It was a triple dose of rock-fueled nostalgia on May 9 as Secondhand Serenade, The Click Five, and Boys Like Girls performed at the MOA Arena for the Playback Punk Rock Emo Music Festival. They returned to the country, bringing fan-favorite ‘00s hits that left a lasting mark on the crowd.

The highly anticipated throwback show and comeback of the three punk and emo icons also had a second leg at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino on May 10. Earlier on May 8, the artists held a press conference at Ayala Malls Trinoma.

Secondhand Serenade 

First to hit the stage was John Vesely. Also known as Secondhand Serenade, he eagerly greeted the crowd and described Manila as “one of [his] favorite places to visit in the world.”  He last performed in the country in August. 

He opened the night with his song “Broken.” Before performing “Vulnerable” and “Awake,” he expressed his gratitude for his Filipino fans.

“I’ve been making music for a long time, and that would not be the case without you. You guys all make this possible for all the artists playing on stage tonight. So give yourself a round of applause for keeping our songs alive. If it weren’t for you, me, The Click Five, Boys Like Girls would not be doing this… I’ll keep making music, as long as you want me to.”

Vesley also recounted his beginnings as an artist.

“I come from humble beginnings, and I have been playing my music in my living room. So being able to play in an arena in Manila is crazy… It’s such a blessing [from] God. Thank you so much,” he said, also calling his fellow headliners “the most incredible guys” and adding that the crowd is in for a treat.

Throughout his set, he performed more hits, including “Your Call,” “Goodbye,” “Like A Knife,” and “The Last Song Ever.”

Sharing how vital music is, Vesley also candidly enthused, “Music has such a profound stamp on my life. It saved me multiple times.” When he performed a rendition of Coldplay’s “Fix You,” he said that it was a very important piece for him.  

“Music gets you through things that wouldn’t otherwise come true. And this song was one of those songs for me,” he said.

Earlier in the press conference, he also gave advice to aspiring musicians:  “If you’re made for this — if you believe in yourself — make music that you want to hear. And if you do it, and it’s natural, and it’s real, people will want to hear it as well.”

Vesely ended his set with “Stranger” and “Fall For You.”

The Click Five

The Click Five — currently a three-piece act comprising Kyle Patrick Dickherber (vocals, rhythm guitar),  Joe Guese (lead guitar), and Ethan Mentzer (bass) — performed next.

As with most seasoned artists, the band went on performing their songs despite technician difficulties in the earlier part of their set, treating the crowd to “Catch Your Wave” and “All I Need Is You.” 

Fitting to the show’s nostalgic theme, Dickherber recalled one of their fondest memories as a band.

“One of the fondest memories we had was coming to Asia for the first time. And you know where that was — Trinoma Mall here in Manila. We had no expectations, we had no idea what’s gonna happen at that show. But we’ve shown up and we’ve heard that our song was on the radio all the time here in Manila. About 15,000 of you were at that show. And since then, this place right here has a special place in our hearts.”

Expressing his delight to see their fans (majority of which are millennials), he stated, “We’ve been through a lot over the last fifteen years, good things and bad things. And I’m sure you all feel the same. But all the bad things we’ve been through, now in this moment, have been completely worth it. It’s a surprise to be with you again. We just feel so, so lucky to be here.” 

The Click Five’s stint featured the tracks “Happy Birthday,” “Addicted To Me,” “Good Day,” “Mary Jane. Bassist Mentzer also took on some co-singing duties as he and Dickherber performed “Don’t Let Me Go.” 

To the crowd’s surprise, the band also performed a new and yet-unreleased song called “Throwback.” It’s a track they made while touring over the past few weeks. 

The performance was followed by “Empty,” “Pop Princess,” and “Summertime.”  

In another heart-warming moment of the evening, the band introduced a fan named Carl, who went on stage and got the chance to perform with them. 

“We’ve known Carl for so many years. [We’ve] been keeping in touch. He’s been such a huge support… And we’re so happy to have you here and to meet you here,” Dickherber revealed, before the band and their special guest took on guitar duties and tore through the stage to perform Chappel Roan’s hit track “HOT TO GO!”

The band concluded their portion with “Just The Girl,” “Flipside,” and their mega-hit, “Jenny.”

Boys Like Girls

Bringing in a rain of sentimental throwbacks, Boys Like Girls opened their set with a medley of “Love Drunk,” “Five Minutes To Midnight,” “Blood and Sugar,” “She’s Got A Boyfriend Now,” and “LANGUAGE.”

As if the band needed any more introduction, vocalist Martin Johnson took a moment to reflect and reconnect with the crowd: “The name of this band is Boys Like Girls. We’re from Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America. Year of formation, 2004. Year of first set was in 2007. First time in the Philippines, in 2008. It’s good to be back.”

After telling the crowd how thankful they are for their unending support, the band continued their set with a medley of “Heels Over Head,” “The First Time,” “Up Against The Wall,” and “LOST IN WONDERLAND.”

Boys Like Girls also delivered live renditions of “Leaving California” and “Kill Me In A Record Shop,” while sharing anecdotes in between. 

Johnson then performed an acoustic version of “Thunder,” followed by a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.,” “Heart Heart Heartbreak,” “MIRACLE,” “Be Your Everything,” “Hero/Heroine,” “On Top of the World,” and “THE OUTSIDE.”

Ending the night on a high note, the band brought the house down and got the crowd singing with a medley of “The Great Escape,” “Love Drunk,” and “Two Is Better Than One,” which they originally recorded with Taylor Swift.

Boys Like Girls are Johnson (vocals, rhythm guitar), John Keefe (drums), Gregory Hames (bass), and Jamel Hawke (lead guitar).

The "Playback Punk Rock and Emo Music Festival" was presented by Super Awesome Productions.

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Words: Joram Flores

Editing: Emmy Borromeo

Photos: Kenneth Valladolid and Paul Junel Aquino