Laufey Leaves A Spellbinding Impression On Manila With ‘A Night At The Symphony’ – Review

Laufey‘s return to Manila was always bound to be a massive event.

The jazz-pop phenomenon’s show at The Filinvest Tent last year was already a spectacle in itself, so it’s quite difficult to top such a surprise phenomenon such as that. Yet when it was announced that she was set to bring her ‘A Night At The Symphony‘ show to Manila, little did Filipino audiences realize just how special of a treat these performances were bound to be.

Throughout Laufey’s relatively young career, the 25-year-old musician has only performed two orchestral shows –– with the first being in her homeland of Iceland, while the second one was hosted in Los Angeles. So to bring the experience to this side of the world (marking the third of its kind), it differs very much from most major concerts in the Philippines –– promising a unique experience to many of her Filipino Lauvers.

Upon setting foot within the walls of the venue, PICC’s 70s brutalist architecture style immediately transported those in attendance to an entirely different era. Rarely would you partake in such a classy event, complete with its own complimentary banquet and Laufey-inspired ice cream station, with audiences of all ages dressed to the nines. From barong Tagalogs, floor-length couture gowns, sharp tuxedos, and cocktail dresses, it was obvious that everyone showed up in their best-dressed attire to fit right into the atmosphere of this special occasion.

Though it took some time before the audience settled down (perhaps due to the sprawling lines for the photo booth and merch station), the show started off with an ethereal rendition of Bewitched‘s opening track “Dreamer” that immediately enchanted audiences. Her dream-like voice, as smooth as silk, enveloped the crowd in an instant –– with such clarity that echoed across all sections of the auditorium. By the point that she continued on with “While You Were Sleeping”, everyone was hooked at full attention.

As audiences got further engrossed in the Grammy winner‘s impeccable vocals, it also added focus to the performance of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra. Their symphonic accompaniments elevated the tracks we already were familiar with to new heights –– with added nuances and subtle deviations that placed a special touch on all the notes of the original compositions. From the soaring woodwind elements to the harmonized string techniques, it made all the difference in translating Laufey’s discography to the live setting.

The performance of fan-favorite “Falling Behind” had audiences enthralled, with the complementary maracas infusing an upbeat tempo that flowed so graciously as the song continued on. There was a slight cheekiness to her vocal delivery as she simultaneously played guitar, one that sparked a tongue-in-cheek awareness that made her live showcase quite breathtaking to behold –– garnering cheers and applause as it concluded.

“Fragile“, “Let You Break My Heart Again“, and “Beautiful Stranger” were fantastic callbacks to the early tracks of her career, but it was the impassioned performance of “Valentine” that stole our hearts. Her light crooning echoed jazz legends like Julie London and Ella Fitzgerald in all the best ways, which was further evident in her cello-accompanied rendition of “I Wish You Love“. It’s obviously not easy to juggle such a large instrument while belting your heart out, yet Laufey demonstrated her proficiency to the beloved instrument with such finesse and ease to every string plucked.

Taking to the Steinway & Sons grand piano on stage, the beloved singer-songwriter charmed audiences with a captivating rendition to “Like The Movies” and a somber performance of “Promise” and “California and Me“. But of all her piano performances that night –– it was the emotionally stirring “Goddess” that stood out as one of the best performances of the show.

As Laufey bore her entire heart and soul out to every single lyric of the track, it was her impassioned and powerful vocals on the song’s climactic bridge that astounded the audience. Though the piano may have been the primary element alongside her vocals, the soaring strings from the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra were a wonderful obbligato to her performance, which marked one of those rare occurrences wherein hearing it live improved upon its studio recording a whole lot more.

Picking the pace back up, Laufey covered the classic jazz standard “It Could Happen To You” – infusing a playful, almost dainty, energy to her stage presence that showcased just how much fun she seemed to be having on stage. She perfectly captured the conflicted nature of someone falling in love with “Lovesick“, while “Bewitched” charmed audiences with sweeping violin strings that felt straight out of a classic romance movie.

Prior to her final track, the jazz-pop singer made sure to express her gratitude to all the Filipino fans who came out for the night’s show. “I love coming back to the Philippines. I always feel so much love radiating from here [because] it’s like a second home country for me,” she mentioned.

“If you Google ‘Is Laufey’, the top thing is ‘Is Laufey from the Philippines’, which is like the highest compliment [I can get].”

By the time she played the final track, the RIAA Certified Platinum single “From The Start“, everyone was moving in their seats to the groovy, bossa-nova sound of the track – with the wooden maracas adding a very special touch to this rendition. And though her exit on stage may have initially saddened her audience, Laufey returned for a special encore to perform two special songs to entice her Philippine fans.

“I’ll play two more songs for you tonight just because I want to. So I’m going to play a song that is not necessarily appropriate for this venue. It’s called “Bored” –– earning cheers and acclaim from the crowd. The witty lyricism of the track rang true as it played out, but it was the nostalgic and heartfelt finale of “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self” that had attendees crying their hearts out. It was almost as if Laufey herself was going to cry along to the song, but the audience’s tears were more than enough to compensate for all the emotion felt in the room.

Though her encore had no backing from the orchestra, Laufey was able to command the attention of the entire auditorium. As she concluded with her final coo of the night, the entire audience –– from the orchestra level to the second-floor balcony –– erupted in a rapturous applause, carried by a united standing ovation. Taking her final bow in front of everyone, she blew kisses as she asked the orchestra to stand up as well before running out from everyone’s line of sight.

With how astounding her music already was, it was made even more impressive by the special performances that both she and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra were able to deliver flawlessly. From what we’ve seen, there was no doubt that Laufey’s immaculate vocal prowess and the orchestra’s impressive ability to complement one another left a spellbinding impression on Manila.

There’s no doubt about how magical the night was – and how memorable Laufey’s ‘A Night At The Symphony’ is going to be for her and her Filipino fans. It may be quite the rare phenomenon to witness a symphony show from the jazz songstress, yet ultimately we’re glad that it was something we could witness in this finite lifetime of ours.

Listen to Laufey’s Bewitched: The Goddess Edition in its entirety below:

Check out more exclusive pictures from Laufey’s ‘A Night At The Symphony’ held last May 28 at PICC’s Plenary Hall below: