Incubus returned to the Philippines for their 6th headlining show on April 25. The Araneta Coliseum was full to the brim as thousands and thousands of old-time fans welcomed them after 6 years since their last visit. Vocalist Brandon Boyd on vocals, guitarist Mike Einziger, drummer José Pasillas, DJ Chris Kilmore and  bassist Nicole Row thrilled the crowd with a solid 18-track setlist of their best hits and a few covers. 

It has been almost 25 years since Incubus hit it big with the album Make Yourself. Back then, “Drive” could be found playing in the weekly music charts in the Philippines alongside pop stars like Westlife and Britney Spears. The music video, featuring a raven-haired, shirtless tattooed Brandon Boyd drawing himself in a music video was looped a lot on music channels on TV. Their music from then, followed by Morning View and A Crow Left of the Murder were in most teens’ radar back then. Incubus’ music was an experimental blend of alternative rock, funk, hip-hop with streaks of metal and bits of turntable scratches. Their lyrics were simple yet profound, the right blend of musical poetry. Incubus was cool. 

It is now 2024, and all that remains to be true – Incubus is still cool (if not cooler). Their music has definitely transcended time. The teens who grew up looping their CDs in the early 2000s  are now full-blown adults, and many of them made sure to find time in their hectic schedules to see the band on a Thursday evening. 

Incubus’ show was a no-frills rock concert. When they took center stage, there were no elaborate video sequences or groundbreaking introductions. Each band member took their place, started to play their instruments and the crowd passionately went along with everything. The hypnotic crawl of “Quicksand” was the starter, a calm before the storm. This was followed by the relentless “Nice to Know You”. 

Their setlist was a great selection of their greatest hits with majority from Make Yourself and Morning View. A stand-out track was the nu-metal track “Vitamin” from S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Another misnomer was “Karma, Come Back” from their 2020 EP Trust Fall (Side B). The band also included their rendition of Portishead’s “Glory Box”, The Beatles “Come Together” and David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”.

Being in the concert was an exhilarating mixture of nostalgia and wonder. The crowd’s energy was astronomical, it seemed like a hundred-thousand-watt karaoke machine. It was amazing how a whole dome of what must have been a lot more than 10,000 people unanimously screaming along to “I’ve had enough of this world and its people’s mindless games”, during “Pardon Me”, chanting “Step down! Step down! Step down!” during “Megalomaniac” and singing along (very smoothly) to the oohs  of “Warning”  and “Are You In?”. These songs are well within their two decades in existence yet that evening, it felt like they were still the coolest songs of 2024.

“I missed you guys so much. You are all beautiful. Thank you,”  Brandon Boyd told the audience. The band’s frontman was not chatty, but he was visibly pleased when the crowd was singing along (which quite frankly was 90% of the concert). 

Halfway through the show, the audience chanted for Mike Einziger to smash his guitar, a deed he was fond of doing in his younger days. Even Brandon joined in the jeers, but Mike apologized with a smile, saying he has now “mellowed down”.

As one of Incubus’ most popular songs, “Drive” got its well-deserved main-character moment. The band opted for an acoustic set-up, with Brandon’s voice reverberating throughout the dome. A few seconds in, a number of people started raising their flashlights. Slowly and steadily, more and more orbs joined in as the chorus of voices got louder and louder. Near the end of the song, the lights looked like lanterns swaying in the dark, a beautiful sight and a sacred moment that stood out during the concert. For the finale, Incubus went out loudly with “Wish You Were Here”. 

A few hours after the concert, Brandon Boyd posted on Instagram: “Coming to the Philippines to make music has always been such a wild experience for us and last night was no exception. You all made our trip here so memorable and boy, can you guys sing! Until next time. Thank you.”

Special thanks to Wilbros Live!

by Sandra Mae Laureano

Incubus – Live in Manila 2024 – Setlist

Quicksand
Nice to Know You
Anna Molly
Stellar
Sick Sad Little World
Circles
The Warmth
Pardon Me
Karma, Come Back
Come Together (The Beatles cover)
Are You In?
Vitamin
Glory Box (Portishead cover)
Warning
Megalomaniac
Let’s Dance (David Bowie cover)
Drive
Wish You Were Here