Post Easter Sunday with Jars of Clay!

04.01.2013 –It was one hot Sunday afternoon that culminated with the searing heat. All I wanted was to get the chance in seeing Jars of Clay live even just for a distance. But it was unexpected that the turn of events would change how I celebrated Easter Sunday. As early as 1PM I was already prepared set my cameras (EOS 60D & PowerShot A480) ready. All charged up and I was definitely prepared for the distance if I’ll get to be positioned farther than I would end up with. But then again this was my good friend’s day. It was Tedi V’s so called “moment of reflection.”

The man in a red 2002 Corolla pulled up the driveway and picked up at the designated area. I wasn't thinking that it was VERY hot outside and I just took a bath a few minutes earlier that I’m sweating like Niagara Falls.

Proceeded to the destination in less than 30 minutes as the car traversed along the pathway to Bonifacio Global City in Taguig which was a quick ride in-between conversation on what’s the plan. Arriving in BGC and finding a suitable parking was another story but we finally manage to get to the area by 2:45PM.

From the parking bay we are already hearing the band’s sound check as they test their instruments and other things. Seeing that there are already people building up as early as 3PM this must be big.





The sun was glaring but the weather was exquisitely fine as the clouds complement the blue sky. The event is FREE however if you have spent worth PhP 2,000.00 pesos in the area you’ll get guaranteed tickets to see the band up close. Tedi never had a numbered ticket only the temporary one since they haven’t released it yet. Here’s hoping things would work out and fall into place.

While we’re in the subject of “chance” the possibility of having a meet & greet is pretty much slim that our probability rate was 90% percent unsure. But we manage to talk to the right people at the right time. The waiting of course is like hoping for nothing more than a chance to see the band perform.





It’s quite insane to think there will be that chance but then again as Tedi said “live the moment” and he does have a point. But we’re deliberately taking this in a professional standpoint unlike stalking someone in a hotel as if you’re part of the police squad. But we’re in an open are and they are far away from their temporary residence in Fairmont Hotel like FAR. So we wait for things to pull through while seeing the band practice and check what else needs to be done.

The sides outside the barricade started filling up people eating cold ice cream and anything to beat the heat. Seems like we’re in a war waiting to happen but we don’t have weapons to lay it down but honestly we never expected what would happen next.

A few hours more we’re pretty much sitting ducks until the crowd has grown and we still wait for the band end their practice. Slowly they trickle down heading to their tent until one of them decided to take a bathroom break.





It was actually Charlie Lowell the band’s keyboardist and sometimes pianist who Tedi saw walked out and headed to the washroom. We we’re thinking this might be the only chance we can meet at least one third of the band so we scoot towards the area. We waited for a few minutes until Charlie comes out and there he was.

Armed with enough memories from meeting the band in 2005 Tedi made a conversation as his voice cracks with a little butterfly in his stomach he managed to talk to Charlie. This was the moment we we’re thinking that we might not get later on after the concert and so Tedi pulls out an old photo of him with Charlie and lead vocalist Dan Haseltine.

To Charlie’s surprise muttered “We were young…” as I overhead the conversation like they where friends for the longest time. I was pressing the shutter button as the two men talked about the time they first met and Tedi handed out the gift that he might not have the chance to give after the concert. Then they have a photo together as Charlie returned to his ten along with his band.





This was it as we thought and that was the only chance we will ever get close to the band as people started arriving getting positioned. The person Tedi talked to earlier was shuttling left and right to the point we are still praying for that ticket.

I on the other hand was thinking if I should pick up a CD just for the souvenir since I don’t own any of their albums before. I only had played two or three of their songs during my Radio1 days as a student DJ for Monster Radio RX93.1 and it feel like ages I recall having played the band’s music during my board work.

The next thing we went around and I showed Tedi the Walkway where we see some of the band members participated. I couldn’t recall what we where doing in that area after then the guy Tedi spoke to earlier message him the tickets has arrived.



So we hurried back to the amphitheater where people already started lining up and we were getting all set to enter the enclosed area near the stage.

It was about to get crowded any minute but we managed to bypass the long line since the ticket we have where VIPs a bit bigger than the ones they where handed to people. So we manage to sit in front with a good view but we where given instructions DSLRs or other professional cameras are not allowed to be used but towards the start of the concert there were hordes of people using them.

In-between the waiting I managed to buy their Greatest Hits album from 2008 and it took me long enough to line up and pay Tedi for the money he lend me. But I manage to return in time to see the Church Simplified band performing as the opening act that featured Julianne Tarroja and Paolo Valenciano in the group.





Past 7:30PM the band was introduced as the energy from the crowed just literally went up to their excitement. It was a great night as the band performed some of their well known hits when they where starting in the mid-1990s. I’m not a huge fan but I can hear Tedi sing to some of their songs.

I was tasked in archiving the event taking photos and capturing videos as this might not happen again and it might be longer before the band returns. Matthew Odmark the band’s rhythm guitarist was their sort of social media guy.





Matt is the one posting updated in the band’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as he was taking photos prior to their performance during practice and the usual chance he can get to share it to the world. He of course did take photos which he shared on his Facebook account that featured the crowd which included me and Tedi up front.

It was a memorable night that we won’t forget after waiting that long we where already satisfied seeing the band performed and singing additional songs when they where asked to come back on stage.





They where originally set to perform for an hour and that was it but seeing the opportunity to promote the band even further they sang more than the allotted in their set list which Tedi would acquire after the performance. It was unexpected that we were managed to be invited in the meet and greet after that.

It was as they say “icing on the cake” that the next thing I remember we where talking to them and Tedi was having a great time conversing with the band. The stars where aligned that night says but I guess it is.





We never expected this to happen the way we already thought it would be but Jars of Clay happened they changed the way I listen to music again. I’m not a big fan but they really got me with “Tea & Sympathy”, “Five Candles” and an amount of “Flood” to recall that music I had played on radio. This was the clear bright Sunday afternoon that made me forget what was happening to me in the past weeks.

It was indeed a culmination of good things and the start of something new and better. Personally I only wanted to see the band but unexpectedly was grateful enough to be part of Tedi’s adventure now that’s something that raised the bar up there.









Easter Sunday was definitely awesome it can never top anything for me to see right now other than my affinity for Up Dharma Down which is a different story to tell.

The day can’t be enough to be told numerous times and I was happy to be part of the ride.