Ang Jovita
A good 5 years since they last played on our grounds, Los Angeles rockers Hoobastank were back to rock out, this time at The Coliseum Hard Rock Hotel Sentosa. The quartet took to the stage at 8:30pm in rock music’s theme du jour – an all-black ensemble. They didn’t even have to lift a finger for fans to begin cheering their lungs out.
Frontman Doug Robb needed no warm-ups and greeted the crowd with the high-octane rock track “Just One” from their second album, The Reason. Barely a minute into their act, the audience in the front rows were already off their feet.
Equally adrenaline pumping was “Let It Out”, sending electric vibes amongst the audience. The first quarter of the concert saw quicker beats, rhythms intensified with crisp playing of both the drums and guitar.
Hoobastank steered the rest of the night towards softer ballads, or what some likened as ‘romantic metal’. Tracks like “If I Were You” and “I Don’t Think I Love You” showed a lesser-known, mellow side of Hoobastank.
Following the success of smash-hit single “The Reason”, the band’s music was referenced as “romantic-metal”, much to the members’ chagrin.
In an interview with Music Insider Magazine, Robb revealed, “Even before that song [The Reason], we definitely had the active rock, alternative rock band image. We have some heavy songs, and the perception of our live shows is still high-energy rock; there’s a lot of aggressive stuff going on, and that song really changed the perception of the band, although we still see ourselves the same way.”
Nonetheless, Hoobastank was spectacular throughout the night. Robb and bassist Jesse Charland played with such vigor that inspired the audience to do the same, jumping and bopping to the music, especially when “My Turn” came on. The crowd let out in unison: “When it’s gonna be my turn!”
Of course, what’s a Hoobastank gig without a live rendition of “The Reason”? For the uninitiated, the earworm was everywhere in 2004 – television commercials, radio stations, even popular TV show Friends featured it. A decade later, it remains a mainstay track.
But as Robb explained, they’ll never get tired of playing it. “It’s like asking if you’re tired of singing ‘Happy Birthday’ at every birthday party.”
With 6 full-length albums under their belt and delightfully charming personas, Hoobastank showcased their years of honed versatility. It has been a good 5 years since they last played out here and this time, they came back with a vengeance.
“If we’ve had it our way, we would come to Singapore way more often. Perhaps we could see you…next year?” teased Robb.
And the crowed shrilled in response with much enthusiasm. They’ve proven to the band that there’s certainly more than 1 reason why they should.
Photos Courtesy of Impact Live
Set List: Hoobastank 2014 Asia Tour
- Just One
- Let It Out
- No Destination
- Same Direction
- Remember Me
- If I Were You
- I Don’t Think I Love You
- All About You
- Born to Lead
- Running Away
- No Win Situation
- My Turn
- Inside Of You
- The First of Me
- Pieces
- This Is Gonna hurt
- The Reason
- Out of Control
- Crawling in the Dark