Cup Of Joe Live Out Their Wildest Dreams At ‘SILAKBO’ Concert – Review

Baguio-bred five-piece Cup of Joe started started as a high school band for a talent show, to playing two nights in one of the Philippines’ largest concert venues.

The indie-pop band recently held their sold-out SILAKBO concert over the weekend, from February 8 to 9, in the Araneta Coliseum, Cubao. This event marks Cup of Joe’s largest show to date, with over 30 thousand fans from all across the country in attendance – and the fans didn’t skimp out on the occasion either. Filled around the dome were excited Joewahs, all dressed to the nine’s in their most creative outfits to match the equally colorful energy and getups the band exudes.

The stage was equally decked out, with a unique hexagonal design draped in foliage. As the venue filled up, the speakers let out a rainforest kind of ambient noise, adding to the soothing atmosphere that was building in hype. With a campfire set in the middle, the stage design paid ode to the forests the band grew up among in the lush forests of Baguio.

Livening up the stage was the “Sa Bawat Sandali” hitmaker and fellow Viva talent, Amiel Sol. Members of the audience couldn’t help but sing along to his warm voice as he sang his viral hit, “Ikaw Ang Patutunguhan,” and a cover of Ice Seguerra’s “Pagdating Ng Panahon.” As the artist left the stage on a lively note, members of a choir and quartet started filling up the space he left, causing the entire filled-up stadium to roar.

Directed by the renowned Paolo Valenciano, the concept of the concert revolved around the theme of its same-titled album, Cup of Joe’s debut full-length feature, SILAKBO. Walking the audience through the various stages of grief, the concert opened like a storybook with more tales to unfold. Draped in red threads and dazzled in rhinestones, the band, known for their vibrant and creative style, did not shy away from their roots in fashion as each of their costumes of the night were thoughtfully-cultivated.

A star-studded group of guests were in attendance for Cup of Joe’s largest concert yet, as their fond friend Justin de Dios from SB19 who also directed their music video for “Misteryoso” was found in the crowd. TJ Monterde, as well – who was later dubbed as Gian Bernardino’s “father” by KZ Tandingan – was also found in attendance along with the members of The Juans. On their second day, Jhoanna and Maloi of the Nation’s Girl Group, BINI, Blaster Silonga, Rob Deniel, and Maki made sure to come out and support the indie-pop band.

In spite of this concert being their first times performing at the Big Dome, Cup of Joe claimed the Coliseum as their own, prancing around comfortably in the concert hall – showing their full capability to perform for huge crowds with the potential to grow even bigger. Although the matter at hand was their album that was themed around the stages of grief, the band couldn’t hide their absolute joy in performance, infecting the audience with an equal amount of delight in singing along to their favorite songs.

Whisking away the night on a collection of songs from their recently-released tracks from their latest album to their fandom favorites, the entire stadium sang the lyrics to all the songs, without fail.

During the first stage of grief, denial, the band explored the various emotions one may go through in this tough situation with the songs; “Bagyo,” “Wag Na Lang,” “Patutunguhan,” and, switching things up for a bit with “Wine.” When exploring the second stage of grief, anger, the band took on a solemn atmosphere as they performed “Kanelang Mata,” “Bubong,” and “Pahina.” As emotions charged up along the thumping drum beat, emotions were reaching their near peak at this section.

Moving on from the anger into the bargaining stage, the band took on a more lighthearted atmosphere as they sang their hits, “Siping,” and singer-songwriter Keanna Magracia came out to perform their beloved, “Lahat Ng Bukas.” Raking even higher after that escalation in energy, the band followed up with a live rendition of their earworm, “Estranghero,” incorporating their quartet for an enchanting vibe.

Serving to the night’s purpose as a celebration of the band’s hard work throughout the years, unarchived videos of the band at their earliest roots, jamming out together in highschool and in the confines of the college dorms, played out on the screen. Fittingly so, Rapha and Gab took on their former highschool band persona as Pink Soda, rocking out to 5SOS classics like “Heartbreak Girl” and “She Looks So Perfect.” Following up on this nostalgic vibe, the latter to join the band, Xen, Gian, and CJ, formed their own sub-unit titled, Penk Penoy Club. Driving up the hype with Eraserhead classics like “Alapaap,” “Minsan,” “Pare Ko,” and “Ang Huling El Bimbo,” the group was fully clad in fun cowboy outfits.

Feeding into the nostalgia even further, Gian took over the stage to acknowledge one of the moments that fully pushed him towards the spotlight, singing onstage with KZ Tandingan as a child during one of her concerts. As such, KZ herself came out for a duet with Gian, captivating the audience with their powerful combination of voices. Before Tandingan gave the spotlight back to the rest of the members, she acknowledged how Bernardino attributed part of his success to her, and vowed, “Thank you for acknowledging me, but your courage is what got you here. That was all you guys.”

Ending the stage of “depression” on a higher note, the band as a whole was soon joined by Moira Dela Torre for an astounding live rendition of their chart-breaking “Tingin.”

Ending the concert with a light note with the final stage of grief, acceptance, they returned to their homegrounds in “Sagada,” lighting up the stadium with red lights and a homecoming vibe. Pumping up the beats even higher, the group ended with a crowd-rousing performance of their album’s title track, “Silakbo,” and a vow to commitment and perseverance with “Mananatili.”

As a whole, the two-day concert served as a testament to Cup of Joe’s ongoing legacy and growing influence on the Philippine sonic landscape. Both nights reflected as a full-circle moment for the band as they reach heights they’d been working towards – a reward for their labor and contributions to the country’s music scene. Whether it would be through performing nostalgic sets or with artists they had long admired, it was made clear through this two-day concert that this is just the beginning for Cup of Joe.