A Friday in Love with Club 8

Last Friday, a minority of fans fell in love again with Club 8. Most people might think Club 8 is the next place to be for a sizzling weekend, but no, Club 8 is not even a place. Formed in 1995 in the trademark indie style of bedroom bands (no, nothing sexy there, just a do-it-yourself recording attitude), Club 8 is Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergard. Who? If Acid House Kings and Poprace (Angergard and Komstedt's other respective bands) don't ring a bell, a little background information should be of help. Club 8 is a Swedish band that's been around for quite some time, having produced seven albums to date, with a very loyal, albeit low-key international fanbase. Almost incredibly, Club 8 came to the Philippines just after releasing their most recent album, "The People's Record." Komstedt addressed the enchanted crowd, "We're very happy to be here. It's about time, no?" before telling the audience that they would be performing the songs for the first time. They set the tone for a lovely trip with a great driving song, "Whatever You Want." The crowd bounced along to the upbeat and playful "Shape Up," and slowed down with the wistfully sweet "Hope for Winter."

They sang "The Next Step You'll Take," a soothing lullabye for the tired working class, and the deceptively cheerful "Everlasting Love." There was the reassuring "All I Can Do" and the heartbreaking "Jesus Walk With Me." Angergard gave the crowd a pleasant surprise, launching into the infectious "Saturday Night Engine." They sang "Spring Came, Rain Fell," a dangerous song to fall in love to, and qualified with "Baby I'm Not Sure If This Is Love." There weren't that many people, but you just knew that every single person in the audience had been wishing for such a night for years. You could taste the collective yearning in the air, as early as 7 p.m. when the line began to extend while the doors remained shut. Even front acts The Gentle Isolation and The Camerawalls were there for Club 8, and without a fuss they finished their sets. "We won't be long, we know you're all waiting for Club 8," said Ness Urian, vocalist of Bulacan-based The Gentle Isolation. They played great sets, too, with The Camerawalls performing "Canto de Maria Clara," lyrics by Jose Rizal set to music accompanied by The Flumaviron, a rondalla ensemble. They also performed their carrier single "Clinically Dead for 16 Hours," and then it was time for Club 8. The thing about groups like Club 8 is it's not the sort of music you listen to in order to escape, or to let loose. As far as weekend music goes, Club 8 is more Sunday afternoon than Friday or Saturday evening, the hangover and not the party. Club 8 is dreamy but not sleepy, ethereal melodies and tangible lyrics. Club 8 knows when to fill the silence and when to let the pause echo. They're masters of the art of charming people to move along to their sound - even people with two left feet. It hardly matters, because the music is so beautiful no one cares, everyone lets go and lets the music take over. Club 8 grabs you, but gently, and they don't let go. Not that you'd want them to let go. As it was, they performed for roughly one hour, and when the lights came on the people were bleary eyed, as if freshly woken from a dream. It was all done before midnight, and walking away with the sweet sound still lingering in the air, the feeling was of Cinderella after a magical ball. - GMANews.TV