Filipino alt-rock icon Barbie Almalbis gathered music lovers and artists as she celebrated her 25th anniversary in the music industry last March 11 at the 123 Block in Mandala Park.
Barbie lit up the “Firewoman: 25 Years of Barbie Almalbis” concert by performing in three sets, one solo, the latter two were her reunion performances with her former bands, Hungry Young Poets and Barbie’s Cradle.
‘Tita/Tito-approved’
The concert, a standing-room-only show, was like no other as Barbie gave priority to the guests and fans’ convenience by offering a “tito/tita-friendly” seats.
In an advisory, the music event’s organizer Gabi Na Naman Entertainment Productions advised the public that chairs will be available at the venue for a more comfortable experience.
“Idea ko ‘yan,” Barbie said.
The singer-songwriter shared that she thought of providing chairs inspired by her experience when she attended the Guns N’ Roses’ concert at the Philippine Arena in 2018.
Barbie shared that she and her husband Martin Honasan easily got tired after jamming along to the band in the first few songs.
“Nagpunta muna kami sa canteen tapos bumalik na lang kami nung ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ na…Kaya gets ko kayo,” she told the audience packed with her fans of two-decades as well as listeners of all ages.
This gesture was appreciated and lauded by the event attendees including the show’s host, Jerom Yamat and guests such as Sandwich’s Raymund Marasigan. They said they loved how it made the event’s vibe “chill” and “relaxing.”
The event, filled with nostalgia, began with a meet and greet session with Barbie at around 3 p.m., while the performances of began at nearly 4 p.m. and ended 11:30 p.m., making the chairs essential to the hours-long music festivity.
The following artists performed to celebrate Barbie’s contribution to the music industry:
- I Belong To The Zoo
- Kai del Rio
- Bird.
- Clara Benin
- Gab Alipe of Urbandub,
- Sandwich
In her three sets as a solo artist and a frontwoman for two bands, Barbie performed the most notable hits of her career including “With a Smile,” “Torpe,” “All I Need,” “Money for Food,” “Limang Dipang Tao,” and “Independence Day,” among many others. She also played “Kumpas” wherein she used the traditional Filipino musical instrument called kudlong.
READ: Barbie Almalbis’ ‘Kumpas’ features Filipino musical instrument kudlong
Fellow musicians and friends of Barbie graced the event to express their love and support for the OPM icon.
They took to social media to share their love for Barbie.
“Firewoman: 25 Years of Barbie Almalbis” was presented by GNN Entertainment Productions, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, Backspacer Records, JB Music, Nova Wellness Store, and 123 Block.
