Day6 awed by Pinoy fans’ ‘legendary energy’
The South Korean band Day6 didn’t have to do a whole lot to get the fans going.
Sungjin raising his thumbs and giving a self-satisfied shrug? Bedlam. Dowoon pouting as he spoke with that deep voice of his? Bedlam. Wonpil scanning the crowd with his face frozen in wide-eyed wonder? Bedlam. Young K just standing there, flashing his bedimpled smile? Bedlam.
And just when you thought the screaming and cheering inside the packed Araneta Coliseum couldn’t grow more hysterical, the boys picked up their instruments and began to sing. “Tonight, the energy level in this place is legendary. Bravo!” Young K said at the recent Manila stop of Day6’s third world tour, “Forever Young.”
Save for the random showers of confetti, the production was pretty much bare bones throughout this three-hour concert (Live Nation Philippines). Not a lot of bells and whistles, as one would expect from a pop-rock act. But with voices like Sungjin’s, Young K’s, and Wonpil’s, who needs pyrotechnics anyway?
Young K, the group’s cool, virtually unflappable bassist, sang with easy power, hitting piercing head tones and sweet falsettos without breaking a sweat, without a strand of hair out of place. He might even throw you a playful smirk as he nimbly linked musical notes into a curlicue of runs.
Column of sound
There was a sense of pureness, almost childlike innocence, in the way Wonpil sang. But don’t be fooled by this mild-mannered keyboardist. His vocals were alternately gentle and resonant, yearning and pleading. And when a song required that extra emotional wallop, he had no problem belting it out with the rest of them.
The guitarist-frontman, Sungjin, meanwhile, had a natural rasp to his tone that added grit to the set’s more hard-hitting fare and a tinge of ache and desperation in the occasional slow-burners. Oftentimes, he strummed his guitar hunched over, eyes fixed on his instrument—keen, focused, and seemingly lost in his own world. But whenever a song surged to a crescendo, he would throw caution to wind and let out a growl.
At the back, drummer Dowoon matched his three bandmates’ vocals with his intensity and proficiency on the skins. And together with their fluent, well-rounded instrument-playing, they built a column of sound that propelled the band’s soaring anthems and stadium-friendly pop-rock tracks.
There was the head-bobbing chants of “Healer,” the unbridled optimism of “Time of Our Life,” the funky lick of “Congratulations,” the swirling guitars and razor-sharp riffs of “Love Me or Leave Me,” the punk-inflected “Dance Dance,” and the brooding grunge of “Monster.”
Even the little pockets of spontaneous jamming unwittingly became vocal highlights. Quick to catch on and quick on their feet, Young K and Wonpil took the crowd’s chanting of “Walang uuwi!” and turned it into a little R&B jam, runs all, at the end for added flourish.
Connection
Songs like “Happy” could make one feel as if you’re running in a vast field, or jumping off a cliff—only to end up flying toward the sun. The rock ballad “You Were Beautiful,” however, was arguably the night’s highlight, with its rather forlorn intro eventually giving way to pulsing guitars and crashing piano chords.
The boys’ singing was strong, impassioned. But in the second chorus, they hushed, letting the Filipino fans, on “My Day,” take over. And in the moment, the connection between fan and artist had never been more palpable. “Seriously, you guys know how to sing,” he said. And you know it was genuine; not just a passing, pandering remark.
But as they basked in the crowd’s fervent adulation, Sungjin, Young K, Wonpil, and Dowoon made it clear that the honor was not theirs alone. This joyous spectacle was about the fans as much as it was about the band. Because they wouldn’t be the musicians they are today if it weren’t for the unwavering love and support from the people they share this space with.
“You are the ones who make us exist. You have to know that the reason Day6 tries its best to grow better is you guys. You motivate us to create better music. You give us energy all the time. And of course, if you give us energy, we can only give it back to you,” Sungjin said.
Dowoon found just the right metaphor. “It’s a very happy day for me. And I actually say this all the time, but you guys are oxygen to us,” he said. “When you’re tired and exhausted, make sure to lean on us.”
From the way he commanded the stage, no one would have suspected in the slightest that Young K had caught a stomach bug the day prior. He wasn’t in the best condition, he revealed, and he wasn’t sure if he would have the stamina to power through the show’s vocally demanding set of more than 30 songs.
But the moment he heard the hearty cheers of the Filipino fans, Young K just knew that everything was going to be a-okay.
Energizing
“I knew I could pull this off. I knew I would be able to sing and have fun with you. Do you know why? It’s all because of you,” he said. “The amount of energy we got from you tonight—and I think I had already said this earlier—was legendary. You are amazing, each and everyone of you. I was awed, shocked. You guys made this happen.”
And this outpouring of energy wasn’t only inspiring—it was healing. “You say you get energy from our music or watching us sing onstage. But the sight of you smiling, singing, and dancing along heals me and energizes me a lot,” Wonpil said.
“I hope we can all just live together like how we are right now. No matter how many hard times come into our lives, I hope we can break through them together and grow as individuals, too,” added the visibly moved keyboardist. His eyes darting every which way, he choked on his words. And tried as he might to suppress his emotions, gentle sobs inevitably escaped his lips.
“Thank you so much for being with us always. We will try to pay you back with good music,” said Wonpil, now surrounded by his bandmates who had come to comfort him.
There will be indeed “new stuff” coming out, Young K said. And more material means more reasons to come back and do another show. But they could only hope that it wouldn’t take them another five years to be reunited with their Filipino fans.
“Day6 had a hard time visiting here again. So thank you for coming here to our show. I hope it won’t take that long for us to see each other again. I will try to make it that way,” Sungjin said.
The was conviction in Young K’s tone. “We’re letting you know that we want to come back,” he stressed. “The next time we come back, will you be there for us? We will be there if you will be there. Will you guys sing with us? Will you guys have fun with us and make memories together?”
And to each of those questions, the fans chorused with a resounding, “Yes!”
“Let’s keep on giving positive influence to each other Please stay happy and healthy until the day we see each other again,” Sungjin added. “I love you, guys!”
