Halloween was never dull for elder emos and post-hardcore kids since Silverstein boomed chugging octaves last October 31 at SM North EDSA Skydome.
After three years since their last Philippines gig; Shane, Marc, Paul, Josh, and Billy carried much heavier sounds and djent-y riffs on their latest concert in Manila.
As frontman Shane shared, their last stay in the Philippines was one of the most unforgettable experiences that they have had as a band. Not just because of the dried mangoes, and its people, but also one of their last gigs before the pandemic strikes.
In his words, “We were here in Manila for three or four days because apparently, you can’t fly when a volcano erupts” –referring to Taal’s volcanic emission of 2020.
But since they are back, they started their show with heavier riffs from songs such as “Ultraviolet,” “Retrograde,” and “Burn It Down.”
This was then followed by the third track from their studio album “When Broken Is Easily Fixed” titled “Giving Up.” This was followed by “It’s Over,” and “California.”
“Sometimes it’s really nice to express myself and talk to you guys,” Shane shares. Showing gratitude to their avid listeners, he furthered that “We’ve been doing this for twenty-two years. But we don’t take this shit for granted. Not a single day… We have the privilege to do this. And Play for you. It’s just incredible. Thank you.”
As the frontman dived into channeling a deeper connection with Silverstein’s fans, he mentions:
“And I know you spent a lot of money and time to travel all over [the] Philippines to be here… Through airplanes or fly some kind of volcanic ash or whatever. To be here. And that truly means so so much.”
Heavy magnitude was then felt when, “American Dream,” “Ideas of March,’ and “Bankrupt” played. 8Kids hardcore dancing in the pit releasing cathartic energy so brutally, that the venue shakes so loosely.
But moshing doesn’t end there. “Infinite,” “Bad Habits,” “Massachusetts” and “Poison Pill” created louder reverberations in the venue.
Then Silverstein paid homage to Linkin Park. This is by playing their debut single “One Step Closer.” After that, their most staple song was next–”My Heroine.”
“Afterglow,” and “Live Like This” closed curtains, but since the fans were asking for an encore, the Canadian band played their melodic tapped-based song “Smile In Your Sleep.”
All’s well that ends well they said. But for Shane, “There is only one way to solidify this sh*t.” And that is by ending the show with a wall of death. Fans then formed a huge space, and then collide violently via the track “The Altar / Mary.”
Silverstein Live in Manila 2023 was presented by PULP Live.
Words by Aram Lascano
Photos by Danilo Factor
Silverstein in Manila 2023 Setlist
-Ultraviolet
-Retrograde
-Burn It Down
-Giving Up
-It’s Over
-California
-American Dream
-The Ides of March
-Bankrupt
-Infinite
-Bad Habits
-Massachusetts
-Poison Pill
-One Step Closer(Linkin Park cover)
-My Heroine
-Afterglow
-Live Like This
-Smile
-The Altar/Mary