Explosions in the Sky in Manila

Cover photo by Bijan Gorospe.

When in Manila partners up with Kindassault for the second time in a row with Explosions in the Sky in Manila. The last Kindassault gig with Japandroids was hella fun and we’re glad to have been given this opportunity as well. Thanks, Joff! This time, though, I’m taking over the writing duties from my partner, Erin, who gladly gave this one to me knowing that I’m a fan.

I remember being introduced to Explosions in the Sky somewhere in the middle of the last decade by one my closest friends. The first song I listened to was ‘A Song for our Fathers’ and it instantly pulled the nastiest stunt of making me shed manly tears. Having lost my father in 2002, that particular song brought me to a particular place where memories of my old man were as colorful as his paintings. And if there’s one thing Explosions in the Sky is good at, it’s immediately grabbing your attention and getting to your emotions (to quote drummer Hrasky.)

Explosions in the Sky is a post-rock group hailing from Austin, Texas. The band is comprised of Mark Smith and Munaf Rayani on guitars, Michael James on bass and guitars, and Chris Hrasky on drums. The band is famous for their narrative instrumentals and intimate and emotional live performances. A lot of their music has been heavily used in a number of television shows, films, and commercials. Most notably on drama series, Friday Night Lights.

First-time performers in the Philippines, they immediately drew hundreds of fans in the country into the fresh Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier, Taguig. Familiar faces were all over the place and I found myself high-fiving someone I haven’t seen in a while every few minutes or so. I also saw the friend who introduced me to this music and it was an awesome feeling knowing we were all about to share an amazing night.

The show started off with The Ringmaster, they played a couple of songs and set the mood for the entire crowd. I took the time to do a couple of test shots and moved from the Platinum area to the Gold area upstairs to check the view and do a couple more shots before settling on the side of the stage for the main act.

The Ringmaster

The Ringmaster

Explosions in the Sky in Manila: First Breath After the Concert