You always never forget your first. I’ve attended performances from artists at festivals and other free events that I’ve gone to in the past; but, I never had the chance to go to a concert (with my own free will and money) until this special moment. How iconic it is for me to have my first concert be by Aurora – whose music has been with me, specially during troubled times.
Last January 31, 2025, I had the blessing to go to the New Frontier Theatre in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines for Insignia Presents: Aurora’s “What Happened to the Earth? Part 4” – her first concert of the year, the first concert in the Philippines, and my first concert to attend to. She was joined by Filipino artists, ena mori and Yaelokre as opening acts. So, here’s a trip down memory lane while it is still fresh in my head and while I’m still processing the out-of-body experience that I had in this event.
Back in October, when it was announced that she’s going to hold her first event here, I immediately signed up to the newsletter to get ahead in terms of ticket selling even though I didn’t know if I’ll have the money to buy for it and for other essentials since I’d be coming from somewhere far. What lingered in my head was that it should be just fair for me to go to this since the last time I treated myself was when I went to La Union, Philippines back in April 2024.; and, that if I didn’t do anything for myself, I will eventually crash out. So, I bought a VIP ticket so that I wouldn’t have other choice except to make the most out of the money and the event. Basically, I’m manipulated myself into financial accountability and that was a really good decision.
The whole day was a trip. In simplest terms, I travelled to Manila at the day of the concert; I didn’t have any time to rest because it was already time for me to prepare for the event; and, then, after everything, I had to do my shift for work in the Airbnb unit that I rented. But, everything was in line for there was a New Moon that day – in Aquarius, so there’s a lot of shake ups that were supposed to happen. And, I didn’t even care about the exhaustion that I felt. It was just me and my iPhone 13 against the world.
When I walked from my Airbnb to the New Frontier Theatre, all I thought of was that I hoped everything would turn out smoothly; and, for most times, it did. Even though the lines were long and I had to wait for hours before the doors opened, everyone was so respectful and properly beautiful. A lot wore costumes similar to the aesthetics of Aurora and her music. There were those who were inspired by her albums, Gods We Can Touch and What Happened to the Heart?, and there were those, like me, who wore dark clothing – as if as both the light and the darkness joined together in harmony to watch all of the artists perform. I even saw someone who wore a Christian veil, which was smart because the concert was energetically draining in a good way. There were those who bought or brought light sticks and white flowers while some had Aurora masks – and, yes, they were masks of her face. Everyone just knew what they were doing and went their as their own. Me, on the other hand, still couldn’t believe the fact that I accomplished this feat of simply treating myself and going to watch a singer that I really admire.
Since I was going to this concert, I did a personal challenge to not prepare myself because I tend to overdo it. Before the concert, I didn’t listen to Aurora’s latest album so that I would be surprised on the beauty of the songs that would be presented. It was on that day as well that I knew about ena mori and Yaelokre’s participation as opening acts – though I was familiar with the latter’s storytelling and music style, I was not deeply within the world. I didn’t even have that in-depth research about the setlists from previous concerts. So, it was a good thing for I had zero expectations. Going in blind was the best choice.
When it was time for the first performance, I positioned myself near the railings on the left side of the theatre because I wanted to get as many photos and videos that I could have.
Then, it was time for ena mori to shine. Her performance was so energetic. I could only imagine the nerves and the stress from being the first performer of the night – being in-charge of setting the mood and closing the audience in; but she and her own gang didn’t disappoint. She was an explorer of the stage and, oftentimes, would get the attention of the audience by making them participate. I fell in love with the song, “SOS“, which I think is better sung live because it felt like a song for a proper rave. And, yes, even though the rhythm and the vibe of the song were on a high, the lyrics were a bit depressing – calling for help and being exhausted from the environment of the speaker. And, to be honest, I wish that the song was longer because it was so addicting and the hook reminded me of some of ABBA’s song like “Bang-a-Boomerang”. Yes, it’s sort of funny because ABBA has a song named SOS. Her co-members didn’t help because they were so energetic and goofy – specially, the spikey-haired one who gave his entire self beating the drums and making sure that it was heard from heaven and back. I literally had to sit down on the floor because I was so exhausted from jumping up and down. I would like to thank the floor director as well because they gave us enough time to rest per set. Considering that I traveled far and immediately went to the concert, my back didn’t cooperate with me; but, I digress.
Yaelokre’s performance was like a children’s book. It felt like someone was reading something for me to go to sleep or to get better from an illness. Every member of the band was so childlike and goofy that they were almost the characters of their songs. The vocalist was amazing for they articulated the stories within their songs very well. They communicated with the band as if as they were not really in a concert but in an intimate session with some friends. Now, I’m still not immersed in their world because for such a world building experience, I need time; however, I really love their song, “Kamahalan”. For quick understanding, it was a mix of IV of Spades’ “Bata, Dahan-Dahan!” and Ben&Ben’s “Ride Home”. An energetic persuasion for the inner child to have courage in the middle of the darkness and the evil that lurks. The fact that the song was in Filipino gave it more panache because the audience was most definitely have their inner child healing and are wanting to be free from the unfair shackles of institutions. I was shocked after the song ended because it was such a piece that made me believe that Filipinos have the potential to make songs that are not focused on cheating, nauseating yearning, and obsessive kind of love and regret. I wished that there were more Filipino songs back then; but, I’m entirely grateful to listen to that for the first time at such a place where everybody understood the assignment.
And, then, there was Aurora. Her moment started with her image on the wide screen on the back of the stage. It felt like a preparation for a ritual that was meant to lure us in and be with her until the end of the night. And, to be honest, it worked. I was in awe – not just because of the musicality of the production and the fullness of the sound, and the participation of everybody in the room; but, mostly because of her.
She slowly walked into the center stage; but, it felt like she was not her. It looked like she was a different entity – long arms, more slender figure, longer hair, with the blackest of hair, and the yellowest of eyes. That entity and Aurora went back and forth in appearance in every performance – specially, on “Goddess of Dusk”. You could feel the difference between Aurora’s goofy and childlike aura and the other’s melancholic and solemn energy. I couldn’t clap nor scream for I could only watch the spectacle that seemed happening in between dimensions. And, this is not some hyperbole of my experience for what I said was exactly what I witnessed. The energy was different as if as we were in a different dimension. We were sucked in into her ritual circle to partake in something that felt like a purification and a blessing.
Everything was somber when she performed “Infections of a Different Kind”. This was when the figure became more solidified. The way she cried for God for all of the pain and sorrow that were featured in the song was heartbreaking for it not only reflected what a lot of people feel – especially, those with unending struggle; but, it also bared Aurora’s soul. Imagine yourself as a nature spirit in the middle of the forest, who experienced so much darkness in their life, who’s simply waiting for their erasure in the universe and has already accepted their fate. That was the feeling when she performed the song. Everyone was so receptive that you can hear the pin drop from afar. I could see people crying while recording her on their phones. I could hear some softly singing along as if echoes from her voice. Even the security people stopped for a while just to witness her beautiful voice. It was as if she was singing out into the world, so loud that she hoped for God to hear her plea. It was so surreal that, up until now, I could hear her voice coming from within me.
There were two songs that stood out for me in this concert.
The first one was “Runaway” for it reminded me of the times at the start of the pandemic when everything felt so painful and unsure that I either wanted to run away from the world or to be free from the dread that made me want to escape reality. It reminded me of my shadow work sessions back then when I needed music to cry and I found it to be very close to home. In this concert, I remember myself trying to hold back tears as if I was back on those times; then, it dawned on me: Aurora’s live performances are healing beyond measure for it pushes people to look inward to recognize what we might want to be lost.
The second one was “Giving Into the Love” – the song for Prometheus. This song was on repeat back when the world started to find its way to the new normal. I remember walking for more than 15000 steps a day everyday because I needed some time to untangle the knots from being locked inside the apartment for months; and, this song was one of those I always repeat – regardless on whether it was day or night, or when the sky was clear or crying. It felt like a reminder for us who experience show much hardship that we need to bring back ourselves to the light and the capacity to witness, feel, and give love. It’s the surrendering of the Self in order to remove ourselves from revenge, misery, and grief. At the moment that I heard that familiar beat, I lost myself and just started jumping and singing along with the people within the New Frontier Theatre. The surrendering then became a promise between those who attended – to accept light as much as we accept the darkness within.
To be honest, I thought the show was going to end at around 10 PM (since it started at around 7 PM); however, we all went out past 11 PM. Yes, we had an encore performance from her and her band – with songs like “Cure For Me” and “Some Type of Skin”; but, the entire performance felt like it was just 30 minutes. I wanted more that I didn’t leave the theatre until the very last minute that my feet could handle. I feel like, even though I understand that Aurora’s testing the waters of her marketability in this country; her performance that day deserved more than one night; or, better yet, a bigger venue. As far as I know, there were a call from a lot of people for a second day but Aurora’s schedule was too tight due to the concert’s Asian leg. However, I did not became sad because of two things; 1) I managed to witness her first concert in the Philippines, her first concert of the year, during the New Moon and that is already special; and, 2) she’ll be back in this country because of what she said after her first few songs: that the moment she stepped into the country, she could already feel the love. She couldn’t figure out what caused that – either the eyes or the hearts of the Filipinos; but, I know that it’s because a lot of us here needs intense healing and camaraderie with those who are in tune with nature.
My words here can’t even express the same intensity that I experienced while attending this concert for you have to be in that very same place at that time. There was so much peace, love, and understanding of the dark. There were no judgment. Everyone felt like they were aligned with themselves. Aurora did that. That is without even considering the fact how she welcomed everybody and accepted gifts – such as that Jollibee doll version of her, and the sun headdress that she wore by the end of her performance. She even raised a Pride flag during her “Cure For Me’ performance – which made the entire crowd go wild.
And, to think that I stupidly felt regret after buying the ticket? Thank God that I didn’t listen to my limiting beliefs and I attended the concert. It triggered something beautiful within me. The exhaustion from the travel, the concert itself, and my shift for work afterwards were all worth it. To hear her say “salamat po” and “syempre” in such a Filipino way was worth it. To see all the white roses that the crowd raised during “Exist For Love” was worth it. To see people come together and become one was worth it.
And, I hope that soon… you’ll find that you too are worth it.
Want to know how to prepare for your first concert? Read here.
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