Miguel Ordoñez

Urbandub’s swan song and the Endless stir of emotions By Milan Ordoñez Published May 12th 2015 Music has its unique way of riling up the deepest of feelings. The tunes that tagalong intertwine through every memory, may it be a random Sunday night drive, or an actual life-changing occurrence. For 15 years, Urbandub has been that way for many. Their music was brought along through every joyride, break-up, heartache, and celebration. It was the soundtrack growing up for many, including myself. The early 2000’s, when Urbandub burst into the scene, was an interesting time in Pinoy music. The ‘Heads’ craze was already beginning to dwindle, Wolfgang was on a hiatus, and bands like Greyhoundz, Slapshock, and Chicosci were becoming the poster children of Pinoy Rock. As a doe-eyed college freshman in 2004, it was refreshing to hear a different sound. They caught everyone’s attention immediately during that time, as they sounded more like a foreign act. Then I, along with a close knit of friends, realized they were a humble young band from Cebu who were just really good at producing would-be anthems for every 20-something kid going through life, and the struggles that come along with it. Having that distinct sound was not to knock off other local artists. Rather, it was more about the band setting the bar higher than it was set before. “They changed the perception of Filipino music,” said Jewel Angeles, a former radio jock. “And I mean, we’re obsessed with sad words set to get us emotionally riled up, and catchy tunes. How could it not work?” Urbandub was able to make us listen and sing along. The words to their songs were almost always emotionally-charged, from love -centric tracks such as “Sailing” and “New Tattoo”, to the trademarked ones about heartache such as “The Fight is Over” and “Evidence”, which lead vocalist Gab Alipe himself described as a song for overly flirtatious ex-girlfriends. Eventually, the entire country listened and sang along. On Saturday, May 9th, the once young band now more seasoned, played their final show to celebrate their 15th year in the local music industry. An estimated total of 3,000 Dubistas flocked the Metrotent Convention Center in Pasig City, amid the threat of a tropical storm, just to get to experience the music on a grand stage for one last time. Many were unable to fully grasp the situation, even when the show had already kicked off. Others were simply in awe of the situation. “I felt euphoria. I didn't want that night to end,” said Mcoy Pinera, a long-time fan, and is described as a “true dubista”. Fittingly, Franco opened the night to set the perfect pre -show mood, and reminded the crowd in attendance of how Urbandub still and will always play a big role on everyone’s emotional state. “It is a sad and happy note for everybody” quipped Franco, who along with his band, delivered their usual hard-hitting set. It was only a matter of time before all five members entered the stage, received by the warm welcome of ecstatic cheers. And after over a year of absence, Lalay Lim was once again on bass guitar duties, much to the delight of the audience. “I’m baaack!” she simply said with a huge smile. The band opened their set with “Come” and ended the night with “Gone”. As another friend pointed out through Twitter, it was “quite poetic”. According to Gab, one of the band’s main reasons for taking a step back was to give the younger artists a chance to make their own mark in the industry. “It’s time for a new generation of bands and a new generation of fans to make Filipino music stronger,” said the stouthearted front man, who also promised that the band would be fulfilling the rest of their commitments lined up for the rest of the year. For a couple of hours, we were once again treated with the classics: “Soul Searching”, “First of Summer” and “Fallen on Deaf Ears”, and were serenaded by the more recent, light-hearted tunes such as “Dim the Headlights” and “Never Will I Forget.” For a couple of hours, we sang our hearts out, and relived every sentiment through each little memory that these songs had ridden along with. To Gab, Lalay, Janjan, Russell, John, and Jerros, we will always be grateful for the music.