Michael Bublé’s ‘lovefest’ ushers in Valentine season

Michael Bublé sang seven of the 10 songs we hoped he’d sing at his “lovefest” concert at the MOA Arena last Saturday—but, the sleek and sensational show he fondly referred to as his “homecoming” concert was more than just a showcase of the Grammy-winning hitmaker’s exceptional skills as a singer and performer.

Unlike most foreign acts, who come to town with a fixed repertoire and a spectacular show concertgoers gawk at from a distance, Michael worked hard to make the audience part of his show by incorporating detailed elements of Pinoy pop culture—like his references to Sarah Geronimo (who was in the audience with Matteo Guidicelli), or denying he’s “bakla,” when he talked about one of his good-looking musicians.

Ice-cold hush

There was an ice-cold hush—and some unflattering “buzzing”—when Bublé mentioned the “niceness” of Kris Aquino (who had interviewed him the night before), followed by a quick disclaimer that he doesn’t “do politics,” before singing “Hold On” for the presidential sister.

It wasn’t hard for Michael to move away from occasional “awkward” moments like those—because he knew how to break the ice: To shatter the “reverence” of his standards-heavy repertoire, he surprised the audience with jokes directed at his accompanists, between winking versions of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody,” as well as his dazzling a cappella numbers with Naturally 7. (In his Manila show a decade ago, he gladly obliged to sing “Mr. Suave.”)

The audience swayed, swooned and sashayed when he launched into his more upbeat tunes (“Save The Last Dance For Me,” “It’s A Beautiful Day,” “Fever,” “Everything”)—but, his honey-coated, resonant voice was better appreciated when he fielded his ballads (“Cry Me A River,” “Home,” “That’s All,” “Try A Little Tenderness”).

Missteps

Quibbles? Yes, even the great crooner had some noticeable missteps—mostly, by way of slurred (or forgotten) lyrics. This is something we’ve increasingly noticed about Michael since we began following his career in 2003: The more he relaxes and gets comfortable, the more he mumbles (and fumbles) his lyrics! Moreover, he no longer “belts” as much, which isn’t a problem if you’re not familiar with his show-stopping rendition of “Try A Little Tenderness.”

The singer’s gaffes are easy to forgive, however—because he doesn’t just sing his songs with style, his also renders them with sincerity and soul. At the end of the show, he dedicated Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” to his Filipino fans, who had embraced him long before he became a global superstar:

“This was where it all started. Without you, I wouldn’t be here,” Michael said gratefully. As the deeply moving final notes of the enduring tune began their ascent, Michael put away the microphone and sang his highest trills for the 15,000 adoring fans, who were only too happy to welcome him “home.”