First  my apologies for the late review of Arnel Pineda's acoustic gig held last month.   T'was five days before Christmas when everyone was in a rush, traffic was heavy, errands  abound, I could barely sit still. 

Seriously, I had my hands full even on the day itself of the gig.  Two people and a group to meet that day at the venue at different hours under different circumstances. Whew.  

Some of you may have read my real time updates on facebook.  The moment Arnel opened his mouth to sing his first song (he offered a minute of silence  for typhoon Sendong victims before starting the show),  one picture immediately popped out from my brain, a picture of a giant marquee like the ones on the streets of Las Vegas.

"Arnel Pineda is a rock god. " That was what was running in my virtual marquee.

I know that it's an oft-repeated, oft-abused cliche.  I can assure you I am not one of those who'd throw it on just about anyone or anytime modesty aside.  But there are some people with extraordinary talent that once they get the chance to display their gift, you just can't help but feel like stepping back a few, fall on your knees with both arms outstretched and reaching the ground.  That night, was one of those nights. 

Firstly, who in the world would dare think of starting an acoustic gig singing the legendary anthem Stairway to Heaven.    That song calls for one of the more difficult vocal acrobatics in  metal rock kingdom.   Moreso, sing it the way Robert Plant would have done it if he is still able to and not in any other, probably easier way.   STH is one of those songs, for me, that need not be rearranged and should be left untouched essentially.  Am a bit of a purist when it comes to that song. Just like  one should not sing "Silent Night" in a different arrangement or risk losing its essence.  But an acoustic version?  Wow. It was indeed an exceptional rendition.  Needless to say the man has, with due respect, the balls to do it. 

When one can sing that song for a starter, and by the way he was sitting on a stool,  you just know anything else he'll sing after that would be easy peasy.

That night being an acoustic gig, Arnel displayed different facets  to his voice. There's that sensitive, soft side when he sang  the Olivia Newton-John Bryan Adams duet "The Best of Me."  I shake my head in awe.  There were no mind-boggling stratospheric notes  in that but it was the first time for me to hear a male artist perform this song live.  As soon he started with the first line, the ladies screamed.  Me, I had another goosebump moment.  He goes "No one will ever touch me more..." and  the hair in my skin froze til the end of the song.  I claim zero knowledge about the technical aspects of music other than what I learned in grade school which was so last century but I do remember his vibrato that was amply displayed in the slow songs and is just perfect for an acoustic gig like this.  It can send shivers down anyone's spine.  His version of the Simon and Garfunkel classic Bridge Over Troubled Waters and Richard Marx's Hold On to the Night  -- were perfect examples. BOTW started out really well, dang that angelic voice. The ending was okay though but the first time I heard him perform it early last year in one of his pre-Eclipse tour gig, was better, save for some distracting screams (hehe, I love you plokkers!).   I admit to not being too familiar with the Marx's song  but I was immediately enchanted when I heard Arnel's version.  (By not being familiar to me means I don't remember this song but now that I hear it I remember somewhat.)  The slow and minimalist arrangement all the more highlighted his beautiful voice. You could hear  'oohs' and 'aahs' from the audience and pretty much for the rest of the songs he sang that night.

Now here's the thing. The challenge in doing cover songs for me is how an artist can make it his or her own. Arnel is very good at that, and I'd say has even mastered the art.  But that is difficult to do in an acoustic arrangement.  Tonight is again one of those nights that he has displayed his extraordinary talent of doing justice to every song he covers.  I call that respect -- respect for the songwriter and performer as well as  for the beauty of the song. Arnel made us swoon at the slow songs just as he allowed us to sing along to the lighter ones like Losing My Religion, Message in a Bottle (always love it when he sings this), Happy Christmas (War is Over) and I'll Stop the World.  The participation of Nicole Asensio of General Luna in Sweet Child of Mine was an extra sweet gesture as he allowed Nicole to shine in her own right.  He asked her to stay and sing duet with him the entire song and not just sing a line or two. The crowd was just as appreciative.  Now Nicole is one artist (or her band)  to watch out for.  I checked out youtube and these girls can really rock.   When he sang Survivor's "Search is Over" I said to myself that if Arnel is not yet with Journey and Neal would  see this , he would hire him again. 

Another fun part was when the Philippine Azkal team's Anton del Rosario, who was in the audience celebrating his birthday along with friends and brother, was asked to come up onstage and sing along.  Wearing a mohawk, not only is he good in sports, he was also such a good sport. That much I can say about his singing and he knows it so he just let Arnel do his thing.   But he has a humble vibe to him that I like. A friend love him for his abs, among other things, but that's totally irrelevant to this discourse, no? lol

Arnel also sang my all time favorite song U2's "With or Without You"  which I call my '2nd national anthem'.  Known for the bass line of Adam Clayton,  The Edge's unique sound of his guitar riffs which Bono describes as creating a landscape, I call it three dimensional, listening to this song gives me an out of this world feeling, kinda like floating in the air, perhaps a drugged but good drugs, feeling.  I love it when Arnel sings it and he said that he is also a fan and though this performance was better than the previous ones  I've seen him do this, it's still in that 'he's getting there" stage for me.  I'm looking forward to his making it his song.  

Another not so familiar one for me that he sang is Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again."  In Arnel's case as I said, it's always 99% better than the recorded ones or even live ones that I hear or see.  I loved it the moment I heard it. Then there was community singing and I found myself singing along, rather mumbling, except the line "Here I Go Again" because that's the only line I learned that night. lol  But  our boy showed some range!

Like I said in my past reviews or comments post-show, this one was better than the last. It really is. I and the fans who were there with me were ecstatic after the show, for days even.  I saw one fan cry with happiness!  An aww moment. I share your happiness, girl, as well as with the fans who enjoyed it thoroughly.  I am not the showy type of person, but if you can translate my goosebumps throughout the show in tears, I'd have buckets.   

That night there was no confetti. No fireworks. No giant electronic monitors. There was no room enough to show off his now famous jump or "Air-nel" as fans would call it.  There was just a simple set of drums, a keyboard, an acoustic guitar played exceptionally well by long time friend, the underrated Monet Cajipe.  Then there was that important other instrument. His voice.   One must never leave this world without seeing Arnel sing live. It's just one of those things you need to include in your bucket list. 

Youtube, no  matter how good your device is, is only half of that experience.  One can not capture the intangibles, the yearning in his voice when the lyrics call for it, that 'high-feeling' when he howls in Stairway to Heaven, or that feeling like he's hugging you tight when  he sings that line "wish that I could give you more, ohhh" in Hold On to the Night.  Ladies who were there, you know what I mean.  It's like you'll never know what a kiss is like until you experience it.  

Having said all of the above, that night's performance was better than the last one.  I really mean that and not just for literary amplification. He does it all the time, every single 'effin time.  

The only proof of that is to watch him live. Then you too can have your "Arnel-Pineda-is-a-rock-god" moment.  And that is a real good feeling I can guarantee.