So much has been tweeted about the pre-Holy Week extravaganza — a fitting treat for graduating students, once students and wannabe students this side of the globe. The last weekend of March is a much-contested date, and once again, I take my hats off to Francis Lumen for achieving another historic pop cultural feat. I am referring to the Changing Lives: Timbaland Shock Value II Tour featuring Jojo and Justin Timberlake.
Of course, if I were to call Francis for a quote, he would refer the success of the Changing Lives to the concert’s main presenters, Smart Buddy and Smart Bro for PLDT/SMART Foundation. Official count of the fans who trooped to SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds was a whopping 80,000 — all excited to witness this one-off musical spectacle with Timbaland fronting and special guests Justin Timberlake and Jojo eliciting the thunderous screams — especially JT — leading what is believed as “the biggest concert of the year.”
Timbaland, big and burly like a bouncer, marched onstage and instantly owned it. His performance was peppered with “Do you love me?” screams into the audience that lasted like, the whole show, along with frequent plugs for the concert after-show party (thank you very much). Manila, a very loving audience, obliged Timbaland’s need for stage love — it was an exchange deal, as they waited, with bated breath, the coming of Jojo, and more importantly, JT. “Hey guys, let’s not forget that this is Timbaland’s show first and foremost,” said Supreme’s David Milan on Twitter. Oh, yeah. We almost forgot.
After dancing tirelessly to Timbaland’s hits, (“Oh, so that’s his song!” I overheard a lot of clueless concertgoers talk among themselves) it was the lady’s turn. Jojo sizzled in a brief but hot performance that made the schoolboys that surrounded the mosh pit go ballistic. In fact, in that VVIP area (the mosh pit tickets were very limited) I spotted the entire campus of Brent, I.S. and the British School. For every four or five tykes, there would be two celebrities, mostly from the music and showbiz fields. I shook hands with Gary Valenciano (who was on the same flight as JT — he even took a picture of JT doing push-ups in the plane with his mobile phone, which was all over Twitter) and wife Angeli on my way to Shaina Magdayao, John Pratts and company before I landed onto the front part of the stage where Donita Rose and husband Eric Villarama were situated.
All throughout the concert, the screen kept focusing on Anne Curtis, Solenn Heussaff, Georgina Wilson and Belle Daza, all of whom I had met up with earlier that night at the Sofitel (where Timbaland, JT and Jojo plus their entourage stayed) to observe Earth Hour. In fairness to the concert, they went full blast with their electric consumption after the observance of Earth Hour — respect for Mother Earth. Kudos to that!
And Then Jt Came Onstage
The next Timbaland set, filled with the hitmaker jiggying his behind to the crowd, was full of excitement for the night’s most anticipated act. Some people, who were standing for more than five hours already, wanted to see the “other guest.” And so when the “other guest” came onstage, a jolt of adrenalin spread all over the concert grounds!
Yes, Justin Timberlake in the flesh, singing his hits! He looked a bit tired but this didn’t seem to bother JT (and the female fans). His performance was spot on — pitch perfect and effortless, as if he could do the whole concert, even with his eyes closed! Countless shrieks of “Will you marry me?” and even more countless “I love you’s” were heard from the estrogen-pumped members of the audience, which climaxed with a grand fireworks showcase while the artists were performing onstage. A big Bravo for the seamless intertwining of a grand production, world-class artists and an appreciative Filipino audience in one, unforgettable night!
But what really deserves our ovation is the fact that this unforgettable event made everyone who purchased a ticket become a donor, as net proceeds of this concert are going to support the victims of the Ondoy/Pepeng typhoon that hit the country last year.
We all witnessed how everyone became a hero last year, helping each other in times of need, so it’s time for a follow-through, guys. Let us continue to be heroes by still helping those in despair, “precisely the orphans who lost their families and young musicians who lost their instruments consequently stopping their growth and livelihood,” says a rep from the foundation. Watching the concert became one instant way of continuing that heroic gesture. Pat on the back to you all who purchased tickets — you are doing your part!
After all was said, sung, rapped, danced and done, the encore was held at Encore Superclub where Timbaland generously poured another mic-stomping performance with Jojo, sans JT.
“JT was constanly on the phone, talking to someone,” said our insider source. Could that person be JB? As in Jessica Biel, JT’s girlfriend whom he reportedly had a little misunderstanding with before he boarded his flight to Manila? So much talk had surrounded this couple’s coming to the Philippines and some even surmised they were going to Amanpulo after the concert. Well, nothing was confirmed as Jessica Biel didn’t show up at the airport (“There was no plane booking with her name on it,” said an organizer) and JT was a no-show at every event, except for the concert, which for a lot of his fans here in the Philippines (and around the region who flew in just to catch a glimpse of him), was more than enough.
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“Changing Lives, featuring Timbaland Shock Value II Tour with Jojo and special guest appearance by Justin Timberlake” is a premier live concert of U92. “Changing Lives” is a production of N91 Live, in partnership with All Youth Channels Inc.
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