All Justin Bieber had to do was stand on center stage and survey the audience, even without smiling, and the girls went crazy.
The Canadian teen pop star’s concert on Tuesday night at the SM Mall of Asia open grounds in Pasay City hauled in a crowd of about 23,000, a bit smaller than promoters projected, but one that caused traffic jams around the venue just the same.
Bieber’s first-time visit here was thus marked by the frenzied reception, but also by the presence of several Filipinos among the performers.
The six-man dance crew Poreotics, half of them Pinoys born in the United States, opened the show. Winner of the talent search “America’s Best Dance Crew” Season 5 last year, the group drew loud cheers for its snappy combination of popping and robotics moves.
To further stir up the crowd, a black DJ played dance music as a digital timer counted down the minutes before Bieber mounted the stage.
When finally he appeared, deafening screams nearly drowned out the music. Bieber and his own group of dancers—one of whom he later introduced as another Filipino—marched like toy soldiers to the tune of “Love Me” from his debut record “My World.”
On yearlong tour
Segueing to the next number, “Bigger,” Bieber showed some signs of exhaustion from this long-running (one year next month) world tour: his voice was strained in parts and his dance moves were a little less than nimble.
But a change of pace in the Motown-inspired “U Smile” illustrated that his repertoire, mostly of the light pop variety, also sported an R&B edge. By this time, it had become apparent that Bieber was getting solid vocal support from his brilliant Filipino-American backup singers, Legaci.
Composed of Chris Abad, Delfin Lazaro, Dominic Manuel and Micah Tolentino, Legaci was a revelation. Their vocals added exceptional power to Bieber’s—especially during crucial moments when Bieber had to catch his breath.
There were two instances, though, when Bieber displayed multiple talents—he played an acoustic guitar (he is left-handed) and, later, the drums.
Approaching adulthood
As he sang “Never Let You Go” and a cover of Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be,” accompanying himself and with another guitarist, it seemed that the problem with Bieber’s vocals might have something to do with approaching adulthood. At 17, his pipes could be adjusting—the same explanation to the fact that his idol, Michael Jackson, had to sing in a different tone at the time he recorded “One Day in Your Life.”
In any case, Bieber’s teenage dreamboat appeal and his songs’ excellent pop hooks compensated for whatever shortcomings emerged during the show. His dancing might have been unimpressive in “Somebody to Love,” but his rendition of “One Less Lonely Girl” reached dramatic proportions when he picked a young female member of the audience to serenade, with a bouquet of flowers to boot.
Amazing mastery
When Bieber formally introduced Legaci in a spot number, it was unmistakable that the singing quartet was gifted. Performing a cappella in a medley of pop hits, including Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” and Bruno Mars’ “Grenade,” Legaci displayed an amazing mastery of harmony and counterpoint techniques.
In succeeding numbers Bieber’s energy perked up; in another cover, Jackson’s “Wanna Be Starting Something” which segued into Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” he called back all performers to the stage for a dance showdown. Poreotics and Bieber’s own dancers, especially the lone Filipino, gave new meaning to elasticity.
When Bieber’s turn came up, he chose to do Jackson’s Moonwalk, though faster in tempo than that of its originator.
Best moments
The concert’s best moments were the last two numbers. In “Pray,” Bieber proved he had soul and passion; in the encore, “Baby,” he confidently took over the rap parts performed on the record by Ludacris.
We’d like to see the day when, after the distracting hysteria dies down, Bieber can fulfill his own vision: “My music will grow as I grow older.”
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