Originally published in the Manila Bulletin, February 22, 2011
Taylor Swift enchanted her Filipino fans during her one-night ‘Speak Now’ tour concert at Araneta Coliseum. (Photos by yours truly)
MANILA, Philippines – To say that the Araneta Coliseum was jam-packed last Feb. 19 would be an understatement of how Taylor Swift gathered thousands of people for her first show in the Philippines, the second to the last leg of her Asian “Speak Now” tour.
From the attendance to the inexhaustible energy of the crowd, Swift’s concert saw one of the best Manila crowds in recent times. She may well be one of the very few artists who can gather kids (mostly tween girls) and their parents, ladies and their boyfriends (who are probably closet – or not – fanatics), circles of friends, foreigners, and local celebrities all in one venue.
Her sold-out concert in Manila proves her global appeal; that even half the world away, people relate to her autobiographical yet universal lyrics and sing along to her ear-friendly tunes. Her honest music is a breath of fresh air in the airwaves polluted with relatively superficial songs. No wonder that her records rose above the dwindling conditions of an industry battling illegal downloading, selling millions of albums worldwide.
So it’s not surprising, but remarkable nonetheless, that lines longer than anacondas began forming at the gates of Araneta as well as in front of the ticket booths (for those hopeful to score one of the “very limited” Standing Room Only a.k.a. SRO tickets which were sold on concert day), as early as lunch time.
We also saw fans who hand-painted “13,” Swift’s lucky number, on their hands or faces, and those who brought large fan-made posters for their idol, one of which says “I was enchanted to meet you, Taylor,” an allusion to one of her songs. Clearly, these kids look up to Swift. And why not? The 21-year-old pop-country darling has a clean lifestyle (she has never been caught partying or drinking), though her love life is trapped in a web of intrigue.
By 5 p.m., gates were opened at last, and the earliest entrants literally ran upstairs with fulfilled looks in their faces as if they were about to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Excitement filled the venue until lights went out at 8 p.m. and front act Sam Concepcion, hand-picked by Swift herself, electrified the crowd with his four-song set.
The young Grammy winner ceased her fans’ restless anticipation when she finally came out the stage around 9 p.m., dressed in a sparkling gold dress and with “13” painted in her right hand. Fans screamed like there’s no tomorrow as Swift kicked off her set with “Sparks Fly,” a track from her latest album “Speak Now.”
Armed with colorful glow sticks, cameras and ready-for-cheering voices, the fans seemed to have had a duet with Swift as they sang every word and every note of the 13 songs (which consisted of songs from her second album “Fearless” as well as from her latest one) she performed as if they are their own. They did so well that Swift’s singing could barely be heard above the din at some instances.
Nevertheless, Swift was in her element that night, her voice in good condition, hitting the notes in their right places. She twirled, danced and head-banged on the stage (which, by the way, had a T-shaped extended stage and another elevated stage – said to be Swift’s choices as well) as if she’s right where she’s meant to be.
Swift kept the pace, alternating between slow and fast songs and playing piano and guitar (which she changed almost as much as she changed pretty costumes) on some numbers. She also injected mash-ups in her set, such as in “Back To December,” which she combined with OneRepublic’s “Apologize” and her song, “You’re Not Sorry,” and a toned-down, ukelele version of “Fearless,” adorably mashed-up with Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” and Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.”
“Magandang gabi (Good evening) Manila. Welcome to ‘Speak Now’ tour. I’m Taylor,” were Swift’s first words after singing “Mine.”
She interacted with her fans not only through her spiels, in which she shared her own reflections on life and love, but literally reached out to them, tapping hands of those in the moshpit. In “You Belong With Me,” she went down the stage to shake the fans’ hands and even picked up a bouquet of flowers from one of them.
She further endeared herself to the Filipino audience by saying some more local phrases such as “Salamat” (thank you), “Kumusta kayo?” (How are you?), and “Mahal ko kayo” (I love you all), and asking them if they loved Sam Concepcion. The coliseum was filled with roars of approval.
Manila witnessed first-hand what many might’ve just seen on TV or on YouTube – that Swift is not just a prolific songwriter or an earnest singer – she is a dedicated, intense performer. She wasn’t hailed as the 2009 Country Music Associations’ Entertainer of the Year for nothing.
For sure, Swift’s concert will “Long Live” in the Filipinos’ hearts and minds.
The Winged Wonder 