The Dawn rocks in the here and now
Not just a throwback band
It was during one of those breaks between songs when pedal settings are reset, strings are re-tuned and vocalist Jett Pangan takes a swig from his bottle of beer that a lone voice shouts out, “I love you, Jett!”
Jett peers out to the left side of the Music Museum and answers back, “We love you too! I don’t know who you are but we love you, man!”
For about two hours, the love for their fans flowed from The Dawn’s more than 20-song set that included a 6-song encore.
There was also lots of love beamed at friends and family who must have constituted a third of the audience.
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Fresh life to old favorites
That the love for The Dawn was all around was actually a sidelight, always an important sidelight, mind, to the actual reasons for the latest live show: to unveil the band’s new guitarist following the recent departure of Kenneth Ilagan and to launch their latest single off a new album coming out later this year.
As it turned out, the new guitarist Sancho needed no introduction. A portion of the audience was already chanting his name when the lights came on to signal the start of the show.
Right at the opener, Sancho showed his chops using the modulated undulating guitar tones reminiscent of The Edge of 80s U2 to give fresh life to “Alam Ko, Alam N’yo” and other old favorites thereafter.
But that’s not all. Sancho aka The Edge was also instrumental in turning “Salimpusa” into a full-throttle rock and roller and in sowing shards of prog-rock riffs in the bridge of “Tulad ng Dati.”
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The most hard-working guy
Vocalist Jett Pangan, coming off a three-city tour in the US, was a vibrant presence throughout the show. He crooned through the ballads and acoustic set pieces with confidence and sent the message across clearly in the more upbeat songs.
Drummer JB Leonor appeared to be the hardest-working guy that night, delivering the slams and fills at the backend of the stage.
Bassist Buddy Zabala, who did not wear a jacket among the five musicians onstage, made his impact on his instrument as self-effacing bass players go.
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More rocking version
The heaviest throwback vibe came from keyboardist Leni Llapitan whose old band Identity Crisis lit up the nascent new wave scene in the 80s alongside The Dawn.
One might argue that The Dawn first found fame during that era, but even when the concert paid tribute to the band’s original guitarist Teddy Diaz (remembered mostly in images flashed onscreen), the band that night played a livelier, more rocking version of Teddy’s chief claim to iconic fame, “Enveloped Ideas.”
As for their new single “Habulan,” it aspires to the hooks and fluid musicality of The Dawn’s classic songs.
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The Dawn’s claim to OPM greatness
In the end, The Dawn played the shackles off the idea that they’re a throwback from another century.
The band’s collective spirit is in the now and they’re taking their main influence from beyond to the present.
What’s even clearer is that The Dawn has mastered the art of entertainment. Old fans may still have The Dawn on their playlist, but it’s in live performance that the band comes closest to its claim to OPM greatness.
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