Faye Webster’s Dreamy Manila Debut Left Audiences Wanting More (“In A Good Way”) – Review

Faye Webster is arguably one of your favorite artists’ favorite artists.

Gatekept by many, the American singer-songwriter has become a beloved phenomenon worldwide for her brand of alternative music, which has been described as dreamy, intimate, mellow, and somewhat melancholic. She’s most likely being flexed by your most indie friends as their most-listened-to artists of the year — and with good reason.

It’s no surprise that her debut concert in Manila was such a big deal for many fans and artists within the local music scene, hence why everyone was willing enough to brave a tumultuous thunderstorm just to get to the Filinvest Tent in Alabang just to catch her artistry in the flesh. While it may have been a damp, cold, rainy evening, everyone’s hearts were easily warmed by Webster’s sweet serenades.

Upon entering the venue, one was easily greeted by the sight of several Gen-Z audience-goers holding up their digicams, decked out in their Salomon running shoes, Carhartt cargo pants, and carrying a Faye Webster vinyl record inside their tote bag. Yet aside from the performative people in the crowd, you could also spot folks like BINI’s Maloi, the Nameless Kids’ Nhiko Sabiniano, as well as IV Of Spades‘ Blaster, Unique, Zild, and Badjao together with creatives like Shaira Luna –– which goes to show Webster’s impressive influence over the scene’s coolest crowd. 

Though the show was scheduled to begin at 8:30 in the evening, Webster unexpectedly kicked off the concert a few minutes earlier, with the opener “But Not Kiss” starting to play at around 8:10 PM, surprising the audience. 

While the American musician playfully welcomed the audience to the show with an animated video greeting from a Minion version of herself, the energy in the venue made a sudden shift once the spirited instrumentals of the track echoed across the concert tent. Almost immediately after, dozens of attendees came running in from the jam-packed parking lot and merchandise booth in order to catch up with the sudden opener. 

To no one’s surprise, Webster’s hypnotic delivery of the track’s lyrics had the crowd singing along in a near instant, especially as they chanted the chorus’ segment, “Yeah, yeah,” in perfect harmony. The audience’s energy surprised the 28-year-old musician, eliciting a sweet, wide-eyed smile from her in the moments leading up to the track’s conclusion.

As a master of ambiance, Webster followed up her heavenly performance with two other fan-favorites off her latest album, Underdressed At The Symphony, with “Wanna Quit All The Time” and “Thinking About You.” Both tracks saw audience members swaying and swooning along to her spellbinding performance, with many even cuddling with their significant others in the crowd.

Webster’s live band, comprised of Noor Khan, Annie Leeth, Matt “Pistol” Stoessel, and Charles Garner, was perfectly able to capture the same magic that many of her studio recordings evoked, as they translated the soft, jazzy instrumentation that gives her music that otherworldly quality. In some ways, their efforts further amplified the emotional intimacy that Webster’s music shared with the audience in attendance, giving it a larger-than-life nature that made us feel at peace (and somewhat safe) from the raging thunderstorm outside the tent’s walls.

In addition to her later works, Webster also revisited some of her greatest hits over the past few years, including a series of singles from her past two records, Atlanta Millionaires Club and I Know I’m Funny Haha. Her 2019 hit, “Right Side Of My Neck,” ignited an internal frenzy among the crowd, especially as they repeated the infamous lyrics, “The right side of my neck, still smells like you” like a cheer of its own, while the lounge-pop nature of “Better Distractions” and “Kind Of” switched a trance-like nature within the audience.

However, it was the standout saxophone solos of “A Dream With A Baseball Player” that had attendees like me gushing over the intense fever dream that took over the Filinvest Tent in that very moment. Even on the sidelines, you could bear witness to certain audience-goers gyrating in an almost meme-like manner, with some people’s cameras fully turned on those partaking in such mischievous behavior.  Yet on the other hand, the heavier, discordant sound of “Lego Ring” transformed the center of the crowd into a mini mosh-pit of its own, complete with the head thrashing and jumping that could’ve disturbed those who didn’t exactly share that same level of energy. Still, it did seem fun.

Perhaps one of the best moments of the night was when Webster began to croon her heart out to “Jonny” and its reprise, especially as she took on the role of the keyboardist. “Jonny, did you ever love me? Jonny, help me figure it out,” she gently sung, enamoring the crowd with her heartfelt delivery, which could be described as a plea of sorts. The lush backing of her band only strengthened its live impact, while Webster’s spoken word poetry for its reprise enveloped us further into this somber, sonic world that she’s conjured up. 

It’s a world we willingly basked in, especially on the following tracks like “Lifetime” and “Tttttime” veered towards the distinct blend of Americana and alt-country that’s become signature to her sound, or even that of her overlooked B-side, “After The First Kiss.” But once we, the audience, heard the lyrics “I didn’t know that I was being capable of being happy right now,” that was when we erupted once more into a massive set of cheers.

Webster’s live rendition of “In A Good Way” had the entire Filinvest Tent in a chokehold of sorts, especially by the time it reached its chorus. The palpable energy from the audience surprised her, to which she responded by holding her microphone in front of the crowd as everyone sang “You make me wanna cry in a good way” over and over again. On the other hand, her closer for the night, “Cheers,” retained the gritty energy that kept everyone’s mood in high spirits well until the very last note, before disappearing with the band offstage for a brief moment.

Soon enough, Webster returned on stage with Khan on bass, wherein they performed a stripped-down rendition of “Feeling Good Today.” As the rest of her band returned to the stage, she then thanked the crowd for attending the show and braving through the rain to catch her Manila debut, before introducing (and thanking) each and every member of her touring entourage. 

Her seminal hit, “Kingston,” marked a fitting conclusion to what many of us had seen and realized throughout the night — Webster’s performance was a fitting portrait of her artistry and astounding demonstration of her live performance skills, which could easily be held alongside the quality of her already impressive studio recordings, and perhaps even be described as better.

However, the relatively short runtime of the show (capping off at just a little over one hour) left many of us wanting just a little bit more from the show. Because as soon as the lights turned on in the venue, an audible sigh from the audience was easily heard, proving that the demand for more of Webster’s music was surely there. 

As it stands, it’s clear that Faye Webster’s debut show in Manila was more than just your usual concert, as the concert served as a testament to her quiet but undeniable power as an artist who speaks directly to the soul of a generation. Her ability to blur the line between vulnerability and coolness, studio polish and live intimacy with ease, left the audience spellbound and still yearning for more, whilst also reminding you just why she is exactly your favorite artists’ favorite artist.

For sure, her inevitable return to Manila could warrant an even bigger crowd if the weather would comply, and maybe even a bigger venue to boot. Because as it is, it’s something we’re already looking forward to.

As we anticipate Faye Webster’s next show in Manila, listen to her latest album, Underdressed At The Symphony, below: