On Eraserheads, and on Having a Piece of Ely
As I am writing this blog entry, I am listening to the Eraserheads’ Anthology album, reliving memories of my happy college days in UP Diliman (1992-1997), which was right smack at the height of E-heads’ popularity as a Pinoy band that reinvented and rejuvenated Manila sound. The Eraserheads for us then is our voice, the pride and joy ng mga iskolar ng bayan, and well, perhaps the band was even the voice of the entire youth of the nineties.
The band came out with hit after hit, had successful concerts, performed in the Ms. Universe pageant held in Manila, got an MTV award, became successful product endorsers, toured abroad, then in one abrupt moment in 2002, disbanded, leaving throngs of fans with cult-like devotion in shock and denial.
How many dreamed for an E-heads reunion? For years, fans kept on hoping and in August 2008, it finally materialized. It had the makings of being the concert of the year, even bigger than all the foreign artists who had a concert in the country put together.
I was not there, but it did not make me less of a fan. I was excited for my friends who were lucky enough to score tickets, and looked forward to see their pictures as I know, will be posted in their blogs, with kilometric accounts of the happy, once-in-a-lifetime occassion. The band, all four of them on stage - Ely, Buddy, Marcus and Raimund, seeing them perform their well-loved songs once again, would be enough to put a fan in a schizophrenic state of elation and break-down-in-tears-devotion.
But alas, the concert ended bittersweet. According to friends’ accounts, the band had a great first set, with the promise of a killer second set. Unfortunately, Ely was physically (and emotionally) not strong enough to go on and the concert had to be cut short. The beloved band seemingly is still not fated to sing their Huling El Bimbo.
So what is my personality in writing this entry, when I was not even in the concert, when I am seemingly a fan of less devotion? I write this piece because I had, once upon a fortunate time in 1996, with the stars shining down on me, met Ely. We talked a while, and starstruck, I asked for his autograph, which he willingly gave. I have it with me for more than 10 years now, kept among my prized memorabilias. Sometime in my life, kasama ako sa libo-libong umiibig kay Ely ng tunay, dreaming of being the muse for whom he is singing "Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka."
"Buhos na ulan, aking mundo’y lunuring tuluyan
Tulad ng pag-agos mo,
‘Di mapipigil ang puso kong nagliliyab
Pag-ibig ko’y umaapaw,
Damdamin ko’y humihiyaw sa tuwa
Tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka"
- Lyrics by Ryan Cayabyab, Cover by the Eraserheads 1996
