Heat waves have once again engulfed the country. The season of the sun has arrived. With this take-over came an extreme anticipation for the freshest beach party in the Metro. Amid the blistering weather, and the severe traffic jam, thousands of people swarmed to Circuit Events Ground Makati.

A sea of people stepped out of their cars or cabs to walk to the venue. That’s how excited they were for the show. Circuit Grounds provided the fitting venue to cool down what with their grassy terrain. People could laze around the turf or sit on mats as they watched the sun go down while listening to the DJs spin their beats. This relaxed atmosphere was short-lived for the crowd was ready to rave the night away.

Revelers clad in tank tops and shorts pumped their arms in the air; some even getting lost in sound with their movements. Local DJs Marc Naval, Martin Pulgar, Ace Ramos and Mars Miranda started the party with their mixes. Close Up gathered the best pool of local electronic DJs. The emcee announced, as Ace Ramos and Mars Miranda wrapped up the local section of the festival, that the Filipino talent is of international caliber.

During intermissions, attendees had a lot of booths to visit: commercial apparel and lifestyle brands such as Team Manila, Folded & Hung, Havianas, and Sunnies; food trucks, a large sand castle sculpture, and even a Yahoo! Bouncy castle. From the onset of Forever Summer, Close Up has had a domineering presence on social media. What made this music festival stand out from others is the power the organizers gave to attendees. From the lineup to the activities, Close Up made the crowd feel like they were in control of the direction of festival. It was a party created for and by the fans.

Throughout the show, two huge screens were situated at opposite sides of the stage. These screens flashed a continuous roll of tweets about Close Up Forever Summer. It was a clever approach to get the crowd involved during the festival. As certain twitter benchmarks were reached, surprises were unlocked that added to the overall ambience: Universo Robot, confetti, cyro blasts and fireworks!

As each international act commanded the stage, the party only got wilder. Glow sticks and the neon wristbands given out earlier during the set were shaking about and inflatable Havianas slippers and balls flew in the air. The great stage set up accentuated the electronic party as lights throbbed and palpitated, smoke blasted, and colorful graphics served as the backdrop. Helena, the only female act of the night, launched the international lineup with her crowd-pumping beats. Alesso was no doubt the highlight of the music fest, and Deniz Koyu wrapped up the party leaving the crowd on a musical high.

The severity of the heat hours before foreshadowed the intensity of the rave. There was no denying that it was indeed a sold out show: the venue was overflowing with people! There’s just something about being at a show: the euphoria-inducing music, the energy pulsating in the crowd, and the experience of enjoying all this with friends!

Congratulations to Close Up for a successful show! We can’t wait for the next one!

Written by Izzy Matias

Izzy Matias is an avid concertgoer with a penchant for the arts. Though she is soon completing a business degree, she immerses herself in the creative world: music, fine arts, literature and photography.

Follow Izzy on Twitter @izzmatias

Photos by Carla Barretto

Carla Barretto is a busy bee that eats, sleeps, and breathes concerts. When she’s not shooting shows, she’s planning them herself! Her production and multimedia backgrounds blend into this peculiar mademoiselle with a love for live music.

Follow Carla on Twitter @heycarlaaa