A'TIN GOES ALL OUT FOR SB19'S

SB19 ONCE AGAIN PROVED THAT THEY ARE indeed the Kings of P-pop with their groundbreaking "Simula At Wakas World Tour Kickoff" concert at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

- By JURELYN TROCIO

The quintet, composed of Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin, did not fail to amaze A'TIN with a wide range of performances during the two-day concert last May 31 and June 1. This is the group's comeback in the concert tour scene following their "Pagtatag! World Tour" in 2023.

SB19 sold out the show's first day in less than seven hours after ticket sales opened, filling 55,000 seats of the largest indoor arena in the world. Comedian-TV host Vice Ganda, who is known as SB19's close celebrity friend, joined the mosh pit crowd to show his support for them. Vice also appeared in the group's Dungka! music video last April.

For the first-ever show of their tour, the group started strong with an electrifying performance of Dam, one of their songs from their latest EP released last February. Wearing long cloaks that hid their faces, Mahalima blended among the dancers and slowly made their mysterious grand entrance, which brewed a thrilling anticipation from the crowd. SB19 started the song with an angsty chanting of "Dam, anong pakiramdam," as the stone statues of them rose in the LED background.

The stage was transformed into a rocky, mountainous terrain resembling a fantasy realm of the song's music video. Mingled with red strobe lights and smoke, they completely encapsulated the mystical vibe of the track.

"After seven years, finally we are able to fill up the Philippine Arena," Justin said of the country's biggest indoor concert venue with a seating capacity of 55,000. He recalled the times when they even struggled to pack the Araneta Coliseum during their early years.

"Kanina nung VIP soundcheck, kaunti pa lang 'yung tao pero hindi na agad kami makapaniwala kasi after like a year or two, nagsama-sama ulit kami para mag-concert. Hindi lang isang araw, kung 'di dalawang araw sa pinakamalaking indoor arena sa buong mundo!" Pablo shared, expressing how he was in a "pinch-me" moment.