juan karlos Live – A Night of Serenades and Anthems: EVERYTHING That Went Down

This past November 29, 2024, PRM witnessed a milestone in the career of Universal Music Group (UMG) recording artist and OPM superstar, Juan Karlos (JK) Labajo, as he held his “juan karlos LIVE” concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Directed by Paolo Valenciano along with Musical Director, Karel Honasan, the momentous event was attended by Juan Karlos fans and featured a monumental 21-song set with guest appearances from Moira Dela Torre, Paolo Benjamin of Ben&Ben, Gloc-9, Janine Berdin, and Zild. 

Before he took the stage, the event began with an exhilarating set from opening act and OPM rising star, Janine Berdin, whose pop-rock and alternative stylings and bubbly, active energy made for a performance that captivated the crowd. Highlights of her set included the performance of her hugot-filled smash hit, “SITWASYONSHIP”, which had members of the audience expressing how much they related to the song, with some attendees shouting the names of people they think the song could apply to. At the end of her set, she had perfectly set the energy and mood for the evening, with the crowd excited for the night’s main event. 

JK performing “Shot Puno”

As soon as he took the stage, JK and his band had the crowd roaring with his first song: the sad, anthemic, and epic “Shot Puno”. They then followed it up with the catchy, dramatic, and self-aware “Sad Songs and Bullshit”, which further set the tone of his set. The powerful confession serenade, “Gusto Kita”, was then performed with flames shooting out from the sides of the stage, matching the track’s music video. Before the next song, JK gave a formal spiel and welcome to “juan karlos LIVE”, and then went into the catchy and heartfelt “Demonyo". JK and his band then transitioned to the soulful and story-telling-centric “Limang Taon”, complete with a badass acoustic guitar solo and flame graphics on the LED screen during the performance. “Kalawakan” then brought a change in tempo with its laid-back, chill vibe, immaculate flute parts, and dueting guitar solos.

JK and Janine Berdin performing “Pancit”, JK and his ensemble jamming out

After the set’s first 6 songs, the audience was treated to the first collaboration performance of the evening, as Janine Berdin was brought back to the stage to sing “Pancit” alongside JK. Accompanied by steampunk graphics on the LED screens, the pair gave a playful and kilig-worthy performance that allowed their vocal chops and chemistry as performers to shine through. The icing on the cake was the addition of a phenomenal saxophone solo that induced woos, cheers, and stank faces from every part of the audience. Once the song finished and Janine had returned backstage, JK and his band, backup vocalists included, had a high-energy, impromptu, and fun jam session that not only thoroughly entertained attendees but properly flexed the phenomenal abilities of everyone in JK’s talented ensemble.

JK performing “Boston”

The full-band jam session was then followed by a simple and stripped-back performance of “Boston”, with JK again showing off his vocal chops while being accompanied by acoustic guitar and flute. During his performance, JK took some pauses to crack jokes that got laughs from the audience and his band members, with a notable example being when he copied a monkey-like cheer he heard from the audience. He then followed the fun and simple performance with a cover of “Grow Old With You”, which he sang during his blind audition for The Voice Kids Philippines in 2014. Apart from being a feel-good song that the crowd sang along to, the cover served as a reminder of how far he’s come in the past decade. Accompanied by a YouTube lyric video-like display on the LED screen, JK then performed his rendition of “Through the Years” from his 2024 film “The Lolo and the Kid”, which the crowd ate up.

JK and Zild performing “Gabi”

JK returned to his original songs with the second collaboration performance of the night, as he brought Zild to the stage for their chill, night-time-after-a-long-day-appropriate song, “Gabi”, accompanied by night skyline graphics on the LED screen. The two stars did a great job playing off each other’s opposite energies and ended the song with a warm embrace, with much delight to those in attendance. Another collaboration performance followed “Gabi”, as JK performed the Filipino-Bisaya hit “Kasing-Kasing” alongside Kyle Echarri, who participated through a pre-recorded video of him singing his part, which was shown on the LED screen. While Kyle was not there in person, the performance felt as if he was due to JK’s ability to play off Kyle’s vocals.

JK performing “Sampaguita” with Gloc-9, and JK performing Buwan

After a short spiel wherein he thanked Universal Music Group (UMG) and the concert’s producers and brand sponsors, JK performed the relatable and emotional “Tanga Mo Juan”, which once again had the audience singing along loudly and featured a killer piano solo. The concert’s fourth collaboration performance then followed as JK welcomed Filipino hip-hop legend, Gloc-9, on stage to perform their song, “Sampaguita” live for the very first time. Their performance was a storytelling masterclass that brought out the best of both JK and Gloc as performers, as Gloc showcased his legendary rap skills and clear delivery, while JK sang his heart out and occasionally acted out Gloc’s lyrics through hand gestures and facial expressions. Capitalizing off the momentum of  “Sampaguita”, JK performed his smash hit song “Buwan”, with matching yellow lighting and the crowd singing the entire way through. Apart from JK once again letting his vocal chops and dramatic delivery shine, the performance featured another saxophone solo that had everyone in attendance buzzing from ear to ear.

JK and Ben&Ben’s Paolo Benjamin performing “Tapusin Na Natin To”

Off the high of “Buwan”, JK calmed things down with the heartfelt, sincere, and soliloquy-like “Baka Sakali”, which built up to a powerful climax during the song’s bridge and final chorus. Paolo Benjamin of Ben&Ben then joined JK on stage for a performance of the insanely catchy, sad, and memorable “Tapusin Na Natin To”, which showcased the two’s vocal chops, including how well they harmonize with each other and their abilities to convey strong emotions to their audience. In addition, the performance also featured killer back-up vocals and saxophone parts.

JK and Moira Dela Torre performing “Medyo Ako”, and JK performing “Manhid”

For the final collaboration performance of the evening, Moira Dela Torre came on stage to perform her and JK’s track, “Medyo Ako” which pulled at the audience’s heartstrings and had them singing all the way through the song, with their vocal chemistry at the core of the performance. After a loud round of applause for their performance, JK accompanied Moira backstage as the cameras followed him. While being flashed on the LED screen, JK began his performance of the strong and upbeat “Manhid”, wherein he walked and sang around the backstage area until he reached outside MOA arena much to his fans’ delight. A drone was then used to show JK singing outside the venue, with the concert’s poster being shown on the digital billboard. After the drone shot that received a round of applause from everyone in attendance, JK returned to the stage to end the greatly produced performance.

JK performing “Kunwari” and “ERE"

To follow up “Manhid”, JK performed the thumping and triumphant-sounding “Kunwari”, accompanied by dark blue lighting, which gave the audience another opportunity to focus on his powerful vocals and goosebumps-inducing deliery and served as the perfect lead-in to the final song of the evening, “ERE”. As one would expect, the crowd absolutely ate up JK’s performance of his heartbreak anthem, as they sang with him all the way through the song. Not only did it feature great vocals and crowd work from JK, but powerful drum and sax parts. To send the crowd home happy, JK and his backup vocalists had a five-part harmony ending for the song, wherein they purposely left out the lyrics “sa ere” as a clever way to match the song’s subject matter and leave the crowd at the edge of their seats.

The PRM Team and UMG’s Managing Director, Enzo Valdez (second from the right), and CEO, Southeast Asia & SVP, Asia, Calvin Wong (rightmost)

In the end, juan karlos LIVE was a captivating concert that further cemented JK’s status as an OPM superstar and celebrated how far he’s come in the last decade since entering the industry. But more than that, the event served as a reminder of how big and great an artist can become if given the proper support and time to grow.

With that said, support the music industry! Stream juan karlos’ latest album, “Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 2” on all streaming platforms.

For more Philippine Music news and updates, visit www. prm.com.ph

Written by Raui Supnet