Music review: Looking to the past, future with Moonpools and Caterpillars’ return show

Moonpools and Caterpillars is a band whose music wove in and out of my high school years. Hence, in talking about this concert, there is some nostalgia for me—but in many ways, I was not a huge fan of the band. The hits were familiar, and so were the basic facts (they were three-quarters Fil-Am, for one), but until recently, I never got through their album “Lucky Dumpling” in full. The initial excitement surrounding the return show was noted, but at the time, I thought little of it.

One thing about the band is that, even with the passing of time, they have still managed to keep up their musicianship. What I appreciated about “Lucky Dumpling” was the craft that went into it, considering that it was an album recorded in the last days of analog. This craft showed, too, in the performances that night. Most notable was how Kimi Encarnacion’s singing voice still had that accented ring that made some of their songs memorable. Plus, she can still play that harmonica.

But there is something to say about a concert where the enthusiasm for the main act is terribly palpable, and where it is as much about the crowd as anything else.

When “Hear,” the band’s opening number (and their first radio hit in the Philippines) came on, I could feel quite a bit of that enthusiasm. It is the kind of energy that comes from genuine affection. One could say that of any concert or big performance, but one must recall that, apart from those who managed to catch them live in the late 1990s, there was a whole group of people who were exposed to the band via the radio or the occasional TV appearance. It was a relief for many of us to finally see this band live again, to hear their music, and in many ways, to join along—which happened during their more anthemic hits.
 

As for the repertoire, I could hardly sense a false note. It was interesting to finally hear some of the tunes from their second and lesser-known record “12 Songs,” which was released independently.

Before closing with “Heaven,” a wistful middle track from their first record, they performed two Joey “Pepe” Smith covers, “Beep Beep” and “Ang Himig Natin.” I could tell was their way of paying tribute both to their forebears and to the local music community that in many ways has kept the faith.

That is why I was very delighted that one of their opening acts that Friday night was Autotelic, a band that first emerged in late 2012 and which has been generating some buzz on the strength of their songwriting and a memorable power pop sound. I have been following them for some time now, and their set that night was one of the best ones they’ve had of late. However, in the only concern I had that night, there was a problem with the bass going through the sound system, which meant I couldn’t hear the bass when it was going through crucial high notes. Fortunately, it was fixed after.

All in all, it was a good night. It was a chance to celebrate the music of a band who made waves in the mid-1990s and, for a good number of those present, helped make memories.

But it is here that I must note that the Filipino diaspora’s contributions to the home country are not just financial, but also cultural and creative. This is something I am sure some of the younger generations know and can use to help this country in the long run. Perhaps that night reminded me, more than anything, of that truth. — VC, GMA News