pinoyconcerts

Concert Listings

Friday, July 28, 2006

Gary V Las Vegas

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Gary Valenciano Las Vegas Concert


Las Vegas welcomes Gary Valenciano !! South Coast Hotel & Casino , September 16, 2006, 7: 30 PM. Tickets $ 108, $ 88, $ 68, $ 48.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

ASIN Las Vegas Concert - An Event To Cherish








Probably the best pinoy concert in Las Vegasfor the year 2006, kudos to the organizers ofthe concert: Intrinsically Safe BandEntertainment Services of Carson, California.
As the gates opened at 6:15 PM and the crowdstarted pouring in, video ads of the concertsponsors were displayed on the theatre giantTV screen while tracks from a Black Eyed Peas'album were playing as an acknowledgment to thepopular Filipino hip-hop artist APL's long-standing patronage of Asin.
A lady's voice was then heard on the PAreading a manifesto of Asin's philosophy of commitment to the environment and world peace.The frailty of her voice combined with thesocial relevance of the manifesto contentcaused a sudden quiet moment as the crowdintently listened to each word.
The concert proper started at 7:25 PM with a powerhouse of openning acts - local Las Vegaspinoy rock group "Veronica's Handkerchief","Las Vegas Pinoy Pop Superstar" winnerSamantha Mendoza, and veteran pinoy folksinger/songwriter Cholo with his newly-formed band " D ‘Ol Trade Jacks". By the timeCholo was on his last song ("Anting-anting")of his 5-song set the crowd was applaudingafter each line of verse. They were ready for ASIN !
First, the Asin backup band came in withouttheir frontman Lolita Carbon; all of themwearing various versions of Asin USA Tour2006 T-shirts. With Hermes Arriola on lead vocals , they rendered a song tribute (" Balong Malalim") to the grandfather rock group of the 70's "Juan dela Cruz" band .
Finally, the 'piece de resistance' of the evening, Lolita Carbon came on stage to thewild applause of the audience. At 49 years old,she looked stunning. Wearing a dark-coloredVersace kaftan ,black velvet jeans and sporting some golden steaks on her dark brownhair; she would feel comfortable next to anyLas Vegas Diva. She had a certain glow thatdisguised the rigors of months of touring Canada and the USA. Gone is the hippy Lolitaof 30 years ago fans are familiar with; wenow have a sophistcated and mature Lolita!
She started her repertoire with a successionof Asin's old hits which the audience immediately appreciated. "Masdan mo ang Kapaligiran" , "Himig ng Pag-ibig", "Usok","Cotabato" and so on ....Her body movements on stage reminded one ofMelissa Etheridge as she gracefully swung with her black Gibson jumbo acoustic guitar;her artistry comparable to Sheryl Crowe's. Combine these with the vocal dynamics ofBonnie Tyler, and you have Lolita. Her staminaand professionalism were unbelievable . Song after song of the 16-song set was deliveredwith undiminishing concentration and energy.
The Asin backup group was a formidable bunchof seasoned musicians. From the Philippines: Suky Kalaw on lead electric guitar. Emil Mahusay on bass, Howie Villareal on drums,and Tata Bondad on 12-string acoustic guitar.From the US, Dexter Javier, a session musician,played keyboards. Joey Maurillo ,also a studiosession musician, played second lead electricguitar; Joey, a former Asin guitarist is nowwith the US Navy but happened to be on leave.Hermes Arriola sang most of the backup vocals.Bernard Manuel, tour guide and photographer, did the vocals on "Cotabato".
The highest point of the concert musically perhaps is their rendition of "Ganyan Lang",a jazz-influenced song laden with diminishedchords. This gives us a glimpse on the possible future direction Lolita's music (and of course Asin's music) is taking. A very touching moment of the concert was whenshe (Lolita) remembered deceased Asin memberand co-songwriter of "Cotabato", Cesar "Saro" Banares Jr. who was killed in a politicallymotivated shooting in Mindanao in the mid-90s. At the end of the 16-song set, the audiencestill wanted more; Asin acknowledged with a very lively encore with some members of the audience joining the band on stage.
The applause and outpouring of love by theaudience was tremendous throughout the concert.Not surprisingly, since Asin has been part ofthe sountrack of our lives against the backdropof "interesting times" in Philippine politicalhistory ,such as the martial law era and the subsequent diaspora,the EDSA revolution,etc.
And above all, Asin has been one of the fewmusic groups who have not compromised theirartistry and integrity in favor of commercialism. Mabuhay ang Pilipino!
As the diverse crowd emptied the auditorium,one can sense a general feeling of satisfactionand pride. Asin has exceeded all expectations;the legend lives on.