Culture Wars: PHL is now our new favorite place to play

American alt-rock band Culture Wars shared why they love coming back to the Philippines. Composed of David Grayson, Caleb Contreras, Josh Stirm, Dillon Randolph and Alex Dugan, the group performed as the front act for Maroon 5's recent concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and LANY's Manila and Cebu shows last October.

- CHARMIE JOY PAGULONG

Alex told The STAR in an exclusive interview that the Philippines is "now our new favorite place to play." "I think we all fell in love with it on any tour, and any excuse to come back to Asia is amazing. And to play shows is even better," David concurred.

Their previous visits were all memorable, as they got to interact with Filipino fans and experience local culture.

The gig they played at the Philippine Arena with LANY was their biggest crowd to date, according to Caleb. "We got everybody to turn their lights on during the show, so you could really see everyone in the dark. It was hard to believe-even when you're on stage. Even when I see photos of it, I'm still like, 'It still doesn't explain what we were seeing on stage. Only the five of us really know what that felt like." As for their tour with Maroon 5, David shared that the only downside was that Manila was their first stop.

"I wish it was the last stop on the tour so we could go out with a bang. I'm always looking forward to coming here. I think in the future, when we're on our own headlining tour, the Philippines will be our last stop because we love it here." He also praised Filipino fans for being "amazing, nice and so generous," noting that many reached out to them on social media.