A virgin has a lot of expectations. He plays his first scene over and over his head, picturing how it would go. Depending on his imagination, it could be as simple as a quiet tryst, or complete with fireworks and explosions in the sky. I’m still a virgin in many ways, and I lost my Wanderland virginity this year. I imagined it to be quite the experience, but it lived up to be so much more.
This year had an interesting lineup. The headliners were The Temper Trap and The Ting Tings, and they were joined by Explosions in the Sky, Yuna, Purity Ring, HONNE, LANY, and Woodlock. Locally, there was UDD (formerly known as Up Dharma Down), Gab and John of Urbandub, Tom’s Story, Fools and Foes, and Reese Lansangan, along with the winners of the Wanderband competition, Banna Harbera, Lola Amour, and Mickey Sulit.
I arrived late in the afternoon so I was able to catch UDD, Gab and John, and Reese Lansangan perform. UDD should be declared a national treasure because even if they are event staples, people still crowd to them. They formed quite the audience when they performed, and they got huge cheers (from me included) when they performed “Oo.” Armi Millare is the queen of cool.
Gab and John were amazing, and my favorite performance was “First of Summer.”
I was excited to see Lansangan perform, especially after hearing “Grammar Nazi.” Such a cute song! It warmed my heart to see so many people dancing and singing along with her.
LANY was the most popular band during Wanderland, drawing the largest crowd out of all the acts. According to the band, “This is officially the biggest crowd of people we’ve ever played for!” They sang “Like You Lots,” “Pink Skies,” “Bad, Bad, Bad,” and “yea, babe, no way.” My favorite was “ILYSB”!
Woodlock had a great set. I was right up in front, so I was able to see Zech and Eze Walters, and Bowen Purcell up close. They look like they were having just as much fun as we were, especially Purcell, who was grinning the whole time. Zech is also a cutie!
HONNE was a surprise hit! They were one of my favorite acts during Wanderland in 2017. They sang “Warm on a Cold Night,” “Good Together,” “The Night,” and more. What a glorious set!
My favorite set was The Ting Tings, who I’ve been listening to since college. I literally screamed when they opened their set with my favorites “Great DJ,” “Shut Up and Let Me Go,” and “That’s Not My Name.” Ah, nostalgia!
I wanted to catch The Temper Trap, but as a person who was already in college when The Ting Tings came out, I was already sleepy. Sadly, I had to miss “Sweet Disposition.”
As a Wanderland virgin, I can say that the first time was incredible. And like with everything else, I know next year will be better.
Wanderland was held on March 4, 2017 at the Filinvest City Event Grounds in Alabang from 12NN to 12MN. The event was made possible (and exceeded expectations) by Globe Telecom. My transportation was covered by Grab Philippines, which never fails to give me a safe and comfortable ride at the push of a button.