the final set that was.

Ely said in an interview that as far as Eraserheads as a band is concerned, The Final Set would be the last time that they’ll be playing together. After their breakup in 2002 and after their supposed-to-be August 30 final concert last year, this is it. As in, this is it. It was Eheads once more. Somebody turned on the time machine. It was 90s all over again.

It must be luck. Mama was project head of some chever for Fit & Right. Meaning, FOH passes for The Final Set. Confetti, confetti! Mama was VIP, Me and Yeng was Gold (but Yeng chose something else over this concert), and Michael was Bronze (because he dragged with him 2 friends).

We were in the venue during the setup. As in noon level, we were already roaming inside the concert grounds. That’s why to the guy who said that Ely’s mic “malfunctioned” in the middle of a song, know that you are so wrong. He just wanted the crowd to sing. That’s also why my t-shirt tan evened out a bit. The sun, oh the sun, was just so bright and hot.

Gates were opened at around 4pm. Heat level was consistent. The concert started at around 8:30 pm. Imagine the long wait.

Ticking sounds of a countdown. Lights out. A shower of sparks. Lights on. Then a familiar tune. Whoo oooh ooh whoo oh oooh oooh… The crowd went wild, arms in the air and voices cheering. Nakita kita sa isang magasin... Then voices went down. Everyone was awed. It was Ely, Raymund, Buddy, and Marcus in the flesh…playing together once again…as Eraserheads.

It was one of those times when people from different classes meet in one place (though still segregated). Please don’t expect me to list everything they sang. But I remember Pare Ko, Maling Akala, Maskara, Huwag Mo ng Itanong, Alapaap, etc etc etc.

As you know by now, Francis M was supposed to be the band’s surprise guest. But, Francis M died a day before the concert. Despite the incident, they still sang Kaleidoscope World as a tribute. It was one of the most magical moments of the concert. Francis M, rest in peace.

Michael’s phone got stolen during the concert. I think his last text to Mama was a SOS asking if they can be moved to a better place. And yes, Mama was able to do it. Silver? No. Gold? No. Read: VIP. But it’s fine. He missed Pare Ko (one of his favorites) because he was waiting for Mama outside the concert grounds for the passes. The look on his face was disappointment. And the good brother that I am told him, “Dito lang kayo, ha? Antayin n’yo si Mama. Pasok lang ako.” But to be fair, I was calling Mama when I was inside. Promise.

The Final Set ended with Ang Huling El Bimbo, with confetti and fireworks increasing the magic/drama of the moment. Here is my version of the moment. Of course, you can always check YouTube for better videos. I have converted this for posting purposes.

But minutes after the concert “ended”, Ely, Raymund, Buddy, and Marcus went on stage again and played three more songs for the road. When they sang Toyang, the ground started moving. Literally. Simple explanation, the whole crowd started jumping. This ain’t no exagg, but it did felt like an earthquake from where I was standing.

When it really ended, I was like, “Ay? Bitiiin!” Maybe because I knew that was it. There will be no Eraserheads playing together in the future. We’ll all have to be contented with old records and gigs by former members playing Eheads hits once in a while.

I laid on my bed with things still running in my mind. Will MTV hire me in the future? Why did we have to go home at 5 am? Why did the drinks dispenser in 7eleven had buttons for cup sizes and yet it doesn’t know when to stop? Why was I too shy to ask for the personnel-from-Enervon’s name slash number? Will I ever find true love? Joke. And yes, something related to this post: Can we just clone the four band members, immortalize them, hire ghost composers or train them to make really good songs, just so to avoid Eheads from dying? Or should I just end here?