Jason Wade, more popularly known as the frontman of the pop-rock band Lifehouse, returned to the Philippines for a one-night full acoustic show at the New Frontier Theater on the 1st of June. On stage, he was supported by Lifehouse guitarist Steve Stout. The 1.5-hour show was a comprehensive throwback to the best Lifehouse tracks, with a few covers and some new compositions. 

Presented by Super Awesome Productions, the event was part of the Playback Music Festival, a concert series that previously brought the well-loved musical acts like Boys Like Girls, Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer), Vertical Horizon, A1 and more.

Jason Wade is no stranger to the Filipino crowd. With Lifehouse, he had played shows with the full band as early as 2008. Before this concert, his last visit here was during Lifehouse’s 2015 concert at the MOA Arena. This evening, however, was special as it was his first time to play a completely acoustic show in Manila. For anyone who has known Lifehouse, their live acoustic sets tend to hit differently – Jason’s baritone crooning backed by the crisp, clean acoustic playthrough gives the songs an extra emotional depth. 

The New Frontier Theater’s set-up was simple. The stage had two mic stands in the middle as spotlights beamed around. Jason and Steve entered with their acoustic guitars, and started playing. “Somewhere in Between”, “First Time” and “Halfway Gone” were among the first songs.

The fully seated crowd watched attentively, taking in the music and singing along softly as it was played.

The setlist honored the best Lifehouse tracks from their long-spanning discography since the year 2000. From the album No Name Face, they played “Sick Cycle Carousel”, “Breathing” and “Everything”. “Stanley Climbfall”, “Spin” and “Take Me Away” were included from the picks from their sophomore album. From Who We Are, we heard “Whatever It Takes”, “Broken” and “Storm”, and so on. 

Compared to the clean-shaven Jason Wade that we got so used to in the early 2000s, he now sports a full beard with a matching fedora hat, making him look considerably older. Moreover, he now has a family of his own. He shared that he wrote the song “All of My Life” for his 18-month old baby and his wife. The song which was released on Spotify on May 21 got one of its first live performances in Manila.

Besides the usual Lifehouse favorites, there were some additions to the setlist such as the Shrek soundtrack “You Belong to Me”, the ukulele-infused chill summer song “A Place in the Sand”, and a cover of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”. As an exclusive treat for Filipino fans, Jason Wade also included a surprise song. “I heard you’d like this song. I tried hard to learn it. I hope you like it,” he said before playing “Let Me be the One”, the popular hit by Jimmy Bondoc.

Throughout the evening, a blanket of calmness wrapped around the audience. Instead of the loud karaoke-level singing, we had a hushed and restrained atmosphere in the theater. Guests, who were mostly adults in their late 20s and above, stayed seated for most of the show, singing along softly to each piece – something that didn’t go unnoticed with Jason and Steve. The two took the time to scan the crowd to listen.

When they came back for the encore, they played the much awaited ballad “You and Me” and “Blind”. For the finale, it was none other than Lifehouse’s debut single “Hanging by a Moment”.  “Thank you so much, Manila! We love you guys. We’ll see you soon, alright?” Jason said as he bid the crowd goodbye. 

by Sandra Mae Laureano

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Setlist – Jason Wade – New Frontier Theater – June 1, 2024
Somewhere in Between
First Time
Halfway Gone
Sick Cycle Carousel
You Belong to Me
From Where You Are
Take Me Away
Broken
All of My Life
A Place in the Sand
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles cover)
Storm
Between the Raindrops
Falling In
Breathing
Whatever It Takes
Let Me Be the One (Jimmy Bondoc cover)
Come Back Down
Stanley Climbfall
Spin
Everything
You and Me
Blind
Hanging by a Moment