Joyland Festival Day 3

Minggu yang indah bersama White Shoes and The Couples Company!

Alright moving on to day 3! Last day of the festival, also the day that happened so quick.

The festival begins with me reuniting once again with White Shoes and The Couples Company! Finally catching them live again after.... 7 Years. Yup, I last saw them in 2015 during their concert at Cikini. I always love watching them perform. They're a joy to watch, and this time round I finally get to experience their new album "2020" live! Well part of it. But still lovely. Hari Minggu yang indah bersama White Shoes and The Couples Company!

Next up is Phum Viphurit. I had a long gap between WSATCC and PV, so I went to see a few bands in between. There's The Panturas who's super good live omg I love their energy haha. I also went to see Isyana Sarasvati but the stage ground was full! I just caught her on the side heh.

Hello Phum!

Phum Viphurit is someone I've been wanting to see live for years. Ever since I discovered him in 2015 basically. He did tour in 2019 I think but I had something on that day and I couldn't make it. Bummer! But no worries I finally caught him live now and he's amazing :') He sounds so damn good live. And there's this... I don't know how to say. Friendly aura that he's emitting when he's performing. Like I feel so "light" and cheerful when I saw him live haha. 

Also damn, when he played "Hello Anxiety" and everyone was singing and dancing to the chorus, I thought it was one of the best moments of the festival. It feels so cathartic. To see everyone around you singing and dancing to "Heaven knows we're lost, the sun still shines, so we'll be fine".

So good to see PREP again :')

And last but definitely not least, it's time for PREP! They're the band I look forward the most to in the festival haha cause I've been wanting to hear their new music live! And boy it's so worth the wait. After 2 online concerts and many vinyl spins later, here I am watching them live. I've been seeing their posts during their US and Korea tour earlier this year wondering when it'll be my turn. And yup, it's my turn mwahaha. And it's so good to finally see them again after 2.5 years!

PREP was the last gig I went to before the pandemic hit. Then COVID came, and we're in isolation, and they released their debut self-titled album back in October 2020. Their song "Years Don't Lie" has been accompanying me throughout these 2 years. The lyrics "All those hidden hopes and horoscopes putting us right here tonight" is so blissfully comforting somehow. In those days where life just confuses the hell out of you hah. So thank you PREP for coming to Jakarta. So great to see y'all again! 

Okay so, PREP wasn't the last band I wanted to see. I wanted to catch Hindia, also another band I've been wanting to see live. But.... Being a responsible adult means I had to sacrifice hahaha. I still have work to do and Monday is ahead of me. I decided to call it a night. Also fun fact, I went back home with my flower delivery van hahaha. We had delivery on Sunday as usual and I hitched the ride home.

Alright that's all for Joyland Festival 2022! It was probably the best weekend I had in a long long time. Since my trip to Singapore back in May heh. It feels so good to return to the music scene again. Although like I said in my previous post, I do realise that my life is no longer the same as before. 

But still, my heart is beaming with gratitude. 

Thank you and congratulations Joyland Festival for the fantastic and amazing music festival! I definitely look forward to your next one in 2023. I'm going to write another post about the festival so wait for that. Okay folks, that's all for now. till the next music festival!

WSATCC - Konser Di Cikini

 One of Indonesia's most legendary bands

White Shoes and The Couples Company

Oh my it's been so long since I blogged again. I'm so sorry but I've been falling asleep early these days. I guess my body clock hasn't switched in its original clock hah. So anyway yes a lot of things have been happening. I went to White Shoes and The Couples Company (WSATCC) concert in Cikini! At Graha Bhakti Budaya to be exact. I've been wanting to go to their concert. But never been able to cause... I don't live in Jakarta. They did go to RRREC fest last year but I felt their set was too short. 

Anyway the concert was held yesterday. Left my hometown at 11 AM and reached the venue at 3. I waited for a while to exchange my ticket receipt with the physical ticket, and then headed off to a mall nearby for lunch. It was here when... I dropped my spectacles and broke my right lens into 2! I was a bit shocked but thankfully I can still use it to watch the concert.

The concert was held at 8 PM but I went earlier to see the postcard exhibition and to get some drinks. The door was opened at 7:50 ish I think and I went in and waited for the concert. Okay I can't really describe the concert in words because it was just too beautiful and awesome. They played almost all of their songs, all of my favourite ones! Except for Runaway Song. But it's okay, still awesome!

I just simply love the energy of the band. WSATCC is definitely my favourite band from Indonesia, and they are in my opinion, one of the most legendary bands my country ever has. I love the audience as well. Although I feel most of them were a bit too... Quiet and still hah. 

Maybe I should tell you how I come across this great band.

I am always a late bloomer when it comes to discovering music. Meaning, I will discover great bands years after they are formed and got famous, or after they release their albums. I discovered WSATCC back in 2012, while I was still in Singapore. I was on Youtube when I saw their video for "Senandung Maaf" on my recommended tab. I was wondering why does this band, with an English name, sing an Indonesian song? When I clicked on the video, I just fell in love with them. Instantly!

After doing a bit of research, I eventually found out who they are. They are indeed an Indonesian band, and I was just feeling so proud to be an Indonesian! Because I found out that they have actually toured in Europe, USA and recently they went to Australia and they performed a concert in Mauritius! 

I was determined to get their albums, thinking they are easily available in Indonesia. Of course, alas, I couldn't find their albums! Except for Vakansi which was just recently released. And I got their 3rd album as well where they play Indonesian traditional song.

I have been going for a search for their first album, and their EP "Skenario Masa Muda" since 2013 can you believe it! I discovered that their album is available in Amazon but shipping was crazy, and also Amazon was kind enough not allowing shipment to Indonesia. But then this year I got an idea, where I purchased the CD from Amazon but send it to Vithya in Australia, and get it from her while I was there!

Brilliant idea. Because I now own that legendary first album of WSATCC! Do you know that some people were selling a 2nd hand album during RSD Jakarta at 500k and 700k Rupiah?! That's like 40 and 65 USD-ish respectively. And I got mine from Amazon for a total of 29 USD including shipping! Okay not including my ticket to Australia hahaha but still, you get my point yes.

I find it pretty ironic that this great band, who has toured at different countries around the world, don't get a lot of airtime on the radio, and we can't find their albums here too! Well maybe it is because their first album was released in 2005. That's 10 years ago and of course, it is very difficult to find. I seriously wish I could have discovered them earlier but 10 years ago I was in P5 and I know nothing about music.

Nevertheless it's better late than never right. So yup. I will always be a fan of WSATCC! And I'm glad to have discovered them. I wish they would release a new album soon though because I deeply fell in love with their albums so far, and I'm excited for their new album (if they're releasing one soon!),

Okay that's all from me today. Sharing my love for WSATCC with all of you haha. And also I just realised I haven't blogged about my Aussie trip! I will blog about it soon. Till then, see you! :)

RRREC Fest In The Valley

 My favourite shot from today!

Nona Sari bernari dan bernyanyi bersama penonton :)

Today was a lovely lovely Sunday because I went to RRREC Fest In The Valley at Tanakita camping ground right here in my hometown! I wanted to catch one of my favourite Indonesian bands, White Shoes and The Couples Company! Although the event itself starts on Friday and last for 3D2N, I only bought the last day pass since I can't make it for the whole entire event.

 The concert venue. Isn't it awesome!

Anyway I arrived at the campsite at 1.30 PM, I am pretty surprised that I actually could just come in without any registration and stuff (I paid for the ticket already! Just couldn't find the registration booth). When I came it was lunchtime and everyone was gathering at the lunch place and talking/eating together. Since I came alone and know no one, I was just sitting down at one corner of the place and stare at the blankness hah. Until Seroja played on stage one and I went down to catch them.

 Seroja on Stage 1

So there are 2 stages which is literally at a valley! I love the view and the atmosphere man, listening to great music, watching great musicians perform while being surrounded by nature and great views is definitely an awesome package. The stages are located below the camp ground. I've never heard of Seroja before but I really find them pretty unique. And I like how they interact with the audience by asking some of us if we want to perform with them for their last song.

 Voyagers of Icarie

After Seroja was Voyagers of Icarie, which is an Indie band from Jakarta and they're definitely a great band I discovered today. I love their songs and man I wish I could just lie down on the grass while listening to their performance but I just remembered that I wore a white shirt and also it was kind of drizzling so.. Nope. Nevertheless, like I mentioned above, the view surrounding the stage definitely adds to the atmosphere of the performance. Sadly it was drizzling towards the end.

 Liyana Fizi serenading us with her beautiful voice

Today I also discovered a lovely singer from Malaysia, Liyana Fizi! Love her voice, and her songs of course. She's very friendly too and I like how she explains what each song is about. It was cloudy and the temperature was decreasing a bit, perfect condition for a soothing performance by her. There's a song I really love, I forgot the title arrghhh. I'll look her up in iTunes.

 White Shoes And The Couples Company!

And last but not least, the band I was waiting for years to see live was finally performing! Yup it's White Shoes and The Couple Company (shortened as WSATCC). They were performing at stage one and opened their set with my one of my favourites from them "Matahari". I think the highlight of today was singing and dancing to "Masa Remadja" which was their encore in the end. Everyone was just having fun too! The energy was irresistible. So happy to have caught them live! :)

 This was during one of my favourite songs, "Vakansi"

I wish I could stay longer but I gotta rush off as I was having a delivery so yep, that is all for today. Although while drying myself up, I went back up the the lunch space and there was a DJ set (I'm not sure of the DJ name) who was playing Japanese jazz songs. It was raining and I definitely enjoy listening to those songs as I waited for my clothes to dry off a bit, and for the rain to stop.

All in all, I am really loving the concept of RRREC Fest. If they come back next year, I hope I can make it to sleep on the campground as I think it will be an exciting and lovely experience. I love the atmosphere of the place and of the event as a whole. This whole idea of having a music festival at a valley really cliques with my heart hah. I hope something like this can happen at Tanakita again :)

After the whole event, I don't know why buy I feel really inspired watching all of these bands perform. They made me realise how much talent we Indonesians have! I wish I can write and compose songs, beautiful songs, as conveniently as them. I really have a lot of great hopes and aspirations for the music scene here. And I know all of these great bands will go far into the future.

Also, watching these performances make me really miss performing. I miss that feeling of making music together with people who share the same passion and interest as you, and then performing it in front of an audience. Enjoying music is a gift, making music is a privilege. I miss those days jamming with Vithya and Kai, and also those band days making music together in the band room, and performing in concerts at SPCC or Esplenade! I just miss making music together.

Maybe I need to find people here that wanna make music with me together. But I am very shy, and time is an enemy I can't fathom. But I will never stop making music!

Alright that's all for now. What a great start to November. And a great month it will be :)