A flair for words & music

Author: Baby A. Gil
Column: Sounds Familiar

Hard times or not, nothing changes the fact that Pinoys are fun-loving people and we do love being entertained. Because of this there are now lots and lots of foreign acts booked to perform in the country up to the end of the year. And taking its turn this weekend is Lifehouse.

The band from Malibu, California performs at the Araneta Coliseum on July 25. Lifehouse is made up of singer and songwriter Jason Wade, drummer Rick Woolstenhulme Jr. and bassist Bryce Soderbergthe. A lead guitarist usually joins them on stage. The trio started out doing their original Christian songs but by some strange twist of fate ended up being known for reflective, anthemic rock ballads. They have recorded four albums.

The first one No Name Face was released in 2001 and firmly established Lifehouse as a hitmaker with the big seller Hanging by a Moment. It was quite a debut single because Hanging was named the Most Played Song of the Year. The experimental Stanley Climbfall came next, followed by Lifehouse and then the band's latest, which is considered its best, Who We Are. Some of its most popular songs are Everything, You and Me, First Time, Whatever It Takes, Broken, Sick Cycle Carousel, Spin, Breathing and the new single Make Me Over.

Blessed with an innate flair for words and music that linger in one's head for days and days, the songs of Lifehouse have also emerged as a big favorite for TV soundtracks. Now, there maybe some people out there, who can honestly say, they still do not know this group. But I will bet my last buck that they have already heard and doubtless remember one or two or more of the band's best works, thanks to television.

Smallville, the series about young Superman has already made use of several Lifehouse songs and even given the group a guest slot where the members got to perform a few of their music live. Some of the other shows that have made use of Lifehouse's songs are The Hills, One Tree Hill, Criminal Minds, Medium, Gray's Anatomy, Everweed and Boston Legal.

Here now is good news from mca Music for fans of Lifehouse. They are getting the opportunity to take a close look at the band before the show. Head on to the Main Mall Atrium of SM Mall of Asia on Friday at 5 p. m. Then get your copies of the Who We Are Limited Philippine Tour Edition Album. This is all you have to do to get your albums signed by the band. But don't forget, the CD is a Limited Edition. This means that only a set number of copies will be sold and autographed. So get there early.

If you miss your chance at MOA, then perhaps you can hie off to any of those NoCurfew branches. For a minimum purchase of P3,000 of any brand of watch, you can get one of those Philippine Tour Limited Edition CDs and one VIP Pass for the signing session, all for free. There are also a few Meet and Greet passes and VIP Patron tickets up for grabs from NoCurfew and Gant Time. All you have to do is buy a Gant timepiece at NoCurfew at MOA, Trinoma, Shangri-La, Rustan's at Makati and Shangri-La, Landmark Trinoma or MYTYM Watch Hub at Glorietta 3. Call 556-0428 for details and inquiries.

So after you are through buying CDs and watches and getting your album signed or your pic taken with any of Jason, Rick or Bryce, then it is off to the Big Dome for the Lifehouse concert. The Lifehouse Philippine Tour is a Concertus production.

Now for all of you out there who love music and have the time and most of all the means to watch shows like The Lifehouse Philippine Tour, here are upcoming acts at the Araneta you might want to check out. Rick Astley on Aug. 1; Simple Plan on Aug. 4; Tony Hadley on Aug. 9; Panic at the Disco on Aug. 14; Sonicflood on Aug. 15; Avril Lavigne on Sept. 3; Petula Clark on Sept. 13; and Tony Orlando on Sept. 19.

Source: The Philippine Star