You’re never too young or too old for Incubus

I don’t really know how I ended up watching the Incubus concert again after all these years. While half the country’s population happily engaged in a mad scramble for tickets, I was busy trying to convince myself that it wasn’t practical to jump on the bandwagon this time.

Sure, the lure of a good rock concert is always difficult to resist, especially one where tickets have been sold out as soon as they were released. But I had much more important things to think about. Work. Deadlines. Priorities. Daily expenses, which didn’t exactly leave room for concert ticket prices. Grown-up things.

Besides, I already have had my fill of good memories. I had to remind myself I’m no longer the gawky fan girl who got jeered at for not knowing any “Fungus Amongus” song (but who got the last laugh when she got to meet the band on their first Manila visit seven years ago).

I remembered how I wobbled while asking the quintet a question at the presscon. I also remembered how appalled my mom looked when I told her the name of the band whose music we were playing in the car, and how, for a good two weeks or so after the concert, my sister and I had shrieked every time we heard the opening strains of “Megalomaniac” on the radio, which was quite often.

Yeah, those were good times, but it was a long time ago. I’ve changed, and judging from their new album, so has the band.

‘Love letter to the world’

When Incubus’ seventh studio album, “If Not Now, When?” was released just a couple of weeks before the Manila concert, some of the older rock aficionados who had been following the band since its pre-“Make Yourself” era have expressed disappointment. But, of course, there were still many loyal fans willing to embrace the band’s musical evolution. I didn’t know it at the time, but I found myself in the latter group after listening to the album.

At first, confusion took over. “Wait, this can’t be right. This sounds like Coldplay,” I thought stupidly, thrown off by the sheer domination of ballads in the album. Even 2005’s “Light Grenades,” which was arguably the band’s most “mellow” record to date, had nothing on this one. The most aggressive tracks (if you can even call it that) were “Adolescents” and “Switchblade,” and the rest were much like the latest hit “Promises, Promises” -soft, haunting melodies with introspective lyrics.

But a few minutes into the album, I realized that turning mellow isn’t such a bad thing. So this was what Brandon meant by the album being their “love letter to the world.” You can’t blame the boys, after 20 years of experimenting with different rock elements, for wanting to explore the quieter side of the genre. The title track was beautiful and stirring for an opener, setting the mood for the rest of the tracklist.

This new direction the band was headed was nothing but a smooth, pleasant cruise, and by the end of the album, it’s all but swept me along for the ride. This was an entirely different Incubus experience, and I was curious to find out how the band would win Manila over. So, goodbye, savings.

Stellar

Squealing tweens, burly men, dolled-up girls in miniskirts. Hardcore fan boys scoffing at the “newbies.” Rock stars and local celebs. Filipinos and foreigners. The young and the young at heart. The huge crowd was as diverse as the band’s 20-year repertoire. But the minute the band took the stage at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last July 28, all those stereotypes vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but ecstatic fans all around.

Following Franco’s mood-setting opening set, Incubus churned out 20 hits one after another, including the three-song encore. As always, “Megalomaniac” was an awesome kick-off, followed by a barrage of rock-hard favorites that included “Wish You Were Here,” “Pardon Me” and “Anna Molly.” The band performed four tracks from “If Not Now, When?”-the more laid-back moments. The biggest surprise of the evening was when the encore opened with the unmistakable strains of “I Miss You,” and the collective whoop from the pleasantly shocked audience said it all. The band rarely played this track in concerts, which made the night extra special.

It was quite obvious why Incubus kept coming back. From the huge Patron Standing moshpit all the way to the packed Gen Ad, everyone gave his all to the band, whether headbanging to “Glass” from “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” or crooning along to “Promises, Promises.” And the band’s reaction to that was priceless. Even from where we were seated, we could see Brandon grinning ear to ear, and the rest of the band mirrored it. Clearly, these guys very much appreciate the support Pinoys have tirelessly been giving them throughout the years. After all, how many bands have come back to a country they’ve already visited twice and still have a sold-out concert? One word: stellar.

That night, I went home with ringing ears, an empty wallet and a wealth of new moments to add to my collage of Incubus memories: Watching Brandon move across the stage like the jellyfish in the backdrop video. Surprising the guy in front of me by belting out “Pardon Me” in its entirety. Hugging my friend as she cried during “I Miss You.” And, most of all, seeing the genuinely happy smiles on everyone’s faces (the band and myself included) the entire night.

You might outgrow the music, or get tired of the artist. You might even start to believe you’ve grown too old to be forming moshpits at a rock concert. But I believe you can never really grow out of the whole live show experience and the inescapable high it gives you for days to come. Despite my initial reservations, the Incubus experience did not disappoint, and probably never will.

And in this moment, I am happy. Pardon me while I burst.