It was a post-Valentine’s gig to remember for the fans of Bullet Dumas, Johnoy Danao and Ebe Dancel as they staged their first year anniversary concert 3D: DAMÀ. Together with the acclaimed Manila String Machine, the trio serenaded a sold out show in Music Museum last February 19.
Bullet kickstarted the show with with his entry to Elements Music Camp, Limguhit.
With his lively folk-inspired style, he performed PSSST! and Galit, songs off his eponymous EP.
In Dati, ‘Tol, he talked about a funny anecdote from college. He then prefaced the bittersweet Put to Waste with a shout-out to his students. Yes, the singer-songwriter is also a Math teacher!
He also shared that on gigs, he likes to think as if he were just on a date. True enough, he charms the crowd by sneaking in his witty one-liners in between songs. In one of the night’s touching moments, he offered Tugtog to birthday celebrant and fellow musician Clara Benin. With lines like “simple lang ako mangarap, ngunit kabilang ka sa mga pangarap”, who wouldn’t be swept off their feet?
He ends his set with Ninuno, a song that calls its listeners to be more environmentally conscious through its vivid imagery.
Up next was Johnoy, who set the tone with “ayoko na sa’yo, ‘pagkat gustong-gusto na kita” from the feel-good Pagbigyan. He followed that up with Kung Di Man, his entry for Philpop 2013.
Bullet then played the drums to accompany his love song to his pet dog (yes, with matching AVP!) Salubong and the cozy Ulan.
He also played Kahapon, a song featured in Jerrold Tarog’s coming-of-age film Senior Year. The similarly named Dapithapon weaves a melancholic tale of love lost.
“Isa sa pinakamahirap yung mahal mo yung best friend mo. Paano mo sasabihin?”Bakuran is like the proverbial best bud urging you to take a leap of faith and get out of the friend zone. He dedicates his last song, entitled Buntong-Hininga, to his girlfriend, Grace.
Ebe opens his set with two classic Sugarfree songs: moving on anthem Kwarto and Wag Ka Nang Umiyak, thanking keyboardist Nikki Cabardo and Manila String Machine after.
He then played Hanggang Wala Nang Bukas, the theme song to the film Heneral Luna. Bullet, who Ebe introduced as “the future of Filipino music”, is brought on the stage once again to play drums in Kasayaw. Next was Paalam Kahapon and the hopeful Lakambini.
At one point, Ebe took off his shoes because “he wanted to have fun.” He opened up about being diagnosed with clinical depression and how ashamed he was at first, but it is something he has learned to accept eventually.
He also sang Bawat Daan, the eponymous single of his latest album, and a song featured on the MMFF film Walang Forever. Closing his set is Sugarfree’s Tulog Na.
Finishing the concert is the trio’s performance of the feels-inducing medley of Sugarfree’s classic Burnout, Gary Granada’s Iisa and Rivermaya’s Panahon ng Pag-ibig.
