Fans experienced a night of nostalgia as Ebe Dancel and Mitch Singson of Sugarfree celebrated the highly anticipated 20th anniversary of their album ‘Dramachine’ on February 3, 2024, at the 123 Block, Mandala Park in Mandaluyong.
Two decades have passed since Sugarfree‘s album was released. The band, which peaked at the top of the charts in the early 2000s and is still going strong today, had no idea how the album would affect music lovers and the state of local music in general. Songs that, to put it simply, captured the sensations and emotions of a generation going through the same experiences that its main songwriter was going through, while also being melodically soaring and lyrically spot-on.
And now, Filipino singer and songwriter Ebe Dancel celebrates the band’s hit album Dramachine’s 20 years of existence, alongside his 25th year in the industry.
Prior to his performance, in an interview, Ebe reminisced some of their experiences during the creation of ‘Dramachine.’
After more than 20 years in the business, the musician expressed that music taught him the importance of patience and that it also teaches humility, saying, “Patience teaches you humility. Syempre [Of course] 20 years ago I was so much younger, I made a lot of mistakes. So, ‘yung [the] value ng patience at hard work, automatically you’ll really come to it.”
Ebe also shared how they saw the music industry progress over the years and remembered the good times they shared in the band and with him, who does not change even a bit and remains the same “pen and paper” guy he is.
Moving along, Indie artist Jam Quijano performed as the opening act of the event, serenading the fans with some of his songs, ‘Otherwise’, ‘Bribe My Heart’, and ‘Duyan’.
Afterward, the crowd’s roar was heard as Ebe Dancel entered the stage and sang their song “Kwarto.”
They also performed hit singles such as “Prom,” “Hari Ng Sablay,” and “Kwentuhan,” as well as other favorites and anthems like “Kandila”, “Tulog Na”, “Burnout”, “Wag Ka Nang Umiyak,” “Cleptomania,” “Hay Buhay,” “Mariposa,” and “Insomnia.”
Mitch Singson, the former drummer of Sugarfree, also joined Ebe in the show.
Ebe also sang three of his favorite songs, “Wala Nang Hihilingin,” “Fade Away,” and “Dear Kuya,” which he dedicated to some of the most valuable people in his life.
Ebe and the band curated and performed a total of 22 songs featuring hits, misses, and B-sides, which the fans heartwarmingly sang along, shed tears, and shared a good laugh.
Ebe and Mitch also extend their deepest gratitude to each other and to all the people who have been a part of their journey, including all the managers who handled them, their families, Linya Linya, Backspacer Records, Balcony Entertainment, and others.
As the event came to its close, Ebe expressed his deep appreciation to all the fans who continued to support them then and now. He also shared that it will be the last time in a while that he and Mitch perform together on stage.
Above all the success of Sugarfree, Ebe wishes to be remembered as “the guy who wrote songs.”
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