LAST weekend’s local cinematic release of “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” extended edition to celebrate the 25th anniversary, was an incredibly special treat for fans old and new. If you visit The Philippine Tolkien Society’s Facebook page, people posted photos of how they showed up — in groups, in costume, carrying props, wearing Lord of the Rings t-shirts.
Many shared stories of what the movie meant to them. There were those who wanted to relive the moviegoing experience and there were younger fans who were delighted to have the opportunity to see this landmark movie on the big screen.
The response has been so positive, select SM Cinemas announced they will be hosting this movie event again this weekend.
Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy movies are watched over and over again, just as the beloved Tolkien classics are read and re-read. The themes on the various forms of heroism, love for the natural world, and humanity in the face of the machines of evil continue to be as relevant as ever.
The books are over 70 years old, and it’s amazing to see a new generation of fans fall in love with the story.
Speaking of Peter Jackson, Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers is a big fan of Jackson’s Beatles documentary, “Get Back.” It influenced the making of the band’s fifth studio album, “Automatic.” On it, you’ll find the track, “Same Old Song.” (lyrics) which he dedicates to his musical partner of over 20 years, Jeremiah Fraites.
The Colorado-based indie/folk/folk-rock/Americana band “The Lumineers” played its first ever show in Manila last Monday. They opened with “Same Old Song” and continued with 23 more songs including “Ho Hey,” “Submarine,” “Sleep on the Floor,” Ophelia,” “Cleopatra,” and “Stubborn Love.”
Band members have come and gone, but they’ve assembled a fun, impressive and multitalented lineup of musicians for this tour. Apart from Schultz (vocals, guitar) and Fraites (piano, drums), they had Lauren Jacobson (violin), Brandon Miller (guitar, percussion), the Reverend Derek Brown (percussion), Byron Isaacs (bass), and Stelth Ulvang (piano, percussion, mandolin).
At some points of the show, it seemed like I was watching nerdy musicians show us what it really meant to play ‘musical chairs.’ They switched instruments and tossed tambourines effortlessly. On “Big Parade,” each one even sang a verse.
Ulvang was quite caffeinated and had lots of frontman energy. Apart from playing the piano and mandolin, he was banging on a bass drum. He was dancing (to the point where I thought his pants were going to fall off) and he also put on a display of athleticism by doing a handstand on top of his piano (apparently, he’s been known to do cartwheels and somersaults too, so I guess this was already the subdued version). He also energetically jumped into the crowd with his guitar. Schultz got into the crowd too, but he took the stairs.
There were lots of happy fans who also got picks, drum sticks and set lists. A few lucky ones even got their albums signed before the band headed off stage. The Monday show was an added night, as tickets to their one original show sold out quickly.
The concert was held at the New Frontier theater, a 2,300-seater which was perfect for their music. It also happens to be the venue for the upcoming, much anticipated Wolfgang reunion next weekend.