Over October Take Fans Over The Moon In First Solo Concert

If you’ve been following Over October‘s music journey over the years, you could find yourself easily impressed with their career trajectory in the local music scene.

From their formation in the Ateneo Musicians Pool student organization to their journey over the years hopping across the various stages of Route 196, SaGuijo, Mow’s, and 123 Block, the band has accumulated a devoted and impassioned fanbase that has remained supportive throughout their successful moments and challenges over the years. Yet now, we, the fanbase, and the rest of the world are finally seeing Over October’s ascent into the mainstream.

With a hit song soaring further up the Billboard Philippines‘ Top Philippine Songs chart, a surprise sophomore album release, and a sold-out set of concerts all under their belt, we’re witnessing the new faces of the Filipino independent music scene making their way to the hearts and ears of the Filipino public. And if you were able to catch what went down at their ‘Ikot Sa Music Museum’ showcase last Friday, you could easily see why their fans and listeners over the years were wise to get invested in Over October’s journey.

OVER OCTOBER IKOT SA MUSIC MUSEUM — Photographed by Nate Bosano

Upon getting to the venue, you could easily note the sprawling line of hundreds lining up for the Music Museum’s spiral stairway down to the reaches of the Greenhills Promenade. Though as people kept themselves busy in their place, several fans and ‘Octobears’ were kind enough to distribute pins, photocards, and fan-made memorabilia that showcased their essence of community to everyone in attendance. “We wanted to celebrate such an important milestone for the band, kasi it goes to show na ang layo na ng narating nila,” say some of their fans.

[“We wanted to celebrate such an important milestone for the band because it goes to show that they’ve come so far in their careers.”]

Given the communal aspect of their fans at full force, seeing the audience heading in was representative of a fandom that has been steadfast and nurturing to both their idols and themselves over the years –– with many of those in attendance following Over October from their humble beginnings on the scene. As they made their way in by 8 PM, the lights dimmed down as the first few notes of the band’s opening track, “Kaakit-Akit” began to take its full effect.

The joint sense of euphoria and warmth following the band’s energetic set of openers (which included “Lovestruck,” “Paradise,” and “Chances”) kicked off the show to a great start, which eventually marked the capstone to the first ‘chapter’ of the night’s set. Interestingly, the band and concert director Paolo Valenciano made the creative choice to divide the varying segments of the show into a series of emotional chapters that include the different facets of love –– including the honeymoon phase, moving on, and the definite moments of romantic bliss.

If you ask anyone else who watched the show, they could easily note that Josh Buizon’s vocals have never sounded better — with Joshua Lua, Anton Rodriguez, Joric Canlas, and Janessa Geronimo all perfectly complementing such elements to amplify their shared artistry to even greater heights.

A spectacular highlight of the night came when The Ridleys’ lead singer Benny Manaligod jumped in for a special performance to “Intertwine” by the second chapter of the night, though it was just one of many emotional (and intimate) moments scattered across the nearly three-hour runtime of the show. Whether it was the emotional “Alive,” the rousing “Mr. Sun,” the lovelorn “Ating Dalawa,” or the tear-jerker “Muli” –– every member of the audience was invested in every moment of the night.

At its fever point, each member of the band also stepped off the stage to walk amongst the crowd to the fan-favorite track “123” –– which further exemplified the close-knit connection between the band and their devoted fanbase. And while not built to the grandest of scales, the show was able to do more than enough with its excellent stage design and use of LED screens thanks to the concert’s director Paolo Valenciano, whose expertise made full use of all corners of the Music Museum.

Hearing the brand new songs from their recently released sophomore album, Make Believe, performed for the first time was delightful, especially with tracks like “If You Could Change Your Mind,” and the adorable pet tribute, “Kylo.” Though in one of the crucial fever points of the night, each member of the band also stepped off the stage to walk amongst the crowd to the fan-favorite track “123” –– which further exemplified the close-knit connection between the band and their devoted fanbase.

As one of the closing tracks before the show’s encore, “Ikot” served as a fitting trip to showcase how far they’ve gone around in their career, and was soon followed by a sentimental throwback to their early discography with “Arbitrary” and “Song No. 5.”

Though Over October’s lead singer, Josh Buizon, almost (comedically) tripped off stage in the latter track, nothing could stop the immense amount of joy and celebration to what transpired throughout the night. As with what took place, it becomes even more evident that what Over October has accomplished in their first solo concert is a spectacular achievement for independent artists nationwide.

Ultimately, the show’s twenty-six song setlist was a sonic journey that served as both a guiding narrative for the show’s impeccable flow, but was also a journey in time through the band’s various string of musical hits that have been sprinkled throughout the independent scene over the past decade.

For not only was it a joyous celebration of their decades-long discography in the music scene, but it was a milestone that shows how far they’ve come with credit to the fruits of their labor. Though the Music Museum may be a stark contrast from the beloved gig spaces that they used to frequent, ‘Ikot Sa Music Museum’ still retains the very essence that makes Over October’s music resonate far and wide with millions of listeners.