Bublé: Happy to be back ‘home’

MANILA, Philippines - It was a night full of music and humor that marked Michael Bublé’s return to the Philippines. The Canadian music superstar, whose last visit to the Philippines was in 2005, went all-out during the concert, much to the delight of the full-house audience who were treated to a powerful display of sounds from him and his talented musical ensemble.

Opening the show for Michael Bublé World Tour in Manila was Naturally 7, an American group known for its stylized a cappella and beat boxing. Naturally 7 performed Summer Breeze, Fix You and other R&B hits with impressive vocal play that left the audience warmed up for the main act.

The jazz crooner then heated up the stage with Fever and warmly greeted the audience, “I’m really happy to be (back) home,” as he reconnected with his Pinoy fans who gave him his first taste of stardom during the early stage of his career.

Bublé followed it up with Haven’t Met You Yet and surprised the audience when he randomly picked a fan holding an “I ditched midterms to watch Michael Bublé” banner and met her halfway down the stage. He gamely posed for a selfie and quipped while he signed the banner, “I won’t put my name in case you sell this on e-Bay.”

Setting the mood for the two-hour concert, the singer aptly described the show as similar to dating — “going slow until we reach climax” — which he said was a reflection of his latest album To Be Loved.

In between performances, the four-time Grammy award winner never failed to inject humor, turning an otherwise laid-back concert to an engaging musical experience.

Bublé introduced his band, including a horn and string section, like a stand-up comedian. He even went on a self-deprecating admission that he is not as good as Journey frontman Arnel Pineda when he belted out Don’t Stop Believin’ before launching into a sequence of songs such as Everything and That’s All.

He then paid tribute to the Bee Gees with How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, before leaving the stage for another surprise, this time bringing his performance literally closer to the audience as he transferred in a platform near the VIP and Lower Box section area.

While performing Daft Punk’s Get Lucky and a medley of hits along with his front act guest, Bublé let loose and began interacting with fans. He grabbed cellphones to take videos, posed for some more selfies and simply allowed fans an up-close encounter with him.

Heart-shaped confetti in red, pink and white rained throughout the Mall of Asia Arena as Bublé returned on stage with All You Need Is Love and Beautiful Day, which capped off the show before going on encore with Cry Me A River and Save The Last Dance.

It was evident that there is a mutual admiration between Bublé and his Pinoy fans. Calling them “taste makers,” he praised Filipinos’ innate love and talent in music, thus it was no surprise when he dedicated to them his biggest hit Home.

Bublé, likewise, sang a self-composed song Hold On as he joined the nation in honoring the Fallen 44, the Special Action Force (SAF) commandos who were killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

As the last strings of A Song For You came to an end, Bublé went a cappella, waved to the audience and then kneeled on stage before finally kissing it, showing his gratitude to the audience who waited for 10 years to see him again.

Bublé brings his performance closer to his Pinoy fans