Incubus visits Manila for the fourth time this March
“I don’t know what kept people interested in us this long,” Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd muses on the band’s official bio which is more like a highly verbose love letter to fans explaining in detail the band’s essence rather than a factual run down of the their history.
“I’d like to think it’s because we have struck chords with people at very specific times in their lives,” he adds.
And the band will continue to do the same at the Mall of Asia Arena on March 13, their fourth visit to Manila. (They were here in 2004, 2008 and 2011.)
Beginnings
Incubus was formed in 1991, when Boyd, together with guitarist Mike Einzinger and drummer Jose Pasillas were in high school. Now Ben Kenney and DJ Chris Kilmore complete the current line-up.
I was in high school when their career blossomed; “Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)” from “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” became anthems of alt rock fans, and the title of the song alone reflected my highly emotional teenage years.
In 1999, the album “Make Yourself” produced the anthems, “Pardon Me,” “Drive” and “Stellar.” By then everyone in Manila was sick of the boyband craze (or at least I know I was) and hints of the slightly pop direction Incubus was taking (which was more apparent in their next album “Morning View”) brought the band a larger audience.
Fans keep getting younger
Every time the band would visit Manila, you’d see a fresh generation of fans huddled close to the stage.
When they were in 2004, I was one of the fans trying to get as close to the band as possible to the band. Four years later, as if it was graduation day, a younger group had taken our place at the front of the stage. Then, in 2011, fans 8 to 10 years younger than I was were posting their photos of Boyd on twitter.
It’s like the rest of us were getting older but Incubus remained the same, appealing to a new and ever younger crowd, growing in influence with every album.
Fresh start
I expect their March 15 concert to have a fresh vibe, with the band coming out of a lengthy hiatus after their disputed contract with Sony ended in 2011.
“We’re honoring all of the years, the albums and the art we’ve made together by giving it a chance to breathe a little bit. And then when we come back around to do another Incubus record, I think the intentions about why we’re making a record will be a lot more clear,” Brandon Boyd had told Billboard.
They recently signed with Island Records and premiered their new song called “Trust Fall” at a gig last December. Guitarist Mike Einzinger said that this will be part of two EPs the band plans to release this year.
Hopefully we’ll get a sneak preview of the new things as well as a humongous dash of the old stuff because I’m listening to their previous albums right now and “I haven’t felt the way I feel today…” (Sing with me now!)
Incubus will be performing at the Mall of Asia Arena on March 13, 2015. Ticket prices at P6080, 5472, 5020, 3960, 2920, 2050 and 800 are now available at all SM Ticket Outlets and online.
