The harmonic dual vocals. The open and close parentheses in between the lyrics. The titles that never get any line in the song. The melodic shrieking/singing/screaming. The melancholy and bitterness wrapped into one.

In the forefront of the emo revolution in the early 2000’s, Taking Back Sunday was one band that stood out with all those qualities. When they released Tell All Your Friends in 2002 and Where You Want to Be in 2004, their music captivated a whole bunch of “sad, small, sweet so delicate (it used to be this dying breed)” souls that made the two records soundtracks of their youth.

Fast forward to 2019, the band now celebrates their 20th anniversary with a world tour and Manila became part of it on the evening of the 26th of January. The New Frontier Theater in Quezon City was bursting with people. While the venue has housed a lot of live acts over the past years, it probably hasn’t seen one of the same scale as that of Taking Back Sunday’s show. For one, it was a live rock show, something that you don’t always get to see on a theater. For another, the show came with a congregation of (more or less) 2,500 people who were more than ready to scream/sing/shriek along to each and every one of their songs.

It was a show that only a band like Taking Back Sunday can deliver. Despite the numerous line-up changes and the shifts in musical direction that came with it, the band now succeeded in embracing their roots and producing a more refined sound.

With Adam Lazzara on vocals, John Nolan on guitar, Shaun Cooper on bass guitar, Mark O’Connell on drums with the addition of Nathan Cogan as a touring guitarist/pianist, Taking Back Sunday made Twenty a night to be remembered for their Filipino fans.

“I just have to say, and I will possibly say this many times throughout this evening: we’re a long way from home, and to have all of you here, singing and dancing and doing this with us, thank you very much,” Adam Lazzara said, delighted with the obvious enthusiasm that the crowd had.

“We’ve come here tonight in your beautiful city, in your beautiful country, to play our very first record Tell All Your Friends from start to finish. I don’t know if you noticed. We’ve been doing a very good job of that so far. I mean, how we’re playing is up to you. I’m just saying we played the songs so far.”

It was Taking Back Sunday’s third time to play Manila, and it was indisputably their best yet. Their setlist was (for the lack of better term) a dream. Starting off with playing the tracks from Tell All Your Friends sequentially to mixing it up with their other notable tracks, there was no downtime at all. People were on their feet (literally – even those in the upper tiers of the theater) from start to finish, singing and dancing along to all the songs. The band never missed a beat, to their credit. They started strong and finished each song impressively. Lazzara, undeniably missed a few notes here and there, but the crowd had him covered, singing with the same intensity and energy. Special mention: Adam’s mic-swinging is still as top-notch as ever.

During the concert, Lazzara also shared an interesting story from their personal experience with the infamous Manila traffic.

“We were in our van and we were driving around. It’s about a mile, two miles away, five minutes walking… two hours in a van. I did not know if we were going to make it to the show, ladies and gentlemen! This man that was driving the van was a superhuman. They should make a show on Netflix about this man! He was pulling out and stopping and I was holding on for dear life. And the whole time, I was thinking ‘you’re gonna have a great show’ …’everything is okay’ but I knew in my head, one thing was true: we were going to be in Manila and it is going to be a great show.”

Thanks to that driver, the folks of Taking Back Sunday arrived safely, and as a bonus, in good spirits. Truly, they did have a great show here. Playing a total of 24 songs off their roster without breaks or the usual encore stunt, they played some of their greatest tracks including “Set Phasers to Stun” and “Number Five with a Bullet” from Where You Want to Be, “Error: Operator” and “Liar (It Takes One To Know One)” from Louder Now, “Flicker, Fade” from their eponymous album, “You Can’t Look Back” from Tidal Wave and “All Ready to Go” from their latest Twenty.

It didn’t stop there. The band was very generous to their audience that night. They played “This Photograph Is Proof (I Know You Know)” for the first time in Manila. Another was the fragile and heartrending ballad “New American Classic” which they had only played four to five times, and all within New York City. Upon a fan’s request on Twitter, “…Slowdance on the Inside” was another rarity from the setlist. “MakeDamnSure” was the fitting ending to such an awesome evening.

More Photos at Taking Back Sunday Live in Manila 2019 Photo Gallery

Special Thanks to Pulp Live World!

By Peter Tolibas

Taking Back Sunday: Twenty Live in Manila Setlist
You Know How I Do
Bike Scene
Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team)
There’s No ‘I’ in Team
Great Romances of the 20th Century
Ghost Man on Third
Timberwolves At New Jersey
The Blue Channel
You’re So Last Summer
Head Club
A Decade Under the Influence
Error: Operator
Set Phasers to Stun
Flicker, Fade
This Photograph Is Proof
What’s It Feel Like to be a Ghost?
Number Five with a Bullet
Liar (It Takes One to Know One)
…Slowdance on the Inside
You Can’t Look Back
New American Classic
Tidal Wave
All Ready to Go
MakeDamnSure