woodycakes's Last.fm Journal

To The Edge of Desire

Tue, 5 Oct 2010 09:15:32 +0000

Fri 1 Oct – John Mayer

I've been very lucky to have gotten free concert tickets to every single concert I've been to in the past few years. From Christina Aguilera, to Alicia Keys to Maroon 5, to Justin Timberlake, it's all been very good to my wallet.

So when I heard John Mayer was coming to Manila, I was hoping so bad for free ones. Unfortunately there weren't. Still, John Mayer being quite possibly one of my most favorite musicians EVER (he is number one on my Last.fm), I knew I had to be there live.

So despite the pricey tickets, I bought concert tickets for the first time ever and it was worth it. Despite the five month delay and the traffic going to and coming from SM Mall of Asia. Despite the rains and getting drenched in it, when John stepped out with his guitar and started playing, it was all so freaking worth it.

Warning: This is all going to be one big squee-fest. so don't expect any coherence. at all.

Set List:
Vultures
Not what I thought he'd open with but definitely a great vibe to start it with. After singing this, John greets the crowd and thanks everyone for coming out despite the rain. i wanted to say, 'umm john, the tickets were sorta pricey, it'd take the end of the world for folks NOT to show up.' Great way to start off the show though

No Such ThingI love that he still does stuff from Room For Squares. On my way to the concert, I was both praying the rosary (that the traffic wouldn't be too bad) and singing John Mayer songs off the top of my head and this one was always fun to sing despite my out of tune-ness. Singing it live with a crowd though? Much better.

Perfectly LonelyI really really like this song off the album and I could always feel like I related to the lyrics somehow. And a word about John live? He sounds just like his recordings and sometimes EVEN BETTER. It's not possible really, considering he was competing with the rain in my face, but he did.

Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers Cover)
HELLO AWESOME COVER. I love this song. Always have. Now I have a new reason to love it. He just literally could do no wrong for me at the concert and this was such a great version of it.

Slow Dancing In A Burning RoomI LOVE THAT HE SANG THIS. Continuum had so many beautiful slow songs but this just spells sexy times. And though I was drenched from head to toe and not feeling sexy at all, John managed to bring the sultry, sensual mood to the audience. Seriously.

Waiting For The World To ChangeNot a fan of this song in general but somehow hearing it live made me sort of optimistic about things and singing along with the crowd felt really great.

Stop This TrainIt's hilarious cause he started playing the intro to "Daughters" (again not a favorite of mine -- yes, I love John but prefer some songs to others) but instead did this so I'm liking it for that reason alone.

Your Body Is A WonderlandOBVIOUSLY A MUST-PLAY. As tired and overplayed this song was, it's still a favorite of mine and everytime he'd sing, 'and if you want love,' we'd all shout "LETS MAKE IT" because really, you know every girl watching him stroke that guitar was thinking how talented (those fingers) he was. DON'T LIE NOW.

Who Says
Simple songs are simple and yet so awesome in the middle of a concert. I loved how he'd take a step back from his big hits and just play the songs he loved and tried to make us love it with him. Mission accomplished, John.

Heartbreak WarfareI HEART THIS SONG SO MUCH. And right when he sings this, I turn around to scan the crowd behind us. THERE WERE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE and the crowd just didn't seem to thin out. And right smack behind me (a few rows back) was a guy I used to like in high school. How funny I see him right when this song plays. Oh John. Perfect timing is perfect.

Gravity
You could hear the crowd roar when he started playing the intro to this. It's funny cause I like this song but it's not one of my ultra favorites. Still, hearing it live? SUPER AWESOME. Also makes you wish you were sharing an umbrella with someone who wasn't a female.

Do You Know MeI like how John would slowly bring the tempo back up after the slow songs by playing his songs that I didn't expect him to play. I thought he'd play "Assassin" but this was a great in between song. I loved that he played 6 songs out of "Battle Studies." really is an awesome album.

Why GeorgiaJohn said he was trying to encapsulate the ten year wait we had for him to come to Manila so he sang this song from 1999 when he wrote it. And it was awesome how the whole audience just sang along especially in the bridge part where it goes: "so what, so I've got a smile on, it's hiding the quiet superstitions in my head"

Half Of My Heart/ Don’t Stop Believin’
It was nice a little segue from Half of my heart (where JP and I would sing Taylor's parts to each other) to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Of course he wouldn't' end with that right? So when they thanked us and we all started asking for the encore, I didn't expect what happened next.

Encore: Edge Of Desire
I LITERALLY DIED WHEN HE CAME BACK AND PLAYED THIS. My favorite track of "Battle Studies" and he does it for his curtain call and does so brilliantly. I swear, I thought I was going to pass out from the awesome.

In the end, I may be a whole lot poorer, but that's the best 4k I've ever spent. I need to see this guy in concert again in the future. Obviously a must-watch again.

Galak na Galak

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 12:33:29 +0000

Sat 6 Sep – MBoys '09

I can't help it. I have to fangirl about my brother, Pietro. It's funny because Pietro was the 'shyest' of the siblings and I'd never thought that he would be the one in the spotlight now. Still, it doesn't mean he doesn't deserve it cause he does. In fact, I can't help but feel proud of him.

Because I had a field trip in the morning, I had to rush home from Laguna to Greenhills. I left Laguna t 1:30 in the afternoon and was surprised to make it to Teatrino at 3:30pm. The show was supposed to start at 3, but luckily it started late.

Teatrino was a really pretty venue. I've never been in there, but it was really pretty. I can't believe my brother was actually performing on stage. The guys sang their songs from their album and of course covers of a bunch of artists. The guys have super improved since their first few gigs.

SET LIST
>Bitaw
>Susan
>Galak
>I'll always be there for you
>Pakiusap
>Folio
>Ewan
>Panalangin
>Awit ng barkada
>Horse with No Name
>Harana
>Ang aking awitin
>Huling el bimbo
>Poetry Break
>Can we stop and talk a while
>Lead me lord
>Umagang kay ganda
>Paraiso
>Sabihin
>Morning glow

Shim really sounded good on Pakiusap. He played a guitar while singing and its super evident how far he's gone. I was super impressed with the way he sounded. I really like the song, Folio. It's crazy how they just did this for class and now they're doing it in concerts. I obviously have no musical talent because I could never come up with songs that sound that cute. On Awit ng Barkada, they interacted with Pietro in this one, about why he's frowning all the time and Pietro didn't even need to act like he was frowning cause he's always so serious. This really made me laugh.

I'm not really familiar with the song Horse with No Name, but two of their classmates went out and interpreted the song. And it was just hilarious. I wouldn't be able to do that in front of a crowd, so kudos to them for being so funny. During a break, they read some poetry. Because this class is so freaking talented, they were able to publish a book of their works last year. They were reading from the book and their poems were crazy -- and in Filipino (two things I can't do well).

Can We Stop and Talk a While had the boys singing with a girl who I didn't know was a Povedan. She was pretty good, I wish they'd let her sing more and less of a prop. It was nice to know there are still decent girls from my former alma mater. Mr. and Mrs. C with the high school principal and the boys high school teacher sang Umagang Kay Ganda and it was nice to see them participate.

It was so nice to see Pietro with his bandmates/classmates really get into their songs. Josh, Shim, Toma, DJ, Dolph, and John and the rest of their classmates looked really happy to be performing onstage. It was cute that Toma's parents (Mr. and Mrs. C -- as in Ryan Cayabyab) performed too. The high school principal (Fr. RB and Fr. Ampil) even ditched the ADMU-DLSU game to watch them.

Over-all, I was really happy with how it came out, because I wasn't expecting it at all. All those Saturdays and Sundays that I'd bring Pietro to Galleria for practice, and this was what came out of it. So worth it. I can't wait to see how these boys grow up and how they continue with their music.

Like You'll Never See Alicia Again

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 12:21:33 +0000

Tue 5 Aug – Alicia Keys

Right now, South Koreans are lining up to watch Alicia Keys at the Jamsil Stadium and I couldn't be more jealous. I can't believe it was only two nights ago that I was under the same roof as the Alicia Keys. The show was everything I was expecting it to be and more.

Thanks to repeat concert buddy/cousin, Nikki, we were able to score GOLD seats. Despite my blindness, we were close enough to actually see Alicia Keys's features as she performed onstage. Thank goodness it got moved to the oh so pretty SMX Convention Center, because I can't imagine being outdoors with the possibility of rain.

Yes, the concert started very very late. At 8pm, we thought we were going to wait at the maximum an hour, but no, we waited for 2. According to MTV Intern/backstage pass holder/BC soul sister, Sophie, Alicia Keys arrived 3 minutes before the actual start of the show, so it really couldn't have started any earlier because she wasn't really there.

But really, who cares? Because when she did arrive, she performed her ass off. From the opening song, Go Ahead (where she did this crazy head/hair spinning thing - literally) to the encore of If I Ain't Got You, I was wanted to be on my feet, dancing/waving my hands. Unfortunately, the guards actually told us NOT to stand up. Oh well.

SET LIST:
Go Ahead
You Don't Know My Name ♥
Teenage Love Affair ♥
Heartburn
How Come You Don't Call Me ♥
Superwoman ♥
I Need You
Wreckless Love
Diary/Tender Love ♥
My Boo ♥
Unbreakable
Like You'll Never See Me Again ♥
A Woman's Worth ♥
Karma
Falling ♥

Encore:
No One ♥
If I Ain't Got You ♥

I loved her Teenage Love Affair even if she didn't sing the second verse. She was dancing like the video so it was just so much fun. I like how she was actually skipping verses because that made sure she got to sing more songs in the short amount of time.

I told myself that she HAD TO sing How Come You Don't Call Me just because it's my favorite song ever and I was practically screaming when she performed it. I'm not a big fan of the song Diary, but then she sang it with her backup singer/amazing amazing vocal prowess Jermaine Paul and I was sold. Their blending was just awww-mazing and I was floored.

I was hoping Usher would show up for My Boo but I was pretty satisfied without his appearance. Nikki as saying if John Mayer showed up for Lesson Learned (which she didn't perform), the earth would open up and eat us all from the awesomeness of the event.

She dedicated Like You'll Never See Me Again to her Nana, who was celebrating her birthday that day and it was just the most heartfelt performance ever. Everyone was singing along and I swear I thought I was going to cry soon. Then the intro for Fallin' played and the crowd went even wilder. Everyone was standing (the guards finally gave up) and everyone was waving and singing and there were flashes everywhere.

Obviously, an encore was in store, she hadn't sung No One yet after all. And when she came out to sing it, you could barely hear her over the screams of the audience. If people were going crazy during Fallin, it was mass hysteria with No One. Some people actually left thinking there wouldn't be another encore but there was and she performed If I Ain't Got You and you could see couples everywhere slowly swaying.

Fabulous just doesn't cut it. I can't express how much I loved loved loved the concert. Alicia Keys sounds as great and even better as she does on the record and she really knows how to work a crowd. She was a total performer, not just playing her piano, not just singing, she was dancing and making meaningful conversation with the audience.

I wish the concert could have lasted longer but it ended at 11:45 already. She said she couldn't wait to come back to Manila and I'm hoping she comes back when she has a new record, because I cannot wait to see this woman in concert again. She was meant to perform live and I'm so going to be there next time around.

Won't Go Home Without Adam

Sun, 9 Mar 2008 15:59:26 +0000

Wed 5 Mar – Maroon 5

Seriously. How could I even consider NOT going to this concert? Really? What was I thinking? Scared I wouldn't be awake/aware for my 124 Drama finals? Who cares? Because really, for that 1 plus hour that I was dancing and singing my lungs out to Maroon 5 was well worth every peso every hour I spent away from "preparing for finals."

I had a very full Wednesday, starting off with a talk in Poveda in the morning, BC 111 listening session that afternoon, watching a few films for BC 123 and then the concert. So by the time I arrived in Araneta (with terrible traffic and no parking), I was quite tired already.

It didn't start on time (durr), so it was good because we got a good pre-show, despite there not being an opening act. Seeing all sorts of "celebrities" walk in to the patron seats was fun. There was Heart Evangelista, Sam Milby and Anne Curtis (holding hands), Bayani Fernando and his family, and Eula Valdez. But my favorite celebs were Sam]and Kai! Kai took all the photos I used cause I actually didn't bring a camera.

The stage didn't have a lot of decor, but the lighting was beautiful. The other concert I watched in Araneta was INXS, but this was definitely more whoa-worthy. Our seats in patron were fabulous either! Thanks so much to Nikki for inviting me! I had a ton of fun with you!!! So sorry I was "late." Thank goodness the concert was later.

There's just something about Adam Levine. The moment he stepped onto the stage and played the intro to "If I Never See Your Face Again," the whole crowd was up on their feet. And in fairness to him, I never sat down. Seriously. All 14 songs had me jumping and singing and just going nuts. Since I had finals the next day, I told myself I wouldn't scream, so I had to content myself with just "singing normally."

I didn't have to exert much effort though. Araneta coliseum was packed to the rafters and everyone was going nuts with me. People just kept singing and shouting and singing and shouting some more. When Adam said he learned some words, the crowd went even crazier. He counted in Filipino, saying: "Isa, dalawa, tatlo, apat!" Instead of counting 1, 2, 3, 4 before a song. It was so cute. In fact, he got better everytime he'd say it.

The crowd went even crazier if possible during, "Won't Go Home Without You." There was a point in the song where Adam just stopped singing because the crowd was singing and singing and singing so loudly. At that point, I just didn't care that I had drama finals. I was singing my heart out.

Then there was a time when the crowd was cheering SO LOUD that Adam just stopped singing and was listening to the cheers. Everyone was yelling for a good 5 minutes probably. NON-STOP. He was so happy with the cheering, you could see his smile getting bigger and he was just really just taking it all in.

Then Adam says that they've been overseas for quite some time and he's never felt so loved despite being so far away from home. The crowd went even crazier. I think he even said that "this was one of their best concerts ever!" I know that he probably says that to every venue, but for some reason I sort of believed him. The vibe in Araneta was soooo good and everyone was really having a good time.

Other than Adam, I thought Jesse was really cute too. I would glance at him every so often as he played on the piano. If Adam's hot, Jesse's real cute! Even if I was quite far from the stage, I couldn't help but yell at him lines of their songs. Matt, the drummer also had a solo and he was so fabulous! Seriously, this band is just made of all kinds of awesome.

In between Secretand Shiver, Adam sang a bit from "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, and the oldies in the audience, including me, started singing along. It was a nice and he sang it really slow and sexy, I swear I thought I was going to die right there in my place. Adam is obviously one hot and sexy man with a really high voice. His tattoos were seen from the wifebeater he was wearing underneath a hoodie. Seriously, only this guy could make that combination of clothes look that hot. His arms being exposed were a visual treat, despite being far from the stage.

SETLIST
If I Never See your Face Again
Makes Me Wonder
Harder to Breathe
The Sun
Can't Stop
Secret
*a few lines from Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight"
Shiver
Wake Up Call
Sunday Morning
Won't Go Home Without You
This Love

encore:
Little of Your Time
She Will Be Loved
Sweetest Goodbye

The crowd got ten thousand times crazier when they played the singles they released, but I was hoping they'd play "Kiwi" just because I love that song so much, but it's alright that they didn't. It was sweet indeed to end their encore with "Sweetest Goodbye." Since I had been listening to Live: Friday the 13th for weeks on end before their arrival, I had a feeling they'd end with this and it was nice to hear. If they ever coming back, I'm so there.

WON'T GO HOME WITHOUT YOU, ADAM!

Elliott Takes My Breath Away

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:44:54 +0000

Fri 21 Sep – Elliott Yamin
Almost a week late, and still I can't believe I actually met Elliott Yamin! For some reason, I'm at a loss for words. So I'll let the pictures and video do the talking. Besides, you want verbose? Pamy, Ina and Yam got that covered with their extensive entries. All I can say is, Elliott is still my favorite Idol. Hands down.

He's so got to come back!

10:00AM: Yes, I have Psych 101 on Friday mornings, but was I really going to pass up the chance to meet Elliott? I don't think so. Even before 10am, the lines outside TriNoMa were unusually long. And to think we were deluding ourselves into thinking not all of them would be there for Elliott. We were so wrong. When the doors flew open, I made a mad dash towards the concierge. Not bad, we were in the first third of the snake line. Whew, we were guaranteed one of the 400 tickets.

10:30AM: So I was obviously not going to make it to class. Besides, why settle for normal tickets when we could get Meet And Greet tickets. How? By being the FIRST 50 buyers of Elliott's CD. Lucky for us, we were 20, 21 and 22. Believe me, we almost didn't make it, with all the people cutting lines. Thank goodness for people who speak up. No Cutting lines!

6:45PM: I made it back after my long day at school (where all I could think off was Elliott!) I made a quick dash home to look more decent -- I was going to meet Elliott after all! Of course I had to get stuck in traffic right in front of TriNoMa just for added frustration. Finally, I get a parking spot and run to the Activity Center. 5th Row baby! Not bad at all.

7:00PM: Then Elliott comes out and the crowd gets as wild as Filipino crowds get. Pamy, Ina and I are going crazy and I know Yam is going crazy in her seat too! But everyone else is seated. Rawr. Still, people give him a great welcome. Singing songs from his album, I got to record a few on video. I just wanted to stand up and dance but I was the only one, so my shyness got the best of me. Still, it doesn't mean I didn't freaking enjoy.

8:30PM: So there's a hierarchy of meet and greets. The purple passes, the red passes, the pink passes, the white passes and guess what? There are NO orange passes. We just get our CDs signed, without a picture! Lovely. Still we make the most of it. After all, Elliott's bandmates are pretty hot too. Russell agreed to a picture with us. Mostly me, because my camera skillz aren't that great.

9:00PM: So the other band members are pretty hot too. Why not take the opportunity. After chatting them up, I got this picture with them. All I can say is YUMMY. And friendly, but really they're freaking talented and hot too. what a combination!

9:15PM: Finally, we get our chance to meet Elliott and though we weren't allowed to bring cameras onstage, others did, I brought the video camera and got a very crude recording of my lame ass self when I finally met him. Pamy and Ina have to settle for better video, with bad audio, but I guess you can't have it all.

Thanks Pamy, Ina, Yam and Cla! I had so much fun! Elliott's got to come back ASAP! Paid concert or not, I'm going to watch him in my I ♥ EY shirt! Love it! Head on over here for other pictures

Ain't No Other Christina

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:54:53 +0000

Fri 6 Jul – Christina Aguilera Back to Basics Tour

Foreign artists rarely come over to Manila for concerts. I think they get threatened by the supposed "terrorist activities" or the kidnappings, blah blah blah. That's why when anyone and I mean anyone comes over, I get really excited (attn: Spice Girls!!!).

But last month, when I heard that Christina Aguilera was coming over for her Back to Basics tour, I just flipped! I knew I HAD TO GO. But see that had to go thing, is tricky, as tickets cost P7000 ($150 - a permanent account) for the VIP, I think and as "low as" P1500 ($32) for General Admission, let's just say money wasn't that easy to find. But it looked like God really wanted me to go

I freaking WON TICKETS. The day before the concert, my mom got a call from MTV saying I had won tickets. I almost died. Who cares what seats they were? I was going to freaking go!

The show would "start at 7pm" but I knew that wasn't the case, so I left the house at 7. And yet with all the traffic, I still managed to get to the Fort on time, with just enough time to eat dinner and see the show start. Then I get this message from Marian again saying she was going to attend the concert too!!! It was so fabulous to have her there with me and Pamy, my concert partner forever. Here's the list of songs she performed in order:

>> Ain't No Other Man
Holy crap. Do I love her or do I love her? The moment she came out onstage (pregnant and all -- but I so didn't notice), I was just yelling my heart out. I was probably hoarse already from just one song. I was looking at the screen and it felt like I was watching her on concert on a DVD. Yet when I looked at the stage, she was really there. It was "surreal." But this woman has pipes. I swear, I was already tired for her and it was only the first song.

>> Back In The Day
The thing about this concert, the first pop singer I've watched, is that they really put on a show. Other than the fabulous singing, there was a great set on stage, the amazing dancers and really good videos that accompanied the song. I was really confused as to where to look, but when Christina opened her mouth to sing, we all knew where to focus.

This song had a video of all the old artists she mentions in the song and it was really nice to look at the video too. I also noticed at this point that Christina had a funny hairstyle. It was like there was roll of bread on top of her head, but she freaking pulled it off! And I guess it kept her hair away from her face. Her dancers do this pseudo LA walk dance step and it was funny, but it somewhat fit.

>> Understand
Pamy and I were singing along to all the songs and by this time, I was already tired. I felt so old, but that didn't stop me from dancing to everything. Christina changes from her all-white pantsuit, to a all white mini-halter dress with a train. Seriously, this woman looks fabulous in white. And she's pregnant???

She so needed to rest from the dancing, so I'm glad she slowed it down. Because I needed to rest a bit too. Still, her voice was not getting any rest at all. She kept belting and belting. Damn, I was so exhausted for her. I had no voice already at this point.

>> Come on Over
Fart, I almost died when I heard the intro. I had this feeling she was going to re-do this song and she totally gave it a new twist. I loved this version of Come On Over. It totally fit in with the rest of her songs and I just couldn't help but yell and dance the entire time. I wanted to throw myself onstage, but that would have been physically impossible as I was miles away, but lord did she deliver.

>> Slow Down Baby
Christina removed her beautiful train at this point and was just dancing around the stage. Pamy and I noticed that she had this habit of throwing her head back and we were half afraid her head would just snap off. I loved the video that came with it too. It was just this light moving and it was just so well-produced. I want to know how they did that.

And her band is so freaking fabulous. During mini-breaks and during songs, Pamy and I were so in awe with her band. They're just genius. Her brass section especially. I felt so old-school yet new-school. I know i don't make sense, but I loved the brass infusions in her song.

But really, you know when they used to say that Britney Spears could dance while Christina could sing? They're wrong, because Christina could dance pretty freaking well too. And oh yeah, she sings live. but somehow i still love old school Britney, come on over too!!!

>> Still Dirrty
Christina does this spiel about double standards to women and Pamy and I knew she was going to sing this song. I love love love this song. And hearing it live made me love it even more. Christina came out in a white bathing suit looking top and a lacey version of the ass-less chaps she used to wear during her "dirrty-days."

The video was funny because it showed headlines of newspapers that had really funny captions about her leaving her dirty ways. Another high energy song, I was so tired from the dancing, but I couldn't help but groove to this one. I was causing quite a stir in our section from my loudness, but who cares really?

>> Can't Hold Us Down
Did I mention the lights were so amazing. I know they're supposed to be part of the show, but I really loved how the lights followed the drum beat. It was a little dizzying, but it totally worked. This wasn't one of my favorite songs from her Dirrty days, but she totally made me love it live.

She added a black fedora to her outfit and was just rocking the stage. Whenever it got to the part where she'd sing, "what do we do girls?" I would yell: "SHOUT OUT LOUD" really loud that my voice cracked. It was so fun to be there live. I was just going nuts!

>> Makes Me Wanna Pray
Christina came out from behind the screen complete with gospel singers behind her and her brass section. She then moved on to sit on top of a piano, I think. But that didn't mean the song wasn't going to be a dance-fest. Pamy and I were yelling out the lyrics and neither of us could hear each other because it was really really noisy in front.

I've got to give props to the organizers because the sound system was OFF THE CHARTS!!! To think we were in an open field, and yet the sound was perfect. It was amazing to listen to Christina from any section of the field. Christina changed outfits again to a white top with a thick black belt and red shorts. Seriously, this woman does not look pregnant at all. And she moves like she isn't either.

>> What a Girl Wants
She re-made this song too, to make it sound like it was from Back to Basics and it was love. I'm glad she still songs her old songs, because really those were what propelled her to superstardom anyway. Did I mention she was wearing high heels? I think she wore heels the entire time. I was in slippers and my feet were killing me already! She was in heels and she still looked like she was having a blast! Damn she's amazing.

>> Oh Mother
Christina gives this introduction about being battered wives and mothers and about women empowerment and even if she said it in the middle of her concert, I really think she firmly believed in these things that she was talking about so passionately. It got a lot of cheers and people were singing along to this one.

She was atop the piano again and I just wanted to lay down on the ground and rest, but instead I was singing my heart out with Pamy, who had her backpack with her, even if I asked her to put it in the car. And as if I forgot, Christina had to remind me that her pipes are just made of steel.

>> Welcome
Pamy wasn't the biggest fan of this song, but when we saw the stage, it was just crazy amazing. There was a circus banner that spelled "Baby Jane" on it and then it went up to reveal Christina 'tied' to this bulls eye looking thing. I don't know what it's called, but it was lit up really well and it looked like we were in a circus. Her dancers were on stilts and blowing fire and doing all sorts of crazy things. It was seriously a sight to see.

>> Dirrty
I love how Christina sang this from a carousel with a pole. So really it was dirrty without being too dirty. I loved how it was GP-ified. This is Pamy's favorite song from Christina, I think, so she was just going crazy during this song. As was I. It was just nuts how we couldn't stop dancing no matter how tired we were. We'd yell out the last words of every line. Like she'd go, "Wanna get..." And Pamy and I would yell, "Rowdy!" Then she'd go, "Gonna get a little..." And we'd yell back, "Unruly!" And so on throughout the ENTIRE SONG.

At this point, Christina changed AGAIN into a sparkly black bra top and a red corset middle part and really short shorts. And yet this pregnant lady totally pulled it off. Yes, she was still in heels and dancing around like crazy. I'd hate to see her feet after. Hello blisters.

>> Candyman
Two drunken sailors came out and did the yelling at the start and the crowd went WILD. People just didn't stop screaming. But Pamy and I, and a few other crazy fans behind us didn't stop dancing either. I probably looked really really stupid from the back, but I couldn't help it. I loved this song to bits.

She added a white sleeveless bolero to her last outfit and topped it off with a navy hat. She looked really fabulous and I was still amazed at how much energy she had left, considering I was practically just running on endorphines. But because I memorize this song and choreography down to a T, I couldn't help but dance and sing the entire freaking song.

>> Hurt
And still after all that dancing, her voice was still PERFECTION. Not a note of tune when she sang Hurt on top of the piano. The set was beautiful with lights hanging everywhere. It was like a night sky behind her. She had a sheer trench on with feathers wrapped around her and I was literally shivering from her voice. It was so beautiful, I was getting goosebumps.

>> Lady Marmalade
I heard snapping. And then I saw this video that looked very Moulin Rouge, minus the three other singers and I started yelling like crazy. I mean fanatical crazy yelling. I love how Christina can sing all FOUR parts like it was her own song. She could have so done it alone.

Christina was on this chaise lounge chair and was totally re-doing the video doing all the parts. I was just dancing and singing and dancing some more. You could so hear the crowd singing along with her. Everyone was going, "Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir."

She removed her corset and apparently, she wasn't just wearing a bra, it was the top of a black sparkly minidress that came with a peacock like back. It was just fabulous to watch her perform this song, and apparently, it was her last song.

The crowd was yelling for more, but I felt like it wasn't loud enough. People in Gen Ad were a little silent, and I was like, WHAT THE HELL DEAD PEOPLE? YELL WITH ME! So I kept yelling MORE at the top of my lungs, as loud as I humanly could, and after a few yells, people in my area were finally yelling along. Thank god, because my voice wasn't going to last long.

>> Beautiful *
Finally, Christina came back out and sang my other not so favorite song from Stripped. But apparently, so many other people love this song, because I could hear everyone and I mean everyone freaking singing along and waving their hands in the air. And because of the crowd's prodding, I actually sang along and felt the lyrics. I'm such a dweeb.

>> Fighter *
But she so couldn't end on a slow song, so the intro of Fighter came on, and if it was possible, people got EVEN louder. Again, not my favorite song in the planet, but I couldn't help but super duper sing along, complete with rabid jumping up and down. I really looked crazy.

Then, it started to rain. And people were breaking out their umbrellas, but I so didn't care, because it was so much fun to dance and jump in the rain and just go freaking crazy. It felt like one big karaoke because some words would flash on screen and we'd be yelling like maniacs.

Alas, the concert had to end at one point and it was sad, but it was SO FREAKING FABULOUS. She sang so many songs, and though I wish she'd sing Save Me From Myself And Pamy wanted her to sing Without You but the set list was more than enough.

Photo taken by Jasper Lucena
I obviously had a blast. Understatement of the year actually. I hope she'd come back next time though. I think the crowd was a good indicator of how many fans she has over here.

But hey, for tickets I got for free, I'm sooooo not complaining. I can't wait 'til Christina comes out with a new album and tours for it. Hopefully, she'll come back here. But since she's pregnant, it could be a long time from now.