The Cab
No doubt about it, the tweens want them ‘Bad’
Comprised of vocalist Alex DeLeon, keyboardist/guitarist Alex Marshall, bassist Joey Thunder, touring guitarist Frank Sidoris and drummer Dave Briggs, Las Vegas-based pop rock band The Cab has been making music since high school, back when the members were still “dorks.”
(At least, that’s how DeLeon described them; we can imagine die-hard fans everywhere vehemently shaking their heads in protest.)
“Well, Marshall was popular in high school, but the rest of us were dorks,” DeLeon amended, causing the audience to titter and the Zac Efron doppelganger to flush. As Marshall conveniently dodged questions about his past relationship with “Pretty Little Liars” star Lucy Hale, it was clear that he was in the hot seat whether he liked it or not, to the delight of female members of the press.
At 22 or thereabouts, these guys may be the youngest among the artists that shared a stage at the SMASH Project concert. Sure, they’re also good-looking enough to fit the typical “boy band” mold. But make no mistake—these boys have darn good reasons to be taken seriously.
Teenybopper tidbits aside, The Cab’s 2008 breakthrough debut LP “Whisper War” featured collaborations with Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco, while for 2011’s equally buzzworthy release, “Symphony Soldier,” they shared writing credits with Bruno Mars, Adam Levine and Boys Like Girls’ Martin Johnson.
A collaboration with Justin Timberlake is also reportedly in the works. “I specifically look up to him because he kind of does everything. He’s not a one-trick pony,” said Marshall of the former *NSYNC member.
Much like their idol, the band’s music is pure ear candy, radio-friendly and infectiously fun for everyone under the age of 18. Or 80. “Take My Hand,” “Bad,” “I’ll Run,” “Bounce,” and “La La” are just some of the tracks that will pleasantly surprise you, try as you might to resist the lure of a good summer pop soundtrack.
Judging from the plethora of high-pitched squeals that shook the Patron Standing area at the concert, we’re willing to bet that the decidedly younger Filipino fans knew full well that they hold a special place in the members’ hearts, DeLeon in particular.
“My godfather is Filipino and I learned so much from him; like, a lot about respect and appreciation,” the vocalist shared. “We’ve had so many fans tweet us over the years trying to get us promoted here, and I look forward to just going out after the shows and meeting them.”
That they certainly did. The band took their sweet time getting to know their giddy fans who tirelessly waited for them at the hotel or at the concert venue. Ah, to be young.
Cobra Starship
So fun, he ripped his pants
After giving Pinoys a taste of its pulsating disco beats and unabashedly cheeky lyrics last 2010, the party-pop rock band that literally made “Good Girls Go Bad” is back in Manila. Naturally, fans jumped at the chance to be able to dance to “You Make Me Feel…”, the hot single off the 2011 album “Night Shades.”
For his part, vocalist Gabe Saporta was happy to be back, especially since he’s sharing a stage with old friend Chris Carrabba. “I took Chris on his first tour with my old band Midtown before,” Saporta told Super in a quick post-gig chat, just before the band left for the airport. “I just told him to get in his van and follow us around, and that was his first tour ever.”
Running on a tight tour schedule, Saporta, guitarist Ryland Blackinton, bassist Alex Suarez, drummer Nate Novarro, and keytarist Victoria Asher arrived in Manila much later than the other three bands. They set up their own meet-and-greet hours before the concert but, much to Gabe supporters’ disappointment, the charismatic frontman was nowhere in sight.
“I woke up for the meet-and-greet and I was just feeling terrible, like shivering. I just went back to sleep, and after four hours, I felt much better,” Saporta revealed, sounding more chipper than the rest of us were feeling at five in the morning.
Fortunately, he more than made up for his no-show. As the “guilty pleasure” set of the night, Cobra Starship’s high-energy performance was so entertaining, it even made non-fans’ heads bop …and clothes rip in the most convenient places. “We were laughing about that for a while afterwards. He had a huge tear in his pants!” Suarez chuckled. Yup, we definitely saw that. (See related story.)
Wardrobe malfunction notwithstanding, it was evident that both the band and the audience had lots of fun that night. “The first time we played in Manila was at the malls, which was really cool, but it felt amazing to play at a show like this today,” Saporta said. “It’s awesome—just as great as the last time, if not better,” added Suarez. Right back at you, guys.
