Bobapalooza triumphs with local, international acts
THE Bobapalooza Music and Arts Festival enjoyed a successful two-day event, uniting local and international talents to deliver a visual and auditory feast for the Filipino audience.
After its successful debut at Circuit Makati Event Grounds last year, the festival relocated further south to the Filinvest Events Ground in Alabang, making the most of its expansive space to create a vibrant and lively atmosphere for attendees of all ages.
Highlights included Pixel Land, offering basketball and mini-golf; Arcadia, a retro-themed arcade area; the Friend Zone, a chill-out area perfect for selfies and hanging out; a food bazaar satisfying all appetites; ad Art Market featuring live mural painting and street art by local artists such as Egg Fiasco, Blic, Distort Monsters, SYN, mimaaaaaaaaw, CHNO and Isad Diwa.
One of the main acts from Day 1 on February 24 was Pale Waves, an English rock band from Manchester.
Since 2014, fans have eagerly awaited Pale Waves’ arrival in the Philippines. In an interview the day before their performance, the band expressed their anticipation, admitting they were unsure of what to expect but had heard wonderful things about the culture.
“I’ve heard you guys are so friendly and nice. We’re excited to meet the people who actually enjoy our music here. It’s going to be a great show,” vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie revealed.
She also expressed her enjoyment of touring, stating, “I really love touring, playing shows, and meeting new people.”
Interestingly, the band was thrilled to mention that they had the opportunity to tour with a Filipino artist, No Rome, who is currently based in London.
“We toured with No Rome so many times and he’s the nicest guy and so talented. He’s like the local hero, right? He’s so good. So when I think of Filipino music, immediately it’s No Rome,” BaronGracie added.
During their performance, Pale Waves delighted the audience with songs like “Jealousy,” “Kiss,” “My Obsession,” and “Television Romance.” Sharing the stage as firsttime performers in the country, American rock band Bad Suns headlined Day 1 of the festival, delivering hits such as “Swimming in the Moonlight” and “Dancing on Quicksand,” among others. On the local front, Day 1 featured equally sought-after performances by Rico Blanco, Juan Karlos, The Itchyworms, One Click Straight, Autotelic, Nobita, Join The Club, Syd Hartha, and The Sundown. Exciting new and upcoming acts such as Project Romeo, Halina, Shanni, Moontyde, and Crazymoon also stirred up the crowd with their performances. Meanwhile on Day 2, the Japanese girl group Atarashii Gakko! impressed with their powerful vocals and dynamic dance routines, donning their signature sailorstyle school uniforms. Comprising Suzuka, Kanon, Mizyu, and Rin, they thrilled the audience with a set of 16 songs, including crowd favorites like “Pineapple Kryptonite,” “Tokyo Calling,” “Otona Blue,” and “NAINAINAI.”
Also gracing the stage on Day 2 was the rock band The Band Camino, who traveled over 20 hours from US to meet their Filipino fans for the first time. They performed songs such as “Haunted,” “What
Am I Missing?” “I Think I
Like You,” and “What I Want.”
Bobapalooza also surprised attendees with local headliners Zild, whose energetic performances of songs like “Kyusi,” “Oh Lunes Nanaman,” “Medisina,” “Isang Anghel,” and “Dekada ‘70” coincided with the commemoration of the EDSA People Power Revolution on February 25. Additionally, Blaster Silonga, formerly of IV of Spades, delighted the crowd with renditions of “Disko Forever,” “Huwag Mabahala,” “O Kay Ganda,” and the band’s hit song “Come Inside of My Heart.”
Other notable acts on Day 2 included OPM bands Urbandub, December Avenue, Sandwich, Tanya Markova, Chicosci, Faspitch, Bita and the Botflies, and CHNDTR. The lineup also featured promising up-and-coming bands like Criminal Cinema, Nemic, Sub Projeckt, The Mox, and Inside City.
Overall, the two-day extravaganza showcased a significantly upgraded lineup compared to the previous year, although the turnout was lower than expected.