festival had a more chill, youthful vibe, featuring buzzing acts who are popular with the Gen-Z. Soft, acoustic ballads laden with bittersweet falsettos were the evening’s soundtrack. Amazingly, the fifty-thousand-strong crowd was heartily singing along to each artist.

First up was the eighteen-year old Cebu-based musician mrld, also known as Meriel De Jesus, whose presence immediately excited the crowd. She performed “Ligaya”, “Ikaw Pa Rin” and “An Art Gallery Could Never Be As Unique As You”.

Lola Amour turned the tables with their refreshing mix of pop, rock and funk. The band, armed with their brass instruments and witty lyrical quips, performed  “Pwede Ba”, “dahan-dahan” and “Fallen”. 

Next on the spotlight was another talented singer/songwriter Adie who mesmerized the crowd with songs like “Dungaw”, “Paraluman” and “Tahanan”. He was joined by Janine Berdin for their collab track “Mahika”. 

When it was Arthur Nery’s turn on stage, he received a lot of screams. Hailing from Cagayan de Oro, the suave singer stood out with his smooth falsettos.  “Higa”, “Isa Lang” and “Pagsamo” were some of the songs he performed that evening.

As the night grew deeper, band December Avenue opened their set with a question, “Anong level of pain ang gusto niyo?” While that initially seemed to be a joke, we soon discovered that it really wasn’t. The alternative rock band that has been in the industry since 2007  is known for their heartrendingly sad songs of cinematic proportions. When they performed that night, they captivated a whole sea of people to sing along with (extreme) feelings to songs like  “Bulong” “Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw” and “Huling Sandali”.

Folk pop band Ben & Ben was up for the finale and as always, they made it worth everyone’s time. Fireworks decorated the midnight sky while “Langyang Pag-ibig” burst into the airwaves. All nine members were visibly ecstatic to play for the crowd, thanking them for staying until the late hours just to see them play. The band also played an unreleased song “Comets” which reflects the musings of a lost love.

The second day of Clark Aurora Music Fest was when they brought out the electric guitars and large amps. The acts for the evening were the mainstays of many millennials’ playlist when they were younger. 

In the afternoon, the show opened with pop-punk/emo bands Lunar Lights and Written in the Stars.

By evening, Silent Sanctuary, armed with their string instruments, took the stage. In an instant, the crowd became a huge karaoke wave. The band played a handful of songs from their 2007 album Fuchsiang Pag-ibig which launched them to mainstream popularity with songs like “14”, “Kundiman” “Rebound” and  “Ikaw Lamang”. In the middle of their set, frontman Sarkie Sarangay announced that he was looking for a certain person. Apparently, this person contacted them beforehand to ask permission to propose to his girlfriend. The couple got engaged in the middle of the crowd, with spotlights upon them.

Spongecola had a lot of surprises under their sleeves. While anyone would expect them to just play music, Yael Yuzon did a lot more than that – he was all about making a connection with the audience. He pulled in a crowd of fifty to sixty thousands with his theatrics. Seeing him introduce a song felt like watching a musical with a strong narrative. The crowd was more than willing to humor him as they jumped around and sang excitedly to the classic Spongecola songs like  “Tuliro” “Bitiw” “Tambay” and the ever favorite “Jeepney”.

Leave it to Kamikazee to be the wildcard in any concert. Jay Contreras was a radiant ball of energy onstage as he jumped high in the air, did headstands, threw his clothes (jacket and shoes) to the crowd, stripper-danced and climbed up the side railings. (Yes, all those things happened during their set.) The audience sang along to “Unang Tikim”, “Martyr Nyebera”, “Huling Sayaw” and “Narda”. As a bonus, they gave in to the crowd’s encore request with “Doo Bidoo”.

Mayonnaise also made their mark during their set as they revved up the crowd with their hard-hitting songs like “Bakit Part 2”, “Tayo na Lang Dalawa” and the resurging smash hit “Jopay”. The band has been celebrating their 20th anniversary by going on tours across the Philippines. They’re currently in Canada. 

The much-awaited OPM titans Parokya ni Edgar was a joy to watch. For their introduction, Chito Miranda said in his mild-mannered tone, “dahil late na, ito na po ang last song namin”. Thankfully, it was a joke. The band played an engaging set including some of their most popular hits like “Buloy”, “Para Sa’yo”, “Harana” and “Your Song”. One highlight of the evening was when Chito also called two people from the audience to perform “Bagkasan” with him. The two fans nailed Gloc 9’s and Francis M’s parts, much to everyone’s surprise. The band also took time to thank everyone who supported their guitarist Gab Chee Kee who was hospitalized recently due to complications caused by lymphoma. For their closing, Kamikazee joined them onstage to perform “Halaga”.

The last act for the festival was Ely Buendia. The Eraserheads frontman performed a number of the band’s best hits including “Spoliarium”, “Pare Ko”, “Overdrive”  and “Magasin” which unequivocally got everyone singing. He also revealed that the Heads have been practicing for their upcoming US tour. For the grand finale, he played “Ang Huling El Bimbo” as fireworks bloomed in the background.

Clark Aurora Music Fest was a great weekend experience. Seeing some of the rising OPM stars as well as the great OPM legends was worth the time and the trip. Hoping next year will be even grander!

Special thanks to EP!C Events!

By Sandra Mae Laureano