Sarah Geronimo took Laguna by storm during her sold-out THIS 15 ME (stylized “this is me”) concert on Friday, November 30, at the Sta. Rosa City Multi-Purpose Complex, Sta. Rosa City, Laguna. It was the first time a local concert show, let alone of such scale, was hosted at the said venue.
Fans were treated with energetic and breathtaking performances that featured Sarah’s biggest hits since she first came to the music industry. Coinciding her 15th year in the recording scene, THIS 15 Me is Sarah’s little way of giving back to her fans who have been following her since she won Star for A Night in 2003. In the event, she went back to her humble beginnings and expressed her gratitude to those who have never stopped to believe her.
Ecstatic audience greeted her in uproarious screams when she first graced the stage for her opening act. The first song she performed was Dulo from her Perfectly Imperfect album. She sounded really fantastic in that song, which really complemented her radiance during her whole performance
In between musical performances, Sarah pulled off some amusing comedic efforts where she took time to go through her early days in showbusiness. Geronimo recounted her funny experiences as a striving newbie whose exposure to projects never really went bigger than as a mere support. It made the entire venue explode in chuckles and laughs. It was nice and heartwarming to see Sarah taking her struggles positively, and with a grateful heart, declaring they have in fact, made her become a stronger being.
Noting that she never imagined she’d be paired up with among the industry’s finest leading men, Sarah recounted her beginnings as a new movie star. She took time going from John Lloyd Cruz, Piolo Pascual, Coco Martin, and Gerald Anderson, saying she was blessed having to worked with them, but she gave high regard to her first leading man, Mark Bautista, who was not in the event due to prior commitments.
In her next performances, she showcased an array of her hits to which audience happily sung along. Red light sticks, provided by EKG Productions and Popsters, filled in the venue by fans who tirelessly cheered for Sarah in her very performance. It was one of the most responsive and energetic audience with which I watched a concert, ever! Sarah performed Kilometro, Ikot-Ikot, and covers of some of what she considers the most memorable songs in her life.
As a total performer, Sarah also showed off some of her impeccable dance moves, one of the highlights of which, is when she danced to Michael Jackson‘s signature moves. Like how she gave tribute to the King of Pop, the Popstar also shared her biggest musical influence–Celion Dion–and how grateful she has been for Dion for playing a big role in her journey to reaching her dreams.
Halfway the show, Sarah sang her iconic hit, ‘Forever Is Not Enough’ regarding it as her song for all her supporters. She was generous enough to let the audience sing some of the meaningful lines in the song, with her.
Her guests, on the other hand, made the night even more exciting by performing equally explosive numbers which made the audience rise from their feet. Ronnie Liang shared his ‘Closer’ by the Chainsmokers, with Sarah, before performing his hit song, Ngiti, where he picked a lucky female audience up to the stage, to dedicate his performance.
Sam Concepcion, likewise, pumped up the entire venue , when he challenged Sarah in a dance showdown, one that really made the whole arena explode in defeaning screams, as the two performers gave their all to match each other’s moves. Sam performed a song solo, a cover of Bruno Mars’ ’24k Magic’, which took him away from the stage down to the audience area, dancing. Lastly, he sang his signature hit Mahal Na Mahal to which audience heartifully sang along.
When Sarah gloriously returned to the stage, so did the audience’s exuberant mood. During her last few performances, Sarah incessantly said ‘thank you’, never really letting go of her energy in her last remaining songs. She was as beautiful as ever, and it really transcended through every song she performed.
It was really a lovely night, fun and very memorable. It really proved Sarah as a total performer, which wasn’t really a surprise, having filled countless jam-packed concert venues before, like Sta. Rosa City Complex. Along with its co-presenters: Phoenix Pulse Technology, Phoenix Petroleum and Thai Royale Spa, EKG Productions, produced and promoted the show, and did a great job in organizing such remarkable concert.
They will again hold the same show at the University of Baguio in Baguio City, on the 2nd of February, next year, and surely, audience there would be treated with the same level of grandeaur and energy which Sarah Geronimo: This 15 Me brought to the people of Laguna. What a concert! (All photos courtesy of EKG Productions)
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