“You do something to me that I can’t explain,” wailed a shirtless Brandon Boyd, the plaintive refrain of “I Miss You” hitting home like an arrow through the heart. It was Incubus’ fourth gig in Manila, yet we felt as breathless and giddy as if it were the band’s first. That’s why this line from the band’s romantic rock ditty off the seminal 1999 album “Make Yourself” pretty much summed up our sentiments on the California-based rock quintet and their music.

’90s kids

Understandably, the concert-goers that filled the SM Mall of Asia Arena last March 13 belonged to the 20-something age bracket and older—most of whom had been around since the band’s inception in the ’90s, and who have probably attended at least one of its past Manila shows.

Sure, there were familiar faces that looked a little bit older than we remembered. There were angsty teenagers-turned-accomplished yuppies, rock-concert veterans, married couples who were just in the ligawan stages during the previous concerts, fanboys who were now grown men with sons named Brandon in honor of the band’s frontman.

But the moment the band took the stage, it didn’t matter how many years had passed; we all felt the same as we had when we first fell in love with Incubus and its brand of music that redefined rock at the turn of the millennium.

Countdown

After a warm-up performance by dancing violinist Lindsey Stirling, the giant screen that served as the stage backdrop started a countdown five minutes before 9 p.m. As the clock hit “00:00,” the members of Incubus hopped onstage amid raucous whoops: frontman Boyd, guitarist Mike Einziger, bassist Ben Kenney, keyboardist/DJ Chris Kilmore and drummer Jose Pasillas.

As expected from its Asia-Pacific tour, the 19-song setlist contained a balanced mix of tracks from 1997’s “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” down to 2011’s “If Not Now, When?” along with two new tracks from the band’s upcoming EP, “Trust Fall (Side A),” and a couple of cover song teasers.

Without preamble, Incubus launched into a scorching trifecta of radio hits consisting of “Wish You Were Here,” “Anna Molly” and “Adolescents,” which instantly had the crowd working up a sweat from jumping and singing along. The band then switched tempos with “Made for TV Movie” from 2004’s “A Crow Left of the Murder…” that segued into a lovelorn snippet of Lionel Richie’s “Hello.”

“Manila,” Boyd languidly greeted the audience, who roared in reply. Although his hair was slightly graying at the temples, the frontman clearly hadn’t lost an ounce of that legendary onstage charisma. Engaging the crowd in what he wryly called his “big daddy voice,” he remarked that even though he’s said the word countless times before, he never gets tired of saying it. “Sounds like ‘vanilla,’” he purred, eliciting more catcalls from love-struck fans.

New tracks

Shrugging off his Casanova persona with a good-natured laugh, Boyd proceeded to introduce the first of the two new tracks that night. In contrast to the more brooding, ambient sound of the last two albums (2006’s “Light Grenades” and 2011’s “If NotNow, When?”), the catchy single “Absolution Calling” has the makings of a road trip soundtrack, whereas “Trust Fall” highlights the band’s knack for poignant, romantic lyricism wrapped in gritty melodies.

Equal parts sultry and searing, the tracks are a refreshing nod to the band’s earlier sound, showcasing Boyd’s ageless vocals that effortlessly dip and soar amid Einziger’s distorted guitar crunches.

Monumental moments

In between belting out older aggressive tracks “Vitamin” and “Circles,” Boyd led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to bassist Kenney, who had just celebrated his 38th birthday the day before.

The band also provided some major fan service via the track “In the Company of Wolves.” As the melancholy half gave way to the ominous yet seductive coda, Boyd looked and sounded like he was making love to the mic a la Jeff Buckley.

The biggest surprise of the night came when they performed “Dig” from “Light Grenades,” which was one of the songs in our Super wishlist. We had promised that if the band acquiesced to our request, we would sing our hearts out; true enough, the vocalist let the deafening crowd sing parts of the chorus for him toward the end.

“Beautiful,” he nodded in quiet satisfaction. While we’re not entirely sure if our request reached the band, the fact that the band performed such a heartrending song that has not been played in recent years made this show nothing short of monumental.

More sing-along moments 

Picking up speed with the gritty “Light Grenades” track “A Kiss to Send Us Off,” the quintet sent the audience back into sing-along mode with another barrage of fist-pumping hits like “Nice to Know You,” “Sick Sad Little World” and a slow-burn version of all-time favorite “Pardon Me.”

After the band paused to let the crowd sing during the fan favorite “Drive,” Boyd said a hearty hello to the throngs of people high up in the bleachers. “I’m starting to get a little nervous,” Boyd joked, as if surprised that the arena was even more packed than he’d initially thought.

With its electrifying riffs and political angst-ridden lyrics, the ever-reliable “Megalomaniac” served as a cathartic finale for the main set, with both band and audience letting loose. The usually composed Kenney and Einziger bounced across the stage while tearing through their guitars,

Pasillas effortlessly switched from marching rhythms to thrashing beats, and DJ Kilmore’s alarmingly long dreadlocks writhed like tentacles as he worked his magic on the turntables.

As a now-shirtless Boyd banged away on the percussions, the camera panned to give the audience a close-up view of his sinewy, tattooed back, eliciting barely muffled shrieks of delight from female fans.

Riding high on the adrenaline rush from the finale, the band came back onstage for a three-song encore, starting with back-to-back “Make Yourself” tracks “The Warmth” and “I Miss You.”

“It’s been a blast, boys and girls,” Boyd said in parting, capping off the night with the frenetic “A Crow Left of the Murder” mashed up with The Beatles’ “She’s So Heavy.”

Amazing live experience

If you came to the concert expecting something completely groundbreaking, you’d be largely disappointed. But judging from the satiated looks on everyone’s faces that night, they got exactly what they came for.

With new music (and, hopefully, a fifth Manila gig) on the horizon, we loyal fans now have more things to look forward to.