But I do miss the perks. Meeting the artists from the moment they step in the country. Making sure the place was okay. Getting really good places to stand (because we can’t sit down) during the show and then congratulating the artists personally after their performance. But…like I said, it’s kind of a welcome break.

Oh, and one more thing: it sucks that I have no camera. :| Sure, Captain Tal did okay (see blurry pictures below), but my micro sd card is still 64MB because I totally forgot to buy a bigger one (okay, maybe I was a bit too lazy to do so)…plus I could’ve taken more photos and clearer videos if I had a camera with me. Next mission: buy that pink Canon Ixus 80 IS, ASAP!

Anyway, so last night, Tue, Happy and I trooped to Araneta Coliseum (exactly two months since Hillsong United, oy!) to watch Lifehouse. I’ve been excited for this since Happy told me she bought our tickets (Upper B is all we can afford) and for the past week I’ve been listening to their songs just so I’d be ready on concert night. And because I’m on constant Lifehouse mode for the week, I’ve made a playlist of songs I wish they’d sing on concert night:

• Whatever It Takes
• First Time
• Blind
• Breathing
• Simon
• Everything
• Hanging By a Moment
• Somewhere in Between
• Undone
• You and Me

Our view from where we sat (Upper B).

So the show starts, and even if we’re in Upper B, we had a pretty good view. Lots of people screaming (including us, of course!), and because we were well prepared, we sang along with the songs that we know. :D For a moment I wish we were at Patron or LowerBox…but after some time, I realized how relaxed we were at Upper B. I even sat down at some part of the concert. :P And who knew Araneta could be so cold?

The guys were amazing, and I swear, I love Jason Wade. I love his rocker voice on mp3s and CDs, but hearing his voice live is just…to die for. Love, love, love! He has an amazing stage presence too, and I love that he makes sure to look up at us people who were at the higher part of the coliseum. :D

This is the closest I could see of him...on projected screens, which conked out by "You and Me". :|

The show wasn’t as fluid as the ones I’ve watched before (i.e. Switchfoot), because sometime in between the songs, the stage would darken and there would only be low guitar/bass riffs and not too many friendly chit-chat with the audience, not at least until the middle? There was even a time when Jason went offstage for some reason and then ran back up. But performance wise, they were really amazing, and I am even a more fan now than I ever was before. :)

The concert ended a bit too early too, and I can’t help but feel like it’s bitin. But then again, they sang more songs than the Switchfoot show, so maybe it’s only because I’m used to being backstage before the concert proper, which makes it feel longer. Haha. Or maybe it was only because not all songs from my wishlist were played. But, regardless of all those thoughts I just typed, I had fun, they were amazing, and the show was worth it. :D

Since I didn’t have access to the actual setlist after the show, I made sure to note all the songs they sang in my phone (titles in boldface are the songs I love):

1. Make Me Over
2. Spin
3. Am I Ever Gonna Find Out
4. Simon — YES! Looove that they sang this! ♥
5. Hanging By a Moment — Reminded me so much of my prayer before I resigned.
6. Blind — ♥
7. Take Me Away — Tried calling my friend when they played this since this was one of her favorite songs but she didn’t answer. Oh well. :(
8. Somebody Else’s Song
9. From Where You Are — This is the part where we sat down, because we didn’t know the song. Who has a copy of this? :D
10. Bridges — Bryce sang this one, and it sounded a lot different from Jason’s version. I love the part where they shared one mic though.
11. Better Luck Next Time
12. Whatever It Takes – We screamed when they started playing the intro of the song :)
    
13. You and Me
14. First Time
15. (ENCORE) Disarray – After last night, I now love this song.
16. (ENCORE) Broken - I love the meaning of this song.
    

I still wish they sang Everything…but 6 out of 10 wished for songs isn’t bad. ;) I hope they’d go back (and can our team please handle them now? :D), and I will definitely be there again. :D Here’s to another bigger Lifehouse fan. *cheers*

Like being in love with you for the first time. ♥

Anyway, YES, Lifehouse is coming, and here are the ticket prices:

PATRON VIP (101,103 aka center) – Php4890
Patron (elevated area) – Php3890
Lower Box - Php3890
Upper A  – Php1890
Upper B – Php990

No general admission? Hm, is it because they’re not expecting a full coliseum? And the price for LowerBox seems wrong, because even if the same priced Patron is elevated, it’s still not the same as Lowerbox.

But anyway. At least it’s cheaper than Maroon 5, and way cheaper than gps fleet tracking devices. More expensive than Switchfoot or Hillsong United, but then again, that’s us. Because I’m sort of a cheapskate (and because I predict that I’ll be sort of bankrupt by then), I’m eyeing Upper A or Upper B tickets. It’s enough if I hear them, yes?

Who else is watching? :D

I accomplished some things for one of my goals for 2008 for this month, which I will post about in an update soon. It’s got me a couple of thousand bucks poorer though, but I’d like to believe that’s an investment. Besides, I badly need them. :D Heh. In the next week I’d be accomplishing some other goals too, which means more late time going home from work because of lots of meetings. I’m kind of nervous about tomorrow’s meeting, though, since it’s my first time to hea one, and I’m not yet entirely sure if I understood everything. I’m not regretting being placed in this position though; I’m just nervous. Pray for me, please? :) After that, I shall prepare for my first ever presentation during our general assembly on Friday. Eep. :o Which reminds me, I planned to work on one document I should be emailing by tomorrow today, but then…there’s such a thing as work-life balance, so let’s make use of that. I’d have time tomorrow. :)

Speaking of work-life balance, I just heard from some friends that Maroon 5 concert tickets for their March 5 show in Araneta Coliseum are already available via TicketNet…and check out these prices:

Patron VIP (101, 103, 1st 20 rows) (Reserved Seating) – PhP 10500
Patron (Reserved Seating) – PhP 7875
Lower Box (Reserved Seating) – PhP 5250
Upper Box A (Reserved Seating) – PhP 3938
Upper Box B (Free Seating) – PhP 2625
Gen. Admission (Free Seating) – PhP 1575

Look. At. Those. Prices. More than a thousand bucks for General Admission?! My gosh. What can you see from GenAd anyway? And ten thousand for one ticket? What if you’re on the 20th row already, is that still worth P10,500? OUTRAGEOUS. That’s even more expensive than assisted living software (I think)!

Then again…I remember Josh Groban front seat tickets are P25,000 each…so this looks small compared to that. BUT STILL! The most expensive ticket I ever bought was for the Jars of Clay concert three years ago…and that’s really close. Switchfoot’s highest priced ticket is even cheaper than Maroon 5′s General Admission. :-o

Yes, they are big artists…but the tickets are just…whoa. I was planning to watch, but my wallet is seriously disagreeing with me; and if I do decide to watch, I could say goodbye to Sydney.

And now this makes me wonder who else will be going here this year. I haven’t heard any news from our bosing during the Switchfoot concert, since I guess she’s busy…so no news yet of who will be coming here that we’ll be able to help organize. Switchfoot is coming to the Pacific, but not passing by Philippines so I am totally envious of Gharri who will be in Malaysia at the same time they are. :P Here’s my current artist “wishlist” though:

• Brooke Fraser (I heard she visited the Philippines early last year, but not to perform but as a part of some movement…I’m not sure if it’s World Vision).
• Dave Barnes (Dream on, Tina :D).
• Matt Wertz (Bring him with Dave!)
• Jars of Clay (I still dream of being able to hug and have a picture with Dan Haseltine).
• Switchfoot (Once is definitely not enough).
• Anberlin
• Mae
• Bethany Dillon (Her show does not have to be in a big venue…a small venue would definitely be better :D)
• Lifehouse
• Relient K (Appetite for Construction tour here too? Please? :D)
• Nichole Nordeman (She could do a show with Bethany? Hee.)
• TobyMac

Ah. I could list so much more…but I’ll stop here. :D Now I have to finish watchig this Ugly Betty episode and finish the book I’ve been meaning to finish since last yesterday. Have a great week everyone. :)

And here’s a song.

HANGING BY A MOMENT
Lifehouse

Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
I’m closer to where I started
Chasing after You

I’m falling even more in love with You
Letting go of all I’ve held onto
I’m standing here until You make me move
I’m hanging by a moment here with You

Forgetting all I’m lacking
Completely incomplete
I’ll take Your invitation
You take all of me

Now.. I’m falling even more in love with You
Letting go of all I’ve held onto
I’m standing here until You make me move
I’m hanging by a moment here with You

I’m living for the only thing I know
I’m running and not quite sure where to go
I don’t know what I’m diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with You

There’s nothing else to lose,
Nothing else to find
There is nothing in the world that can change my mind
There is nothing else
There is nothing else..

Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
Closer where I started
Chasing after You

I’m falling even more in love with You
Letting go of all I’ve held onto
I’m standing here until You make me move
I’m hanging by a moment here with You

I’m living for the only thing I know
I’m running and not quite sure where to go
I don’t know what I’m diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with You

Just hanging by a moment
Hanging by a moment..
Hanging by a moment…
Hanging by a moment here with You.

That song speaks it all for me now. Keep me hanging Lord, if this is what it takes to get me closer to You.