ANG HULING EL BIMBO / MARCH 7,2009 =D

And so the final salute has been given. As four men stood on stage, their arms around each others' shoulders in the closest version of the group hug the audience has been clamoring for over the course of two reunion concerts, I couldn't help but be torn between tearing up over the idea that this will not happen again anytime soon, and smiling from ear to ear at the consolation playing over and over in my head--that I was at least there when it all ended.

Hubby Sweet, myself, G-Genius and Sister Pusjing were all there in the VIP section for The Final Set as part of the Hubby's birthday celebration. Truth be told though, even without anything official to celebrate, we would have been there standing shoulder to shoulder with 100,000 who braved vehicular and pedestrian traffic to join the countdown from Z to the inverted E, to be part of Philippine music history. Literally the only way to breathe fresh air within the concert grounds is to turn your nose up and jump up and down.


Not counting the 3 extra songs that Ely, Raimund, Marcus and Buddy jammed to after the sticker-happy-piano has been burned and smashed, after the confetti has been released to rain on the crowd, after the fireworks lit up the MOA midnight sky, after the stage lights have gone dim, and after the crew have started to dismantle the stage, the official last song of the Eraserhead's Final Set was as apt not just because it was among their most popular song, but because it talked about a love affair that started from laidback afternoons of nonsense only to blossom into a serious lifelong love affair without anyone noticing--until it hit them squarely in the face.

As we walked out of the concert venue, we couldn't help but laugh, reminiscing about one of Sister Pusjing's ex-officemate who was an ex-dormmate of the E-Heads in U.P. In one of those OA overtimes, typing away at their computer keyboards, preparing for a major presentation, her ex-officemate blurted out, referring to his now-very-famous-ex-dormmates, "Nung araw, iniisip ko, 'Wala kayong ginawa kundi kumanta at mag-gitara! Hay, wala kayong mararating!' Ayan, mayaman na sila, ako hanggang ngayon, overtime pay lang ang nahihita sa pagt-trabaho hanggang madaling araw." HAHAHAHAHA!

Then again, they did more than just that. The Eraserheads gave a voice to an entire generation. They celebrated their triumphs through song. Reveled in their angst. Sang about their pain.


Magkahawak ang ating kamay
At walang kamalay-malay
Na tinuruan mo ang puso ko
Na umibig ng tunay......

And just like that, without any of them really meaning to, they made an entire generation fall in love with them.

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For those of you who missed it (and those of you who want to relive it), The Final Set airs tonight @ 10:30 p.m.on GMA. =)