I was one of the privileged people to have known about Two Sides Live so it was really hard for me to keep things under wraps for so long. When it was formally released two months ago, the countdown began to an amazing one-night only acoustic-and-electric epic night that only a band at Wolfgang’s level could only pull off!
The show promptly started at 9pm with some of the seats still empty due to the much expected Filipino habit of wanting a dramatic and unfashionably later entrance. Razorback set the stage ablaze by opening the show by doing one of their most recognizable songs “Payaso” off the groove-heavy Beggar’s Moon album. As promised by one of the movers behind the concert (a person who shall now be referred as Lizza Nakpil), the theme was going to be playing up to the seldomly performed songs of both bands.
Kevin Roy’s microphone was jacked for a couple of minutes, but once that initial hiccup was overcome, Razorback sure delivered what they have always been known for – straight-up, blues-influenced hard rock that just inspires you to sing along while trying your best to dislocate your cervicalvertebrae. The band played “Temple” ( a Beggar’s Moon track that almost always gets played) but segues to never-been-released-on-an-actual-album tracks like “Daan-Daang Dahilan” and “Empire Accretia” made the possibility of a long-awaited studio album stay alive even if no referrences were made to that “potential” album during the show.
The band then pandered to the hardcore fans by playing a rarely played track – “As Spicy As It Gets” again from the seminal second album Beggar’s Moon. After the rousing flurry of bass licks on that song, the band took the mellow route as they once again played the introspective “Manna”. I have a feeling that this is one of the band’s favorite songs. They have always played this song on every concert that I’ve watched since the release of their double CD self-titled album back in 2003.
Razorback frontman Kevin Roy then removed his long sleeved sweatshirt to reveal a classic Rorschach-inspired Wolfgang shirt. The band then proceeded to pump up the volume to what I consider to be four of the best Razorback songs ever. More songs off Star were played – “Tikmanangulan” sure livened up the crowd after the somber air that “Manna” left. Despite all the energy that the band was putting forward, some of the bouncers (ok, one!) was being an ass by making everyone sit down! Heck, this is a rock concert! The band on stage are slaying song after song and the least that fans could do is to stand up and show their enthusiasm, enjoyment and appreciation for the effort that is being displayed by the band. This really frustrated me. I loathe them. They ruined that part of the show.
Razorback closed out the set strong with “Voodoo Who Do?” and the apocalyptic and epic second track from the eponymous album “Wakasan” and my favorite Razorback song of all time “Nakaturo Sa’yo”. The crowd really got into it! For the first time, I could hear/see people singing along, shouting their heads off and stomping their feet… on a Thursday night!
Despite the rough start, Razorback dishes out a solid performance and finishes strong on the power of their recognizable hits. I’ve always thought that Razorback was grossly underrated. Hopefully, they’ll get their chance to headline their own concert soon! Can’t wait for the next album.
Photo Credit: Carlo Roderos
The Razorback Set list for Two Sides Live
- Payaso
- Temple
- Daan-Daang Dahilan
- Empire Accretia
- As Spicy As It Gets
- Manna
- Tikmanangulan
- Voodoo Who Do?
- Wakasan
- Nakaturo Sa’yo
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oh yeah. that bouncer that was making everyone sit down. argh. good thing basti asked the audience to stand up
it was ridiculous. Bamboo's bouncers would allow moshing while Wolfgang's won't even allow people to stand up? Ridiculous! They ruined the experience.