Last night’s concert was simply mind-blowing. Boyce Avenue was great and swoon-worthy, the Jabbawockeez were brilliant and out-of-this-world with their dance moves, while Kris Allen? No words can describe the epic-ness of his setlist.

In the spirit of keeping the element of surprise, I refused to watch the Cebu concert videos uploaded online. I wanted my Kris experience in Manila to be memorable and without expectations. Thankfully, Kris did not disappoint one bit. Whoever said that Kris Allen couldn’t headline a concert to save his life must either be blind, deaf, or living under a rock. Last night’s concert proved to the world that Kris could really rock it out on stage.

I managed to record the entire set performance in one entire video  (will post the video link soon, so stay tuned for updates). It’s true what they say–you have to watch a Kris Allen concert live to fully appreciate his artistry. The way he arranges songs and connects with the audience is amazing. At the end of the day, he left me wanting for more.

My favorite of the night is definitely the “Falling Slowly/With Or Without You” mashup. I loved that mashup to bits since he performed it in Live In the Vineyard last year, but videos don’t do justice at all for a live performance. If I thought his performances of this mashup on YouTube were beautiful, his live performance last night was brilliant. There are simply no words to fully capture the beauty of that performance. I remember people were screaming like crazy when Kris said he was doing the song, and when he started strumming the first few keys on his guitar, the crowd grew utterly silent–it was as if you could hear a pin drop with all the silence. It was a beautiful, vulnerable, and emotional moment for the Kris and the audience, who just soaked everything in silence as he strummed the guitar and sang the song. It was definitely the most emotionally-charged song that night.

Concert Highlights:

1. Manila gave Kris a lot of love last night. People were screaming for him left, right, and center. Plus, the place was absolutely jampacked. If this isn’t a good indicator about how much Filipinos love Kris, I don’t know what else is.
2. Getting the Kris picture shoutout when Kai met him backstage.
3. Meeting up with my fave benches. Bere and Raye flew all the way from Indonesia and Malaysia. Yay! /flail
   
   Bere, Raye, Raye’s mum, Andrew, Miya, Aeyelle, and Kai
4. He changed up every single song he performed by adding different bits and pieces. We felt special and loved. LOL
5. His stupid face. Despite him clearly being tired from non-stop media appearances and interviews (and the concert in Cebu the night before), he looked like he was having fun on stage. And OMG HE LOOKS SO PRESH WITH THE RED SHUTTER SHADES that a fan gave him.
   
6. During the intermission before Kris’s set, there was a contest wherein you got to win a Kris Allen CD if you could sing a song of his. A girl chosen by the hosts went up to the mic in the audience area and sang “Before We Come Undone.” The next thing you know, the entire crowd was singing along with the girl. Clearly, the Filipinos KNOW the song. Jive, I think you have a strong contender for second single right here. My friends Erick and Michael also joined the contest and managed to garner a few laughs from the audience as well.
7. There was this Malaysian girl (no, it’s not Raye lol) who won an autographed CD, got to hug him, and go up on stage to dance with him. She definitely made her trip worth the while, eh?
8. After his LLWD performance (which he said was his last performance of the night), the crowd was chanting “MORE! WE WANT MORE! WE WANT KRIS!” And when he came back for the encore, the crowd went in a frenzy!

***

Setlist:

1. Heartless/Gangster’s Paradise: It kills me everytime I hear the “tell me why are we so blind to see” part.
2. Can’t Stay Away:  It grows on me more more more more… ahwoooo
3. Written All Over My Face: This got the crowd worked up and toe tapping.
4. Before We Come Undone: Second fave song of the night (tied with The Truth)
5. The Truth: I really felt this song. It kills me every time I hear Kristopher sing this song (be it live or recorded). I also love that the crowd sung along with the song, too.
6. Man In The Mirror: Crowd sung along, too. I will always love Kris’s rendition of MiTM even more than Michael Jackson’s. Like, for real. I love how he stopped singing a part and the crowd suddenly realized that he was expecting them to sing along, so everyone filled in the lines.
7. Is It Over: More bluesy than ever. I loved it!
8. Red Guitar: Still sweet as ever. As he was singing the song, I imagined him thinking of Katy and singing it to her.
9. Falling Slowly/With Or Without You: I think this was the song that received the most cheers from the crowd.
10. Alright With Me: Loved the audience participation and the fact that fans were fawning/glomping all over him. Sweaty Kris got mobbed by fans onstage (Hi Lara you lucky bench! :P). Kris was on his knees and being silly. It was a fun performance.
11. Live Like We’re Dying: Another different take on LLWD. I love how he changed it up and how the crowd sung along.
12. Ain’t No Sunshine: A different take on his Idol masterpiece. The arrangement in “I Know I Know I Know” was a cool bluesy addition to the song.
13. Come Together: This is where I am further convinced that Krale is real and that Krandrew may be a contender. It was a great song to cap off the night. Too bad the concert had to end soon–even if it did end past midnight.

***

Kris Quotes:

“Lots of you today and I like it.”

“Y’all doing good there? Y’all doing good?”

“I’ll talk to you while I go and drink water”

“The song is a song that I did on the show. [Crowd: "FALLING SLOWLY!"] It was movie week. What am I gonna do? I don’t really like movie songs, but there was one that I liked and that it was this one.”

“Alright, now that we got emotional and everything, let’s have some fun. All you gotta do is sing YEAH”

“Wow you were really good. You guys should try out for American Idol. Have you heard of it?”

“Yeah the back. Alright back.”

***

Download the Manila concert MP3s here (special thanks to Mel for the kickass recording!)

P.S. Okay, so I just discovered that the entire Kris Allen setlist I recorded spans for over an hour and is worth 1.55GB. How the hell do I upload that online w/o splitting the vid? XD

FIND ME: The full name and picture of Kris’s handler.

As it turns out, she just wanted more money to go to Haiti, and made a bid that she assumed would be topped because someone out there would want the items more than she did and/or would be willing to pay more since it was for charity. Apparently not.

Long story short – she is keeping the picture, but is giving the underwear back to Ellen to auction off again. I don’t have a link yet, but she asked me to make a post so that the word would spread, especially to those who bid last time – you will have another shot. And best of all, even MORE money will go to Haiti.

To all those crazy Glamberts, yes, Adam Lambert’s underwear  is still up for auction.  *shudders* Of all the things to donate for charity, why smelly used underwear? XD

FIND ME: Itunes link of Singing In The Style of Kradam Karaoke

FIND ME: Time, date, and place of Kris’s first post-Idol international concert.

His music video, “Live Like We’re Dying” made it to #1 in the VH1 Countdown,

He got the honor of singing the National Anthem in the most epic Saints-vs-Vikings football game to-date,

His song (because it hasn’t been confirmed as a 2nd single yet), “Before We Come Undone,” debuted at #2 in Philippine radio charts,

And apart from that, he’s going back to his missionary roots and is off to Haiti to do some relief work. Lyndsey Parker reports,

American Idol Turned American Hero: Kris Allen Heads To Haiti

Just two days after musicians of all genres gathered together for the Hope For Haiti Now telethon (which raised roughly $60 million for Haitian earthquake aid), American Idol Kris Allen has announced that he is journeying to Haiti next week to personally participate in the relief efforts.

During a radio interview on B97 FM in New Orleans before performing the national anthem at Sunday’s NFC Championship game, Kris revealed: “I am actually going to Haiti. Obviously, I wanted to do something to help out. I was actually going to do that telethon thing, but then somebody hooked me up with going [to Haiti] and just helping out in the next couple days.”

Kris in fact has an extensive history of doing missionary work overseas. Long before he was crowned season 8’s American Idol, the former church music director traveled to Burma, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Spain, and Thailand, “just doing kind of philanthropy stuff, just trying to help people out.”

Kris explained during his B97 interview: “This is the stuff that means the most to me, going out and helping people. And obviously, the thing that happened in Haiti was just a tragedy. I feel blessed that I get to go over there and help people out.”

Fast-forward to the 3:34 mark of the B97 interview clip below to hear Kris’s discussion of his upcoming Haiti trip:

If there was ever evidence that Kris Allen is a true American idol--and a real American hero--this is it. Kudos to Kris for making American Idol and America proud, and good luck to him in Haiti.

PLUS: audio from a radio interview today; he talks about Haiti at 3:34.

Kris Allen Interview with B97 @ Yahoo! Video

Dear Partners,

As unfortunate as it is,  the management of The Killers has just released the official announcement.  The ASIAN Tour is canceled and awaiting new dates. We hope you can help us disseminate the information to the public. In the meantime, here is the refund schedule

THE KILLERS REFUND SCHEDULE

Please refund at the seller where you purchased your tickets.

• For Ticketnet buyers, you may refund at the Ticketnet in Araneta Coliseum starting JAN 29 FRIDAY. Call 9115555.
• For Ticketworld buyers, you may refund at the Ticketworld Head Office in Makati (7/F Vicente Madrigal Bldg, Ayala, Makati) starting JAN 25 MONDAY.  Call 8919999.
• For Odyssey & O Music buyers, you should refund at the branch where you purchased your tickets.  Refunding begins on JAN 29 FRIDAY.
• For purchases made in our Jupiter Makati and Shaw Mandaluyong offices, refunding begins on JAN 29 FRIDAY.
• For purchases made through our authorized individual/corporate resellers, please contact your resellers for refund information.

Thank you very much for your support and appreciate your understanding.

Sincerely,

WWW & Saga Events

=============================

THE KILLERS OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT (January 21, 2010)

The Killers have been forced to cancel their appearances in Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Tokyo and Seoul due to unforeseen circumstances. The band deeply apologizes to their fans and hope to reschedule their shows in these cities soon. At this time the bands Australian appearances remain scheduled as planned.

Here’s the link of the official announcement on their website: http://www.thekillersmusic.com/story/news-tickets-features-live/statement_from_the_killers

FIND ME: His favorite thing to read when bored.

Seat and Price:

Seatplan Seat Location Price Patron VIP (Reserved Seating) 4760 Patron (Reserved Seating) 4280 Lower Box (Reserved Seating) 3810 Upper Box A (Reserved Seating) 2860 Upper Box B 960 Gen. Admission 480

OMG. BACKSTREEEEEEEEEEET (!!!) *gets giddy with fangirl nostalgia*♥ I hope I’ll be able to watch this (if anyone must know, I spent nearly 16k for the Kris Allen concert tickets alone–and I bought a new laptop, so yeah).

Get your tickets via Ticketnet NOW!

***

Work has kept me real busy lately to manage to blog coherently. To all those participating in the Kris Allen contest, rest assured, I’ve been getting your e-mails. Keep them coming in. Best of luck to everyone (damn, you’re all good ninjas LOL).

FIND ME: His favorite plaid shirt

Douse your salad with vinaigrette
In a 2005 study, Swedish researchers observed that when people consumed 2 tablespoons of vinegar with three slices of white bread, their blood glucose was 23 percent lower than when they ate white bread only; they also felt more full. Credit acetic acid, a primary component of vinegar, dressings, and pickled products. The advice: Order extra pickles on sandwiches and begin any high-carbohydrate meal with a side salad that’s mixed with a vinegar-based dressing, such as balsamic vinaigrette or Italian. Or make your own vinegar-and-oil dressing by slowly whisking 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a bowl containing 2 tablespoons of red or white vinegar.

Pop a fiber pill
Researchers in Taiwan found that taking 1.2 g glucomannan — a soluble fiber made from the Japanese konjac root — 30 minutes before eating white toast led to a 28 percent reduction in blood glucose 2 hours afterward, compared with having none of the fiber supplement. Better yet, when people took that same amount of glucomannan before each meal three times a day, they reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol by 21 percent in just 4 weeks. Look for Nature’s Way glucomannan: One serving contains 2 g of the fiber, a safe and effective amount to take 15 to 30 minutes before any meal ($15; vitacost.com).

Eat java-friendly foods
Canadian researchers discovered that men who downed the caffeine equivalent of 1 to 2 cups of coffee an hour before a high-sugar meal experienced 16 percent higher levels of blood glucose afterward, compared with when they consumed a caffeine-free placebo. An important point: When it’s not paired with sugar, caffeine increases the rate at which your body burns fat. So, whenever possible, drink the coffee but skip the doughnut, muffin, or bagel. Opt for breakfast foods like eggs and fruit instead; they have little or no effect on blood glucose.

Pump iron first thing in the morning
Scientists at Syracuse University recently found that a single weight-training session reduces the effect of a high-sugar meal on blood glucose by 15 percent for more than 12 hours after a workout. The likely reason: Exercise drains your muscles’ fuel reserves — stored glucose known as glycogen. To ensure that you have plenty of energy for your next workout, your body immediately shuttles any available glucose to your muscles, where it’s packed away for future use — helping to reduce blood-glucose levels. So until glycogen levels are replenished, which can take several hours, high-sugar foods aren’t as detrimental. Because aerobic exercise calls on glycogen, too, you can expect a similar effect from your cardio session.

Healthy living is definitely the way to go for 2010!  ;)

FIND ME: A  Twitter ninja signal for all things Kris

Most recently, a global effort was made to encourage people to donate money to relief efforts to Haiti instead of watching Avatar. While James Cameron may frown upon the idea of a seeming campaign to boycott Avatar (Mr. Cameron, just so you know, I’m a HUGE fan–loved the film!), there are greater things that we need to prioritize–like helping fellow humans rebuild their lives after disaster.

Click on the image below to learn more of how YOU can help Haiti, AVATAR-style!

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For Globe Telecom subscribers, you can help Red Cross Haiti by texting

HAITI <space><amount for donation> to 2899

Available denominations (in pesos) are as follows: 5,25,50,100,300,500,1000.

ex. HAITI 50 to 2899

Transactions are free of charge.

FIND ME: A beeping Bubbletweet

Yes, he does look like the lovechild of David Cook, Michael Johns, and Kris Allen.
Yes, he is a worship leader, reminiscent of Danny Gokey and Kris Allen.
Yes, he’s happily married.
Yes, he used to be the lead singer of a Christian band named Candlefuse
And, yes, he plays the guitar.

Despite him seeming like your average joe, there’s more to Ben Honeycutt than what meets the eye. Smooth vocals, clear diction, and a little charisma…he’s definitely someone to watch out for this season. Who knows? He may just be Season 9’s dark horse who’ll race all the way to the top.

Use Somebody

Man In the Mirror

NGL though, I still prefer Kris’s version. LOL

***

IDOL09’s ORLANDO AUDITIONS HIGHLIGHTS:

Jermaine Purifoy’s American Idol audition was great. Smooth, man…real smooth. ♥

Matthew Lawrence’s audition was simply beautiful and heartfelt.

FIND ME: A sweetheart’s diary