Countdown to the Concert

The Black Star Tour Experience: Part 3

For Part 1: The Takeoff and the Touchdown

For Part 2: Journey to the Big Dome

At the coliseum lobby, Avril Lavigne merchandise were being sold. CDs, DVDs, shirts, and probably some other items. We checked it out in the hopes of being finally able to buy Under My Skin, the only Avril album we don't have a copy of yet. But guess what? It was also the only album they don't have! That means that CD is already very hard-to-find locally. So the search continues!

The stage is set.

Up the stairs we went, but the doors that lead to our respective boxes were still closed. There was another queue as we waited to enter Upper Box A. After a while, the doors were finally opened and we were even ushered to our seats. The reserved seating was nice, because we no longer had to rush to grab a good spot to be seated on.

It was still a little past 7pm at this time, so we had some time to spend before the concert. We were then joined by our friends, who also went from Cebu to Manila (mainly) for the purpose of watching the concert!

Robi Domingo.

Looking at our fellow concert goers, some were bringing official Black Star lights. We asked and they told us they bought it "outside" for P300. It was a little expensive, but we thought it over, and it would be a nice concert souvenir. So Godsend Debbie sent me "outside" to go get one. But unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any (or I didn't go to the correct outside). (Who I found instead was Robi Domingo doing his rounds for ABS-CBN.) So we settled instead for a P150 glow stick (we were told the glow would last for 24-48 hours but by the end of the concert, it had started to leak and we had to leave it behind).

Some assorted notes:

• Various binoculars were sold at differing prices. We took the affordable but good enough Eyemax binoculars for just P60.
• Pizza inside the Big Dome is very expensive. It's a good thing our stomachs were already stuffed.
• Vendors kept passing by us which got quite annoying after a while. And we thought they were already gonna stop when the concert started... they didn't!

Somedaydream.

At 8pm, front-act Somedaydream opened the show and sang three songs. I was surprised he didn't include "Delivery Boys" to his setlist, but he did sing his famous "Hey Daydreamer."

Fittingly enough, for Godsend Debbie, seeing Avril Lavigne perform live would no longer be just a dream for her. In just a little while, it would be fulfilled. She was ready for Avril. The whole Araneta was ready for Avril. The Manila leg of the Black Star Tour was on its way.

Before the concert.

Godsend Debbie and the glow stick.

Stamped!