SB19's Newest Fan: Simula at Wakas Kick Off

(Sat Jun 28 2025)

Hello A'TIN! 👋🏼 I am an introvert like our bunso line, please do not share/repost in other social media platforms. I am shy 🙈🙏🏼.

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Okay so at this point in time I was still in denial. Me? Into P-pop? Tangal angas ba ako neto?

My husband on the other hand was ready the moment he noticed I am getting into SB19 🙏🏼💋. He started to give hints that he'd buy us tickets for the Kick-off concert. For a while I kept saying no. I'm not ready. I only like DAM. I don't know their older songs. I still don't know much about the members. I'm fine if I take my time (is what I tell myself).

I just surprised him one random night that as it turns out, he was right, I want to watch 😅.

I was offline for the first time

Because we had day 2 tickets, I didn't want to be spoiled. And I know how fast A'TINs are with uploading. So I refrained from social media for a day.

I didn't know how I survived that day but I am glad I pushed through. The experience wouldn't be the same if I know what to expect. Aside from hearing from the people next to my seat that they'd fly on a platform (who are Ken biases worried for him 🤘🏼), I knew nothing.

Fan culture

Again, this is all new to me.

We were not able to line up at the Fan Zone. At 12-1pm, the line outside was just way too long and it's way too hot outside.

Despite that I still received so many random freebies from random fans next to me. WHAT IS THIS KINDNESS IS THIS REAL 😭. So many people giving stuff away. Some even asks first who your bias is. Even though some of the items were not of the best quality, I very much appreciate the effort. I now have a misaligned/poorly cut Dungka! sticker on my laptop to remember this by.

Another fun thing I observed were those trading photo cards. Introvert watching extrovert things. It did occur to me to trade 1 of the cards we got but my shyness got the best of me (as expected hehe).

Philippine Arena

Okay so the arena is so huge. This will be full of people in an hour? Consider me overwhelmed.

The stage as well was huge. SB19 deserves this stage, no doubt. In fancams, you’d see the camera looking for the member currently singing. If I am being selfish though, I'd love to watch them live in a smaller venue.

One of my struggles were: Where should I look?

1. the LED screen at the side where the members are clear and with lyrics
2. the LED screen at the back where it’s more creative and matches each song
3. the actual members but they are so small 🤏

I settled with actually watching them, this was my one and only chance for that. I can rewatch everything else later.

As for the queueing to get inside we did not have any issues. It was well organized. There were a lot of staff around, ready to assist. Unfortunately we struggled to get out of parking. We stayed in D1 (I think, next to the first D section) hoping we'd get out fast but there were no enforcers in our section to guide traffic. We only got out when the first D section barricade was opened to let us out through their exit.

Highlights

That intro is everything ❤️‍🔥. It sets the expectation of the whole show. I was so focused on figuring out where the 5 boys were. And when W3 (their dancers) jumped out of view, it's still not over. They took their time to finish revealing themselves. It's like time slowing down. Definitely the experience of a lifetime. Glad I got to witness this. And the show's just getting started.

Lyrics on the LED screen. I live for these kinds of accessibility 🥹. Husband said he was focused on figuring out the technicalities of these lyrics in front of the live footage. (This was his volunteer work at church years ago)

Dungkrab 🦀. I was so focused on the boys I didn't notice the giant crab until chorus. Husband did not notice it too until I told him 😆. My favorite part was how the crab was also dancing to the steps of Dungka.

I appreciate that it wasn't just any random crab put on screen, it was made specifically for this. Esbi found supporting real artists again 🙌🏼

Mana 👖↔️🙎🏼‍♀️. This might be my favorite song of theirs. (It was only after this concert that I learned it didn't even have an official music video ???). It's so satisfying. There's this part in the dance I really like where Justin is center.

Nyebe ❄️. I am still in the process of learning SB19's discography. And in this concert Nyebe is the only song I am not familiar with. Putting the lyrics on the LED screen was such a good decision because I was contemplating my life during this performance. Esbi mapanakit.

I also had to ask my husband what the word nyebe means 😆.

Stell's boyfriends. I find Stell's roll call for his girlfriends and boyfriend to be impactful. He is loudly breaking gender norms 👏🏼. During pride month at that! But what I will remember from this moment (w/c I think the fancams didn't capture as well) was how there was a collective masculine scream from the fanboys 💪🏼 (as compared to the girlies’ high toned shrieks 🦅).

Justin's follow up with his nanays (mothers) is also as iconic.

Shooting For the Stars high above. I liked the full visual during this performance. Romanticizing our dreams done well.

Also, Ken was not moving on that platform 😆. It's not obvious that he's scared though, if he actually is. If that was me I'd be screaming the whole time.

More highlights in bullets:

1. That jump during Quit healed me.
2. I didn't notice the switched lines in Bazinga until Pablo sang Ken's part.
3. Was Josh's hair blue when the show started? 🫨
4. Stell is so funny please 😭
5. Stage so huge and yet it's Esbi siksikan every time they do spiels (is that what it's called, idk hehe)

It was literally a cycle, it ended with the same bang 💥 as how it started. Simula at Wakas nga.

The production.

Almost every song had their own new thing. We had new song arrangements, new dance breaks, strategic light executions, confetti, whatever you call those things they were holding during CRIMZONE, and LED displays that matches the theme of the song. I'd like to be in the room where it happenedthey visualized all of this please 🙏🏼

What I liked most:

1. Quit - the LED showing them live but in inverted colors
2. Moonlight - the under the moonlight feels
3. Shooting for the Stars - starry night vibes

I feel happy for all the artists involved to make this happen. We were able to witness what "made in the Philippines" can be. They embodied their words: Paano hihigitan ang sagad na?

Post concert depression

I didn't take any videos, that's my husbands task for the night. Rewatching them now for this blog post and it turns out they are Ken focused fancams (he likes Pablo the most) 😭🙏🏼.

It was entertaining to watch day 1 vs day 2 comparisons jealousy online. The tampo of both is so valid and relatable. Some day 1 moments I wish I got to experience:

1. Shooting For The Stars with that fun choreo. And all of them having the time of their lives.
2. Ken's talk during Quit (when he said this is our anthem)
3. The fan project "the world is yours, SB19" banner in the sky

To conclude.

Just two things: 1.) I wish we found seats closer to the stage; and 2.) I want to experience their DAM performance with a smaller stage.

I didn't know I deserve this kind of show. Forever grateful for SB19 and everyone behind this kick-off 💋

Please don't disband yet, I just arrived. 🙏🏼