With a deep appreciation for OPM bands and the nostalgia they bring, our previous Marketing Intern, Mau's excitement peaked when the announcement of the Clark Aurora Music Festival came her way. Knowing that the festival’s Day 2 headliners included legendary OPM acts like Ely Buendia, Parokya ni Edgar, Silent Sanctuary, Sponge Cola, Kamikazee, and Mayonnaise, Mau and her friends couldn’t resist the opportunity to immerse themselves in an unforgettable musical experience.
Step into her experience at the Clark Aurora Music Festival through her eyes as she recounts their firsthand experience and the indescribable magic that unfolded on that extraordinary day.
On the day of the festival, my friends and I met up and started our commute to Clark. When we got there, we headed out to Surestay Plus Hotel by Best Western AC Luxe Angeles City to check in since it was a 2-day music fest. The staff at Surestay gave us a very warm welcome while we were checking in.
We haven’t really had vacations outside of Manila on our own, but this experience really gave us something to look forward to on our next vacations and hotel bookings!
After settling down and resting a bit at the hotel, we prepped and made our way to Clark Global City. As soon as we were dropped off, the loud live jam of Silent Sanctuary and the crowd greeted us. They were almost halfway through their set, but we still managed to sing our hearts out to their hits: Bumalik Ka Na Sakin, Pasensya Ka Na, and Sa’yo.
Source: @ClarkHotAirBalloonFest on Facebook
Next up was Sponge Cola, one of the bands that we really wanted to see that night. Yael has always been charming, but hearing his smooth voice live, and seeing his wit and stage presence come to life really sealed the deal. My childhood crush through and through! We had a lot of fun singing (shouting) our favorite songs and participating in the making of their new performance music video, which they released a few hours after the concert.
Kamikazee's performance was the highlight of the concert. Jay, their vocalist, was a force on stage doing handstands, dancing, and climbing the stage poles while singing. We were laughing, singing, and jumping throughout their entire set. Right after Kamikazee's intense performance, Mayonnaise soothed the crowd with a serenade. We sat on the grass and enjoyed their greatest hits, Jopay and Synesthesia, to recharge our energy.
Source: @ClarkHotAirBalloonFest on Facebook
Next up was Parokya ni Edgar. Among the bands in the line-up, they were the ones that we have seen a few times before at different gigs. So although we were excited to listen to them perform again, we had to fill up our energy with food and drinks first. Even though we had a hard time getting in and out of the crowd, it was all worth it because we got to fill in our energy while eating and jamming to the band's all-time hits—Pare Ko, Your Song, and Bagsakan.
Before the final set, hosts Jen Barangan and Jae Miranda presented a captivating hot air balloon show. Though the balloons didn't take flight, the display was unforgettable with eight to nine balloons lining the venue.
Source: @ClarkHotAirBalloonFest on Facebook
Now for the last headliner, Ely Buendia. I’m not sure if it was just our experience, but Ely’s set was really something special. He didn’t give us any fancy or full-of-energy performances. It was just him, his vocals, his guitar, and his best songs that all of us in the crowd grew up listening to. What sealed the deal for his set was the fireworks that lit up the sky as Ely Buendia and his band played Huling El Bimbo, an absolute national treasure of a song. After the main headliners, the DJs played a set for the crowd to cap off the fest.
Source: @ClarkHotAirBalloonFest on Facebook
The next morning, we woke up a few hours before our checkout and decided to eat breakfast at the hotel and take a dip in their pool. Though it was small, the pool was deep and we had a lot of fun taking pictures and playing with their pool floaties.
Alas, it was time to check out and commute back to Manila. Though we had to wait around 6 hours to ride the bus because of the long line, we still had a lot of fun chit-chatting with each other. Overall, it was truly a one-for-the-books barkada experience for us. Now that we’re (kind of) getting older, our priorities also change, but it’s good to know that at the bottom of our hearts, we’re still the same friends who loved to chika and jam out to our favorite OPM bands.
- Mau, Marketing Team at Lit Digital
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