Filipino nine-piece collective Ben&Ben is set to make history with the biggest headline show of their career, “Kuwaderno: A Ben&Ben Online Concert.”
The band is set to headline the concert which would be staged at the SMART Araneta Coliseum and will be streamed live on Dec. 5, 2021, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. via digital streaming platform, KTX.ph.
This online show is seen to redefine the virtual concert-going experience with their live performance integrated with creative discipline under the new normal setting.
‘Special’ concert for Liwanags
Ben&Ben members described it as “very special” and the hardest they have worked with yet as it pushed them to get out of their comfort zones.
Asked to rate the “surprise level” of their upcoming concert, the band’s keyboardist Patricia Lasaten said 27 out of ten in jest.
“Kasi kahit kami nasusurprise,” Lasaten said during a press conference last Monday.
Vocalist Paolo Benjamin seconded her and said fans can expect things they have never seen before from the band.
“We want to make Liwanag feel as if they are with us. Kung anong inig sabihin naming doon, panoorin niyo na lang sa concert,” he said.
The band also teased that this is the first time they would be performing all of the songs from Pebble House Volume 1.
While they are excited about the show, the band said it also left a “bittersweet” feeling because they wanted to be with Liwanag, Ben&Ben’s fandom in person.
Despite this, they said the show has an angle that would make them feel like they are present at the Big Dome.
“We can’t deny the fact that it’s the biggest project we’ve undertaken so far, and I think you just somehow know that it’s a leap of faith when the streams of guidance and providence lead you to the right people who believe in the same vision you have: To bring the music and the messages they carry to life,” the award-winning group said.
“This spirit of collaboration was one of the defining themes of our album ‘Pebble House Volume One: Kuwaderno’ and it was only by natural desire that we brought the same spirit and attitude when we began working on the concert,” the group said.
“As for the play between grand and intimate, we really wanted our listeners to relish in the grandiosity of what their support means to us. Doing a concert on this scale and bringing them closer into that bigger picture is our way of expressing immense gratitude to them as well,” they added.
Ben&Ben collaborated with Concert director Paolo Valenciano, along with co-director Maribel Legarda, Philippine Theater Association (PETA), and veteran light designer Shakira Villa-Symes to make this defining concert possible.
“Working closely with them on this concert only made it clearer to us why they are the biggest names in the industry. The flow of ideas and creative energies really went on naturally because of their openness, and their generosity to share with us their thoughts, but what makes them more admirable is their skill to work within the limitations that we have and to adapt when faced with challenges. We definitely learned a lot from their work ethic,” the group said.
It is also the first time they are dancing on stage. They included actors and dancers as part of their visual narrative to give the audience a semblance of being physically present with them throughout the concert journey.
“Movement and dance and the entire visual narrative of it all woven into our music brought our songs to life,” the band said in a statement.
“The talented dancers we’ve worked with, headed by choreographer Gio Gahol, are from different dance groups as well. It is amazing to see how they seem to get along and dance so passionately with each other easily,” they added.
In terms of production design, the Kuwaderno stepped up their game in being more in line with the times, and pushing the envelope in terms of how the music can be represented visually.
According to the ensemble, each stage has its own purpose, its own symbolisms and visual elements.
Val Guico, the general manager of Ben&Ben Music Productions, is also grateful to the people involved in the production for making strides in pulling off this event. This concert is also eyed to help the production team whose livelihood and work have been greatly affected by the pandemic.
“Bulk of the concert earnings will be shared to everyone behind the scenes,” the concert producer said.
“They are the unsung heroes of the show. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to bring Ben&Ben’s vision to life,” Guico added.
Tickets
Fans can purchase the tickets to “Kuwaderno: A Ben&Ben Online Concert” can be purchased via the KTX website.
It comes in the following packages:
- The TINATANGI package (priced at P8,000), which gives you access to the online concert, plus an Exclusive 1 on 1 Harana Session with the band on Zoom and a raffle entry to the Exclusive Ben&Ben House Tour – Already sold-out
Other ticket tiers that are still available:
- KAIBIGAN (priced at P 1,000), MAGKA-IBIGAN (priced at P3,500), and MAHIWAGA (priced at PP 5,500)—all containing different packages and inclusions.
The concert is brought by Ben&Ben Music Productions and SMART Telecommunications Inc.
It is co-presented by Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), Sony Music Philippines, Big Bulb, Chapters, Robinson’s Mall, KTX.ph, Elesi, Cream Silk, Primo, Phirst Park Homes, Novotel, JB Music, Urban Smiles, Summit, Philippine Red Cross, Sennheiser, Verona Audio Design, and Jilla Sara. Special thanks to the media partners: MYX, 96.3 Easy Rock, and Wish 107.5.
