From now on, I’ll forever remember Sept. 12 as the day I got up close and personal with the members of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. It was on the second day of their two-day trip to the Philippines — part of their latest tour — when my teammates from PULP Studios and I had the opportunity to interview them just hours before their sold-out show at the SM North EDSA Skydome.
I had a blast chatting with Josh Burke, John Espy, Ronnie Winter, and Joey Westwood in one of the venue’s green rooms backstage. The band actually has five members, but Ronnie’s brother Randy wasn’t present that day — at least, not physically. He’s still very much a part of the band, but Randy didn’t join them on tour because he’s back home awaiting the birth of his baby. Still, he was with them in spirit — he recorded his live parts for these shows last December. But I digress.
Usually, when we interview foreign artists and ask them about the Philippines, they’ll talk about how warm the people are and how wild the audience is. Sometimes, they mention being asked to try the balut, to which most of them respond with a hearty, “Hell no!” But in the case of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, what stood out to us was when Ronnie shared that he’s married to a half-Filipina and some of their relatives would be in the audience that night to cheer them on. Up until that moment, I considered myself reasonably well-versed in all things RJA. Like a true millennial, I knew their hit singles Face Down and Your Guardian Angel backwards and forwards. But I had no idea the band — particularly Ronnie — had such a deep connection to our country. My teammates were just as surprised to hear that little tidbit as I was.
That connection was on full display when the concert began. I had never seen the SM North EDSA Skydome so packed. It was wall-to-wall people, all buzzing with excitement. So many wanted to watch the show that the PULP Live World team decided to sell walk-in tickets to those gathered outside the venue. “Team Labas,” as they’re commonly called, would’ve been content to sit outside and listen to the music echo from inside, but when the walk-in tickets went on sale, they quickly snapped them up.
The show was worth every centavo the fans paid. From the first note, the venue was transformed into a sea of raised fists and voices. As Ronnie greeted the crowd, he acknowledged the bond they’ve nurtured with their fans since their early years in Middleburg, Florida, saying, “We’re happy to be back with you here tonight. Let’s take you back to the year 2006.” They did just that by performing songs from their debut album “Don’t You Fake It,” including False Pretense, Damn Regret and, of course, Your Guardian Angel. I don’t know about the band, but goosebumps broke out on my arms when I heard the audience sing along to the chorus of the latter.
Beyond the music, the band’s commitment to fan interaction stood out. They hosted a lively game of “Guess That Song,” with Ronnie playfully teasing song snippets and inviting fans on stage to guess the titles. Later in the show, the band performed Pen and Paper, a track they didn’t play at the other stops on their Asia tour. This performance was exclusive to the Philippines, with Ronnie explaining they chose to play it here because it had been requested almost 10 times.
However, the evening wasn’t just about their own catalog, as the band paid tribute to their musical influences. They performed a cover of Blink-182’s All the Small Things, with Ronnie remarking, “You listened to us during your high school years? We wanna share with you what we listened to when we were in high school!” This performance whipped the crowd’s energy to a fever pitch, which the band brought back down with an intimate rendition of Face Down. They began the song a cappella, and the fans sang along so loudly that their voices could be heard beyond the walls of the SM North EDSA Skydome.
Personally, the night ended on a high note when I walked up to the bar to grab a drink after the show. It just so happened that the band’s bassist, Joey, decided to do the same. We locked eyes, and his face lit up with recognition — he remembered me from the interview. He gave me a fist bump as he sipped from the red solo cup in his hand. “What did you think of the show?” he asked.
“You guys were fantastic!” I raved. I told him how much fun I had, and he said that from his vantage point onstage, he could tell the crowd was having the time of their lives. According to Joey, when he and his bandmates notice that, they go harder on their instruments to match the crowd’s energy. As he put it, the Philippines didn’t disappoint in that respect.
Yeah, Sept. 12 will forever be seared into my mind as the night I had the time of my life rocking out to the songs of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and ended it by casually chatting with one of the band’s members. No big deal. I just hope Joey didn’t realize how starstruck I really was! — Julian Mauricio