"There's A Fruitcake For Everybody": Eraserheads Reunion Concert

After 6 years since the band went into their separate lives, it was the much-awaited moment for the Original E-Heads and the Pinoys all over to reunite and rock at the Fort Bonifacio Open Field.

Here's a funny story. For the past weeks, my friends were raving about this concert and I wasn't that ecstatic about it. Until two days before the concert, I suddenly realized that I am a big fan of the band and so I was like.... "OMIGOSH I'M A FAN AND I GOTTA WATCH THIS!!" All the memories were brought back upon my realization and I immediately called my friend to buy me a ticket.

Let's have a trip to my nostalgia lane....

Back in 1994 (I think), when I was in Grade 6, it was my first time to hear and encounter Eraserheads. They were introduced in this Chippy commercial and that was the start of their popularity into the Filipino Pop Culture. They really rocked Original Pilipino Music in the 90's. Then in 1995, when I learned how to play the guitar, I was playing a lot of E-Heads songs. Aside from the oh-so-easy guitar chords (yeah it goes around with D-A-G-A ang a little bit of Bm or Bm7), the lyrics were funny and easy to memorize. Then in 1996 onwards, during recess and lunch with these "chismosas fellows" or the "ex-school girls" we were jamming their songs. Some of the girls had a crush on Ely Buendia and his boyish looks and some of us were just amazed with the other bandmembers (Raimund, Buddy and Marcus) because they were just so goofy and wacky. I think I even had a cassette album of E-Heads.... or just a mixed tape??? Hmmm....

I also remember that every summer vacation, my cousins and I played a lot of E-Heads cassette tapes at our Lola's ultra giant karaoke. While the songs kept on playing, we were just playing cards & UNO and talked about anything & everything under the sun.

In a nutshell, people in our generation grew up with Eraserheads. It's inevitable for everybody to know the songs by heart. A lot of us felt sad when they got separated due to so many issues. It was wishful thinking if the orginal crew would play together... until last Saturday... August 30, 2008.

Before... (Omigosh those checkered shirts were so in back in the 90's!)

...and last Saturday... they were singing "Fruitcake"

An auspicious day for those who truly love E-Heads. It was the event wherein people from all walks of life celebrated the reunification of the band. As exaggerated as it may sound, my Bacolod Republic Friends (Kring, Vicky and Roxanne) and I were there at 4:00pm! The reason why we decided to go there early was because we wanted to get a really good spot. But at that time, that early, there were a lot of people already. In order for us not to get bored, we did some "fruitful" activities: CAMWHORED, PLAYED CARDS AS IN PUSOY DOS and PLAYED ULTIMATE FRISBEE. I think we entertained the crew peeps coz we tried not to get bored. Oh yeah, it brought much more incentive to our Php1300 ticket when we "miraculously" moved to the VIP section. We kinda concluded that our ticket was so worth it! Omigosh eto lang ang lapit namen sa stage!!

While my watch stroke at 8:20pm (oh yeah and it was said that it would start at 8pm but we expected that it would start a little bit late), they began to do the ten minute countdown of the show. Apparently, it was the longest ten minutes of my life. But when they appeared on stage and started to sing "Alapaap", I felt like I was 13, (and 14, and 15) years old again.... Oh and the pyro show and fireworks at the end of the song... wow!

They sang 15 songs and as I said earlier, it was inevitable for thousands of people to sing all of their songs.

1. Alapaap
2. Ligaya
3. Sembreak
4. Hey Jay
5. Harana
6. Fruitcake
7. Toyang
8. Kama Supra
9. Kailan
10. Wag Kang Matakot
11. Kaliwete
12. With A Smile
13. Shake Yer Head
14. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong
15. Lightyears

It was funny when people incessantly exclaimed "Group Hug". Well they didn't to that... Come on, that is so showbiz and they're not like that... As musicians, they rather bring on the sounds and sing like there is no tomorrow. As Raimund said the night before the concert "No drama, just drums."

Unfortunately, the concert was cut short. Ely was rushed to the hospital.... I was actually waiting for their other hit songs like "Pare Ko", "Magasin" and "Ang Huling El Bimbo". It was surreal. I was kinda expecting people to shout boo or throw some objects onto the stage due to rage (and the bitin factor) but those didn't occur. Instead, thousands of people quietly walked out.

It was a bittersweet feeling for me because I was so thrilled and happy to be in the reunion and I wholeheartedly sang their songs but at the same time it was just so bitin.

It was on TV yesterday that this will not be their last.... There's gonna be a part 2 of the reunion... Huhuhu when will be that be???