If you're a surfer, you may be familiar with the term switchfoot. I am not a surfer, but I get to learn Switchfoot because of a band that's named Switchfoot. :)
Switchfoot is a rock band based in San Diego, California. It's composed of five members - brothers Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar) and Tim Foreman (bass guitar), Chad Butler (drums), Jerome Fontamillas (keyboards, etc.), and Drew Shirley (lead guitar).
You may not know them as a band but, one of their songs that came to popularity is "I dare you to move" from the 2002 movie "A Walk to Remember" starring Mandy Moore and Shayne West. Other Switchfoot songs are also included in the movie's OST, these are "You", "Learning to Breathe" (my bio, you already know), and the most famous "Only Hope". What? Yes, the song that Mandy Moore sang in the movie is a Switchfoot original.
Moreover, the song "Someday We'll Know" was sung by Mandy Moore and Jon Foreman, the lead vocalist of Switchfoot. Amazing, right? I didn't realize that I have already fallen in love with Switchfoot music through the movie's OST. Btw, I was in high school when the movie came out, and its OST was already playing tons inside my head. I didn't have an original copy of the OST, I just borrowed a "burned" CD from my aunt who has the same taste in music as me.
When I entered college in 2004, I was totally clueless about who the singer of the songs was in the OST. Not until I came across some friends from a Christian church. As part of the music team, I became more aware of the songs, bands, and artists in the "Christian Music" scene. I began listening to online radios such as K-Love, and NU107's Christian music show "Against the Flow" hosted by Ptr. Jordan Escusa.
Because of this, I became so in love with Switchfoot. I've researched and learned the lyrics of their songs. Know the band members, know that they are not a Christian band, but they are Christians in a band...etc. etc. I really admired their process of songwriting, especially that of Jon Foreman. I consumed their music from their very first album Legend of Chin, until the latest one that they had in 2005 which is "Nothing is Sound".
In 2007, one of my Ates in the church gave us a treat - that is to watch Switchfoot's first-ever concert in Manila. She paid half (PhP600) of our ticket price which is PhP1,200.00. We were a total of 10 people in that van going to watch Switchfoot Live in Manila at Cuneta Astrodome on September 10, 2006. It was my very first legit concert, I was so excited to see my favorite band perform before my very eyes!!!
During those times, we don't have much technology yet - cameras were too expensive, and phones don't have good cameras yet. Well, I didn't own a camera phone then. I remember we are not part of the mosh pit, so, we have seats for us, but we were at the very front of the line after mosh pit. Since we wanted to feel the jive, we went to mosh pit and I was able to go to the right side of the stage and hold Jon Foreman's hand when he went almost-crowd surfing.
Below is a photo from Switchfoot, I circled my friend. She was standing in her seat. Btw, that's where we were originally situated during the concert, but in this shot, I was already in the mosh pit with the mosh crowd!
We also met the members of the band Hale and we also saw Rica Peralejo and Anne Curtis after the show. It was a moment to remember! This was a benefit concert for the International Justice Mission and a promotion to their album "Oh! Gravity".
Four years after, I was able to watch them for the second time around. The date was April 30, 2011. I purchased the ticket months before it was promoted. I remembered just typing Switchfoot concert in Manila, and a Facebook page popped out of my window showing that there is a concert in April 2011. Days before it, I won in a meet-and-greet contest via Warner Music.
This was our Switchfam photo with the band. I was speechless when I got to talk to them and asked them to sign a poster/tarp that I've printed out. Lol. I also got to give all of them Philippine-themed shirts that the rest of them wore after the concert. At this concert, they were promoting their album Hello Hurricane under their independent record label as distributed by Atlantic known as the lowercase people records. This was the same year that they bagged a Grammy Award for the Best Rock Gospel Album.
Btw, that was me. I saw that photo from their website and recognized myself in the crowd. Lol. In this concert, I see to it that I will be at the very front of the band.
I continued supporting them all throughout these years. I know it's a long shot to ask them to come back to the country for another concert. First, because they are not mainstream artists, and though they have a following, it isn't as huge as that of other bands from the UK or the US. So, I kept my hopes low.... until one day they announced that they will be visiting Manila for an Easter Sunday show for FREE!!! Special thanks to Church Simplified for making this possible. I only have to purchase t-shirts for me to get a ticket to the show. When the day came (March 27, 2016), I saw to it that I will be in the front line... Lol. So, I went there as early as 1:00 PM for a 7:00 PM show. I was able to watch them do the soundcheck, and I also came across Jon Foreman walking at BGC Ampitheater. So, we took the chance to chat and take a photo with him.
I wore my Switchfoot shirt that was purchased in 2011 during their last concert. The photos below show how we met Jon Foreman while he was walking along the Amphitheater, and how we were able to have quick snapshots and chitchat with this awesome guy!
They also went to film the music video of Float during this time of their visit. If you think this couldn't get any better, well, the show was awesome, as always... and another surprise was revealed! They will be back the following year to have another Easter Sunday show.
So, you might already know. I again purchased the shirts that I need to purchase to get a ticket for their concert on April 16, 2017. Hmm, I do have a better phone camera to use during this time, at long last. Lol.
This was Jon right in front of me when he did his almost-crowd surfing. I really like the vibe and energy that they give whenever they perform. Truly, music is a universal language - it binds us, people, together. I love it when the crowd sings harmoniously, singing every word, every lyric as if it's our own.
After their show in BGC Ampitheater, they went to Cebu to do another show. I wish I could've been there, too. But, well, watching them live for two consecutive years is enough. Right now, they stopped touring due to the pandemic, but they released a show known as the Fantastic Not Traveling Music Show (FNTMS) where you can watch their live stream every month with some bonus extras like live stream before the actual show or even a Zoom meeting with them!
I will never get tired of supporting a band that has been an inspiration not only to me but to many people across the globe. They are not just performing for money, they are performing for a greater cause - to reach out to every community, wherever it may be, and spread a message of love and hope, because as they always say, and definitely agree - Hope is the anthem. :)
You can visit switchfoot.com for more information about the band. :) You can also watch them on YouTube if you like. Ciao!
