As 1 Concert Review
Posted: October 2009

We want to say our thanks to Tet S from the garyv@yahoogroups.com for her interesting and amusing concert review. Here’s her foreword:

I know this is kinda late and anti-climactic especially with the tragedy that our country just experienced but I just want to share my experience during the staging of 'As1'.
Tet

Thankful, privileged, and deliriously happy! These are the words that best describe how I felt in being able to witness how our local scene's 'best' met the other 'best'. They came from different genres, possessing different styles, and certainly with different personalities but undoubtedly, Martin and Gary are the best in their generation of performers.

I'm thankful that God answered our prayers for the skies to clear up even if it's been raining everyday for the past 2 weeks or so before the concert date. So great is the production team's
faith that even if it was raining in the afternoon before the concert, nobody doubted that it will stop before the concert itself. And stopped, the rains did! Unperturbed by issues like these, Gary and Martin continued to rehearse and run through their numbers that afternoon. Oh, what a privilege to see true professional artists at work! With these two, there's no shortcuts and short changing of their audience. Even if all seemed working and ready, they still worked on their blockings, the video presentation run-through, and their choreography way into the day and only stopped shortly before the first sets of the concert ticket holders were allowed inside the venue.

I was equally awed at how musical directors Mon Faustino and Louie Ocampo were perfecting the backup vocals of the song 'As One' during the dress rehearsal (the night before the concert) up to the last note! You know, sometimes, to other artists, they can let details like this slide
because frankly, to my untrained ears, the back-up vocals sounded great as it was. But not for Louie and Mon; they experimented with some notes to make the harmony sound better. 

The show started on the right track with the Concert King and Mr. Pure Energy singing Martin's signature upbeat song 'You're On the Right Track" (pun intended :). For those waiting to be surprised, we didn't have to wait that long because early on, they gave us what we were expecting which is to see Martin dance! Martin dancing to "Hataw Na"?! Unbelievable but it happened! And boy, did Gary make Martin sweat so hard! Pinahirapan si Martin! Hehehe!!! And with the humid air in Mall of Asia concert grounds, after the first couple of numbers, it's like, as Martin said, the two of them took a shower! They were perspiring from head to foot!

Kudos to Mon and Louie for showcasing the best of Gary and Martin in the different production
numbers. They have solo spots featuring what each of them does best (standards, power ballads
for Martin and jazzy, R&B songs and dance tunes for Gary ). How they merged these different styles is by itself works of geniuses. I particularly liked the jazzy, Al Jarreauish number with Gary  prodding Martin to do some tongue-twisting calisthenics and some scats. I was telling myself, then, that this could become my favorite number in the show. But this choice was soon in competition with other interesting numbers.

Prior to that jazzy number, there was an 80's medley featuring songs that they used to sing in their gigs when they were starting in the business. I would have appreciated the songs of  Toto, Journey, Tears for Fears, and  Chicago more if I heard the whole songs instead of just a medley but then that would have extended the show till 3 days later so the medley will do. Hehehe!!!

Moving on to some more 80s nostalgia, what better way to do that than through a Michael Jackson number? My, oh, my, Gary hasn't lost his MJ moves! The poses, the jerks, the moonwalk, he can still do them, man! Galeng! But wait, what about Martin?!  Martin
doing an MJ? Hahaha!! It was so clever of Louie and Mon (or whoever arranged this number) to arrange the song Big band style in keeping with Martin's comfort zone. I just love Martin's antics in this number. So hilarious!  ("Gary, you're so vain!", " Gary , how come my costume doesn't have sleeves?! All the budget went to you!")

For those who like ballads , the concert didn't disappoint with a medley of Star Cinema/ABS-CBN movie/TV theme songs? The "Tayong Dalawa" telenovela  fever at its height at the time of the concert, one of the loudest cheers was reserved for its theme song. But what really touched the crowd was seeing Martin getting emotional when he sang his part of the song 'Take Me Out Of the Dark' in their inspirational song medley. Rare moments, those are!

For the young ones and young once, Martin and Gary's sons, Robin and Gabriel, respectively, provided today's sound via Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling". Immediately, I saw Jericho Rosales and Karylle (seated in separate areas of the Titanium section) get up and party. I joined them because I do enjoy BEP's music but sadly, at least to those in the Titanium section, the great audience divide was palpable. Frankly, most of the audience in the front rows were at least
middle aged (How many among the young ones can afford a seat worth 6,000 pesos??!!!) and so, they probably don't know the song! I can count with my fingers how many people in this part of the venue got up. But I do think they still appreciated the music together with some humorous sprinkling of the Korean girl group's 'Nobody' courtesy of Martin and Gary. It's just that it's not of their generation. :)

As can be expected, Martin provided most of the comic relief during the concert and boy, did the crowd laugh at his every joke. Kwela talaga si Martin ! His antics were delivered so naturally and even if I'm a Gary V first and foremost, there was no tinge of doubt that he delivered them to give everyone a good time and not to upstage Gary. What I saw that night were two performers giving and working, well yeah, AS ONE! Martin must have worked harder than he ever did in his any of his part solo concerts (at least physically, what, with all that dancing). As we now all know, he was hospitalized right after the concert.  Thankfully, he recovered soon enough.

Congratulations, Martin and Gary!!! Thank you for one unforgettable night!

Photos

Photo Credits: Jun Laurel