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Manila loves ‘all of’ John Legend

No theatrics needed

 


The one-and-a-half-hour concert of John Legend at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday night, September 26, made his fans get to know “all of” the American singer-songwriter, as he relived his humble beginnings leading up to his stature today.

“Manila, I wanna be the best you’ll ever have,” John told his screaming fans before he turned to the piano to perform “Tonight (Best You Ever Had).”

Yes, the Grammy award-winning singer did not disappoint his fans during the Manila leg of his All of Me Tour, which was billed as an “intimate, acoustic, stripped down” concert.


Photos by Adrian Bautista/NPPA Images

No need for theatrics

John set the mood with his first set of soulful tunes, including “Tonight,” “Get Lifted,” “Used to Love U” and “Maxine.”

There was no need for big production numbers, visuals, theatrics or dancers. His band, the piano he played, and his amazing voice were more than enough for an intimate concert--even if the venue was massive and filled with thousands of fans.

“I miss you Manila! It’s good to be back in Manila. It has been five years. I wanna get more intimate with you tonight to get to know you better,” said John, who first visited Manila in 2009 for his “Revolver” tour.



The early years

John took everyone down the memory lane as he shared stories about the early years of his career, working on a corporate day job while doing nightly gigs.

While tinkling the ivories, John recounted how Kanye West helped him and recalled his collaborations with artists like Lauryn Hill (in 1998), Jay-Z and Alicia Keys (in 2003), before he finally signed a record deal in 2004 and released the album “Get Lifted.”

The rest, we know, is history. John went on to write chart-topping hits and reap multiple awards, including nine Grammy trophies.



Rejection

“I was turned down by many major record labels, including the one I'm signed to now. Everybody makes mistakes,” John said in jest, making everyone laugh with his humor and feel-good stories.

Then, he shifted to more upbeat songs like “P.D.A.,” “Save Room,” “Green Light” and Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You.”

He urged the crowd to get up on their feet and dance.


Grandma’s influence

The 35-year-old singer also paid tribute to his grandmother and shared how she influenced him with gospel music and taught him how to play the piano.

He then performed a heart-warming rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water.”

“She used to teach me how to play gospel piano. So when you hear me play today, you hear a lot of my grandmother in me,” John said.



Celebrity spotting

Before the night was over, John performed his new song “You & I (Nobody in the World.”

He capped the concert with everyone’s favorite, “All of Me,” which made the crowd stand up, sing along and take videos and photos of his finale performance.

Spotted in the audience were celebrity couples Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli, Luis Manzano and Angel Locsin, Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati, Robi Domingo and Gretchen Ho, Bela Padilla and Neil Arce, and Gerald Anderson and Maja Salvador. Others who watched the concert were Erik Santos, Joseph Marco and Michelle Madrigal.

 

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