It was an unfamiliar voice. Could this just be some kind of prank call? It was April Fool’s Day, and it was perfectly normal for me to receive such calls on that day. The person identified himself as someone from Monster Radio RX 93.1. He said that I just won the Jewel This Way to Bangkok Live! Contest.
"You’re kidding, right?"
I doubted at first. He was probably joking. However, when I was bombarded with questions about my passport, my schedule and so forth, I thought, "Is this for real?" I pinched myself real hard... no – it was perfectly real. Before the sheer excitement could sink in, I received a follow-up call from Anne Poblador, the Promotions Manager of Warner Music Philippines, to confirm that I had won the competition.
According to the wonderful people from Monster Radio and Warner Music, I was the second name to be drawn from the list of winners. However, the first person was disqualified (poor fool), so I ended up heading to Bangkok to see my idol, the great Jewel, perform live!
I contacted my friend Michael Montecer to accompany me to Bangkok. Adventurous as he is, he quickly obliged.
With barely three hours to pack, I rushed faster than Road Runner strapped a rocket and I remember packing haphazardly. I didn’t care if I had mismatched socks. As long as I could stuff everything into my small duffel bag, it would be good enough.
I was completely restless at this point. The only thing in my mind was the magic combination of poetry and music.
Upon my arrival in Bangkok, I was surprised at the diversity and the multitude of the sensations that bombarded my mind. It was in complete contrast to the Jewel concert set-up, which was very simple, intimate and to a huge degree very real.
In contrast with the flowery clothing the Thai people wore, Alaskan native Jewel wore a pure white polo shirt with a matching skirt. She was like an angel with a guitar for a harp. When she started singing Standing Still, I felt like a deer staring at a pair of headlights – I was perfectly hooked.
Time seemed to stand still during the chorus of Time Standing Still.
Jewel sang a set of songs, mostly from her new album This Way (a favorite of mine), but because of the enthusiastic crowd (me included of course), she gave us more hits from her past albums. In each successive number, she sounded more and more beautiful and remained note-per-note perfect despite the lateness of time and her hectic schedule.
Perfectionist as she is, Jewel was just as approachable and friendly as any sister. She never shied away from the crowd – and she was even glad to pose with me.
In the end, I went home – tired, but fulfilled. This was the greatest experience I ever had. I actually slept the night away and all I could dreams of was the sweet songs of Jewel singing in my mind.
My view on music will never be the same again, thanks to Monster Radio RX 93.1 and Warner Music Philippines. Guys – you are the best! You will always be number one in my heart!