Lionel Richie says hello, leaves Filipinos wanting more

MANILA, Philippines – Lining up outside the gates of Smart Araneta Coliseum with my sexagenarian mother and (older) sister to see Lionel Richie in concert is somewhat comical. Okay, I probably know a few of his largely known songs like “Hello,” “Easy (Like Sunday Morning)” and “Stuck On You”, and he’s recently made a resurrection from one-part Commodore member to a legit R&B superstar, but that’s just about all the things I know about this guy. On a more odd note, every time I’d hear his name I’d be reminded of the countless memes I see online which bear his face. If you’re in your twenties, just like me, the thought of watching Lionel Richie live may faze you a bit, because you know, 80s.

My mom and sister, doing obligatory concert selfies.

Or so I thought.

When Mr Richie opened his set by throwing everyone his almost-trademarked question, “Hello, is it me you’re looking for,” even I screamed with my mom and sister. It was just so unexpected and kind of hinted at how exciting the night would turn out to be for the audience. He kick started his set with songs that I may only know by tune, but which my mom knows by heart because she sang it completely with him.

In retrospect, I should have asked my mom for the setlist because I’m pretty sure she knew this very well—she was busy singing along with Lionel Richie the entire time, and she wasn’t alone on this. I gazed across the audience in our row and saw other “moms” and “dads” singing along with him. I also saw people my age mouthing the words to his songs.

Just like my sister, the audience went crazy during Lionel Richie’s concert.

It was when he sang Easy, Ballerina Girl, Stuck On You, Say You Say Me and Three Times A Lady in between his other popular songs that it dawned on me that I probably knew more about Lionel Richie than what I was willing to admit to myself. This shouldn’t really be surprising—his songs are a staple favorite of radio stations playing classic love songs. This could be one of the main reasons why he’s able to continue his popularity and relevance even in this age of Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus. His voice is still as smooth as when I first started to recognize him over the airwaves when I was younger.

During his entire performance, Lionel Richie proved not only to be a good balladeer but also a great talker. In between songs, he would let the audience in on some bits of history about how some of his hits came to be. He was funny and it reflected on the audience watching him because I could see everyone laughing in all the right places.

It was probably the song “Hello” that drove everyone crazy, and I say this with conviction because I myself screamed upon hearing the first few bars of the song. After a few more upbeat tunes at the latter part of his performance, such as the very recognizable “All Night Long,” and all the stories in between, Lionel Richie bowed down to an enthralled audience. He returned on stage to sing “We Are The World” as his encore before finally ending his set, leaving everyone seemingly wanting more of him.

Now, don’t blame me if I admit I don’t know a lot about his music, but don’t blame me either if I say that despite this insignificant fact, I still enjoyed his show immensely.