I love you, Elliott Yamin!!!

I started writing out a lengthy recap of my TriNoma experience, then backtracked and realized no one's gonna read all that sh!t. So yeah, this is the "shorter" version. Hehehe.

So here's what went on last Friday, September 21, at TriNoma where I watched Elliott Yamin and died. By the way, all timestamps are just approximations. Di naman ako ganun ka-addict. Ehehehe, yeah right.

4:30 p.m. - Arrival at TriNoma with Menggai (Ma'am Cheng) and Ma'am Soph (Docto)

4:40 p.m. - bought Elliott's album from the Odyssey booth just outside the Activity Center and got a bonus poster with it (Elliott's face is now the last thing I see before exiting my bedroom, as I hung the poster just beside the door). The line to the seating area had already started, but the floors above were still relatively clear of people.

4:50 p.m. - Had a snack at Sbarro's. I also went back down to the Activity Center to pick up my Yaminoy shirt from fellow Yaminoy Yam. Kudos to her and Marie for taking on the job for these cool shirts!


While procuring the shirt, I heard from security that Elliott was currently at Bench. My heart skipped a beat to know that E was already in the building.

5:15 p.m. - Camped out at the 3rd floor, front and center of the stage. Great vantage point for watching, but not too good for taking pics and recording vids. We were much later joined by Joyce (Simpas) and Mardan (Llanura) from the Math Unit. Mardan stayed while Joyce relocated to the seating area to join Julius (Legaspi, a former co-teacher from the SocSci Unit). Much later, my friends and batchmates Sandy and Hombre joined us, too.

5:30 p.m. - Screaming was heard from below, and I looked just in time to see E wave from inside "backstage" (w/c was actually on the side of the stage). I shrieked myself. I hope I did not scare my companions.

5:40 p.m. - The band started soundcheck, and I couldn't believe my eyes when E himself stepped up onstage to join his band. He was all hyper and jumping around the stage and waving to the fans. I could have died then and there, knowing that Elliott was just a couple of meters away, breathing the same air as I did.

From then on, the crowd started to thicken progressively, and you could feel the excitement and energy building up.


7:00 p.m. - The show started ON TIME (Great job, Ayala!). The lights were dimmed, the crowd squealed in excitement, and Elliott's band started to make their way onstage - Russell Ali on guitar, E-lookalike Aaron Goldstein on percussion, and Joonie Gary on keys. As soon as E joined them, all hell broke loose.

I could hardly understand what he was saying down there (thanks to the distance the sound waves had to travel to my spot), but I was ecstatic nonetheless to finally be watching Elliott live.

He sang the following songs as I slowly died and found myself in paradise:

Movin' On. Pang-asar pala lyrics nito: he's moving on because the girl he likes isn't reciprocating. Tapos sa huli hihirit siya ng "your best friend's at my door". Ehehehe.

One Word. I totally love this song, but just a wee bit disappointed that he didn't write this. Super sweet pa naman nung words. "I just want to celebrate you, baby / You're amazing / So amazing / Just amazing to me."

Train Wreck. Easily one of the best tracks in the album.

Find A Way. Another gem from the album.

Wait for You. This is his current single in the Philippines, and it has been charting quite well in certain radio stations and music video channels.

In Love With You Forever. A bonus track available online. It's not part of the CD being sold here.

A Song for You. I got really excited when I saw that it was just Elliott and his keyboardist onstage, because that meant he was singing A Song For You. It was surreal seeing him sing this live.

E was left all alone onstage after ASFY, and was starting to say goodbye. Of course the crowd wouldn't let him and started shouting "More!" Then E said, "Now I can't leave...but my band's gone already (sabay ngiti)..."

Finally, he yielded, and the crowd went wild when he revealed what he was going to sing:

Moody's Mood for Love. According to an Elliott Yamin forum I visited, E hasn't sang this song since AI! Astig, special tayo!

Sayang, hindi niya kinanta yung You Are the One. My SUPER DUPER FAVORITE. Gusto ko gamitin sa kasal ko 'tong kanta na 'to.

All too soon, the gig was over. The Meet-and-Greet session soon started, and that was the time I died again.

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Right before the gig started, my friend Christi, who is a DJ at RX (one of the show's sponsors), texted that she was on her way. I asked if she had a ticket, and she replied that she did, plus meet-and-greet passes. Did I want to meet Elliott daw.

Internal turmoil then ensued, because I was with my Bio friends but I couldn't bring them to the M&G if I did accept Christi's invite. Eh pare-pareho kaming Elliott fanatics.

I actually texted Christi to say that I was passing up because I didn't want to leave my bio friends. Then she texted back to ask if I was sure, because she believed I'd appreciate the M&G more than she did (she's not much of a fan, she says).

When the show ended, I finally decided to meet up with Elliott, I mean Christi , together with my friend Sandy. And THAT was one of the best fickle decisions I have ever made!

I was sooo giddy, my mind was a blank - I couldn't really absorb the idea that I was gonna get up close with Elliott Yamin!

As Christi, Sandy, and I were making our way to the line for the M&G, we bumped into our little sister Maya (Pisay '01), who ended up with us onstage with Elliott. As I made my way up the steps, I wasn't even thinking of what I was gonna say. It was ALL A DAZE. As in. Even until now, it hasn't sunk in that I actually got to shake Elliott's hand, talk to him, and have my picture taken with him and my friends.


It was a last minute decision to give him my Yaminoy shirt. I was rambling on to him onstage, "Hi, I'm from the Yaminoys, and they made you this shirt (holds up shirt in front of him)." I was about to say the shirt was mine but I was gonna give it to him instead, then I realized that wasn't really right, so I ended up saying, "I'm not sure if this is gonna fit you, but it's yours."

Sa sobrang windang ko, I CANNOT remember a word of what he said to me. I don't even recall him saying anything to me All I remember are his beautiful blue eyes. I swear, I died right then and there (yet again), staring into those blue eyes. They're not Kurt-Cobain-blue, but beautiful blue, nonetheless.

Then I stepped aside as Sandy, Christi, and Maya said their hellos. Then we posed for the pic, and I heard and saw Desa '08 shouting out, "Ma'am Dacs ang daya niyo!" I had texted her earlier na madaya siya kasi she had a dad and kuya to claim tix for her during the mall opening because she had school

I heard squeals as Elliott held up the shirt for the pic; I'm not sure if those were the Yaminoys, but I hope Yam and Marie had seen that and were proud to see the shirt in Elliott's hands. It would've been great if it were they themselves who gave it to E.

EDIT: They were actually able to give Elliott and Monet shirts after the Glorietta show. They (the Yaminoys) even have a pic with Elliott while he was wearing the shirt! Way to go, Yaminoys! You guys are the best fans ever!

Menggai said I looked stunned afterwards, and there ain't nothing farther from the truth. I actually squeezed Gelo '07 later as I squealed under my breath having realized what had just happened.

Twenty-four hours later, I'm still giddy and high. I've been kicking myself mentally though for not having HUGGED Elliott; almost everyone he met and greeted got a hug. I was so frickin' nervous and formal, all I did was shake his hand. Tsss.

But I will never forget those blue eyes...

I sooo love the guy. I don't think I've loved a musical artist this badly before. I'm so proud of how far he's gone. I feel like I'm his mommy, so proud to see her shy and clueless toddler (as he was during his pre-AI and AI days) to have grown into such a confident and talented and endearing young man. He totally deserves all the love being sent his way. I do hope, as in really really really truly madly deeply hope that our warm (sizzling?) reception of him will convince him to come back for a major concert.

And yet again, I'll Wait For You, Elliott Yamin.

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Read his biography on MySpace and fall in love with his sincerity and awe at his own fate. By the way, that Elliott doll which is his default pic was a gift from the Yaminoys. Pinagawa sa Mini-Me store sa Megamall. Astig!

Videos of his TriNoma performances can be found on YouTube. I won't be uploading the ones I took, because they're from so far away, and the audio isn't good anyway.

I was able to get a few pics, but in 12X-zoom mode so it's all grainy. I guess you can find what others have posted so far here.

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Buti nalang weekend. Kundi kailangang magturo sa klase kahit na windang at nasa Cloud 9 pa rin