There I was, at the country’s biggest music festival, featuring some of the most talented international and local musicians under one roof. After years of wanting to go to Wanderland, I can finally tick it off my bucket list and proudly declare to the world: “I am HERE!” and also, “I do NOT know who any of these bands are.”

It’s not the festival’s fault, mind you. It’s just that as the years go by, one tends to find himself falling more out of loop with what is “hip” among youngsters (speaking of which, do people still use “hip”?). The band names all begin to sound ambiguous (“Is Honne a solo singer? Is it a band? Where is his last name??”), and the genres have turned into a chimera of sound, peppered with hyphens (“Their sound is more Alt-Rock-Pop-Electro with influences of Rap-RnB, you know?”).

But when life gives you an opportunity to watch Wanderland, you take it! After all, THIS is considered the “Woodstock of the Philippines” , which incidentally is a trivia I can’t share to anyone at the venue, given how young the crowd is.

This is woodstock, FYI.

THE TITO TAKE

As someone who is pushing 30, that’s the first thing you notice upon getting to the venue. The crowd seemed to be composed of either college students, or fresh grads in their early 20s without stress marks. (No pun intended)

The second thing you notice are the clothes. Yes, the myths are true: there are flower-crown wearing people in the crowd. Those who got the memo came wearing denim jacket, comfortable shorts and a loose cotton shirt. Almost everyone looked preppy and surprisingly fit, that I started to suspect Filinvest Open Grounds double-booked the venue to also accommodate a Young Models NatCon. Everyone looked like they leaped out of a Forever 21 catalog! I look like someone who’s Finally 29.

Yes, Wanderland can make someone feel old and out of touch with the current popular bands. And I was relieved to know I’m not the only one. Halfway through the performance, I turned to a fellow Wanderer and asked her: “Any idea who’s that playing on stage?”  

She remarked sheepishly, in her quietest voice: “I have no clue.”

We then proceeded to spend 5-minutes looking at the program guide, trying to figure out who the performer is, before finally coming to a similar conclusion: “We are DEFINITELY too old for this.

MAGIC HAPPENS

But midway into Banna Harbera’s performance (an OPM band with a female vocalist that is raw energy and emotion), in between head bangs and synchronized sways, something happened: I began to enjoy the music. In fact, I found myself loving it.

When it comes to enjoying music, age doesn’t matter. No one cares how you are dressed, or whether you know the band or not. What’s important is you showed up to enjoy it. Nothing else.

Watch the crowd:

Throughout the festival, I found myself caring less and less about my surroundings, and closing my eyes more to really hear the performers. And WOW, what a great line-up it was! The electrifying trumpet chorus of Lola Amour, the soothing vocals of Yuna, the shot of nostalgia from Gab of Urbandub playing “Evidence” and “First of Summer” (Finally, a song with words I know and can sing to!)

Because in the end, THAT is the essence of Wanderland: to “rediscover” your love for music and surrender yourself to it. And to that, I say: Mission accomplished.

I’m still hungover from that sound trip that upon coming home, I immediately logged-in to Spotify and made my Wanderland playlist. I can now brag to my hip friends that I now know who Lany and Yuna are.

Don’t ask me about their last names though.  

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About our ICONtributor

Emil Dela Cruz is a storyteller at heart - and by profession. When he is not writing for Globe, you'll find him working on his humor blog, or scouring for stories and making use of his Journalism background.

Emil is part of HR Communications, along with two artists. Together, they make a mean Running Man video.