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eaJ in Manila: stray cats, warm hugs, Tito Jae, top-tier energy, “Good price!” merch, and more – gig report

eaJ in Manila: stray cats, warm hugs, Tito Jae, top-tier energy, “Good price!” merch, and more – gig report

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“You got me, Manila?”

Jae Park, who performs under his moniker eaJ, asked the audience as he geared up for the emotionally charged chorus of ‘Pacman’. “You guys sing the hook, I’m gonna do the adlib!” Filipino Jars (fans of eaJ) answered with pitch-perfect singing and harmonies, a common occurrence throughout the show.

Marking his second time to perform as eaJ in the Philippines after his Head In the Clouds (HITC) Manila stint in 2022 – a performance he referred to (at the time of this interview at least) as “one of the top sets of my life” – the Korean-American singer-songwriter returned to play one hell of a show.

Having set the bar high for ourselves back then, fans were more than up for the challenge to kick off of eaJ’s much-awaited When The Rain Stopped Following Me (wtrsfm) Tour. In his first-ever solo headlining concert in the city, the ‘burn’ singer takes fans on an emotional journey through a 20-song setlist, creating core memories with each other.

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“We are so grateful to have started here. This energy is top tier in the world.”

The first stop of the Asia tour, Manila delivered with “top-tier energy” not just with eaJ onstage but also in their enthusiasm for fan projects like cup-sleeve events, fanzones, and birthday surprises for the September birthday boy. 

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon and like a number of fans, we showed up early to see what was happening around the Skydome before the show. As we headed up the escalator, we could hear the beat of the drums, and Jae doing soundcheck. We ran into some fans hanging around, listening to rehearsals from the outside, occasionally gasping to say “OMG that’s my favourite song!” (This was me, tbh.)

Dazle, a former casual listener, got roped into the eaJ rabbit hole after coming across one of his Twitch streams. “I’ve been waiting for this. It was my birthday during his HITC Manila set, that was the day of my birthday,” she excitedly shared and added how she bought tickets to the Manila show right away.

In the midst of eaJ’s ‘mad’ rehearsals, Rini talked to us about discovering DAY6 during the pandemic and being drawn to Jae as her bias. “Nung una, in denial pa ako sa K-pop. Ayoko talaga. Iniisip ko kasi time consuming. Pero pandemic so… Nagsimula lahat nung ‘Car Crash,’ kasi yun yung una nya. (At first, I was in denial that I was becoming a K-pop fan. I thought it would be too time-consuming. But it was also during the pandemic so… It all started with his first single, ‘Car Crash.’)” she shared about getting into fandom. 

We were joined by her friend Emma, a DAY6 fan, who said that Jae was her favourite because of “vocals po, bonus nalang po yung looks (vocals, him being cute is just a bonus).” 

Standing in line for the cup-sleeve birthday event was Justin, a fan who travelled four hours all the way from Quezon just to make it to the show. A DAY6 fan since 2018, he also rediscovered Jae on Twitch. Aside from eaJ’s music, he especially enjoys his Teamfight Tactics (TFT) streams. “TFT player din kasi ako,” Justin explained. “Dahil sa gaming, parang naging mas close na kami. (I’m also a TFT player, I feel like gaming brought me closer to him.)”

“I want to hug you. Can I give you a hug?”

After talking to fans, we went backstage for our scheduled interview with eaJ. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve featured him in this publication, but talking to him has always been a privilege and a lovely experience. This time was extra special because it would be my final interview and gig report for Bandwagon. When he heard that it was my last interview, he immediately asked, “I want to hug you. Can I give you a hug?” and proceeded to give me a very warm hug. I felt how genuine it was. He even did it again for the photos. 

In my decade-long career, I have rarely asked an artist for a photo while on assignment, but Jae was different. He even took the time to thank me for all the years of covering him and his music, and wrote a short note on my media pass (also a first! I have never had any of them signed before). I’ve encountered hundreds of artists in the last 10 years, and I can honestly say that Jae is one of the sweetest, most genuine and unpretentious musicians I’ve had the honour of speaking with. 

Fans he met while feeding a stray kitten at a local fast-food restaurant would say the same. “He greeted us with a hug and was even the one who offered to take a selfie. Like who does that????” Riza exclaimed.

Caryl​​ added: “Jae always gives the warmest and sweetest hugs to all of his fans, no matter where he is or what he’s doing. His genuine expression of gratitude makes us feel special and connected to him, even if he doesn’t know us personally. He never forgets to thank his fans and always delivers the best performances whenever he can.”

Photo by Riza Guimba

The pair crossed paths with Jae the night before the concert and witnessed his kindness first-hand. “I think it’s hungry,” he said to the girls and went on to give the kitten a whole piece of chicken, feeding it by hand. It got a little excited and ended up biting Jae twice, but he waited for the kitten to finish eating before heading to the hospital to get his anti-rabies shots. 

Just check X (formerly Twitter) and dozens more endearing fan stories are sure to pop up, cementing eaJ’s reputation as one of the kindest artists to his fans. 

“I’m gonna go outside to sell merch.”

We thought he was joking as he said this to us after wrapping up our interview backstage. (We talked to him about music, performing live, and the “very cute” kitten that sent him to the Emergency Room the night before. Stay tuned!) Minutes later, we found ourselves at the merch booth with Jae holding up hoodies and shirts, saying “Good price! Good price!” 

Turns out this was also the start of a wtrsfm Tour tradition, with the beloved act also spotted manning his merch stands in his Jakarta and Bangkok concerts. 

“I want fans to feel like they’re watching a movie from front to back, and really not have to worry about all the stress and BS that happens in their life for that hour and a half.”

In our previous interview with eaJ, he shared how he wanted his live shows to tell a story with ‘new songs” and to “create moments” with fans. Here’s how the Manila leg of wtrsfm Tour unfolded.

eaJ started strong with unreleased live favourites ‘Voices’ and ‘Come Over,’ showcasing his vocal prowess early on despite the technical glitches. 

Supported by Porter Chapman on drums, eaJ kicked up the intensity (and vocal runs) with his latest single, ‘burn (featuring salem ilese), before delivering an amped-up performance of Valorant theme (and the best video game soundtrack ever, according to eaJ), ‘Visions’  – a favourite of his Twitch community.

A criminally underrated vocalist, eaJ continued to serve up the high notes in ‘sober go away’ and ‘traveler,’ displaying his range and stability throughout the set. 

Taking a couple of breaks in between to address the adoring crowd, eaJ gave fans a little poll, asking them to choose between Tito Jae (Uncle) and Kuya Jae (Older Brother). (Personally, I voted for Tito Jae, but the Kuya Jae chants were louder.)

eaJ also took this time to express his heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome and “top-tier energy” of fans. He revealed how he had wanted to come back sooner, but “you know, music business” and shared how happy he was to have kicked off the tour in Manila.

For his Hindia collaboration ‘right where you left me’ and fiery single ‘mad,’ eaJ asked the audience for a little help and the crowd responded by jumping up and down, making the floor shake, and singing along to every word.

Running through the smiling in insomnia tracks – ‘enemy,’ ‘lennon,’ ‘safe in the rain,’ and ‘LA Stars’ – eaJ never skipped a beat and kept the energy going. 

Continuing to showcase his vocals, eaJ took on the upbeat pop number ‘friendly fire’ before launching into a groovy new song.

“The biggest moment for eaJ has been ‘Pacman,’ eaJ shared with us in an interview right before the concert. The sweeping ballad elicited a pitch-perfect crowd singalong complemented by his smooth adlibs, setting the tone for the emotional rollercoaster to come – ‘castle in the sky,’ ‘in my civic,’ and the haunting ‘when the rain stops.’ 

The Manila performance marked the live debut of the emotive track, which eaJ revealed to be “where my head is at” about what happened at the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023. eaJ confesses: “Oh God, I’m sorry, and I’ll be sorry till I die / Oh God, I’m sorry, my past it haunts me every night.”

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a concert where they ended with a brand-new song to which no one knew the lyrics to. But it didn’t matter. I stood there in awe of the performance I just witnessed. It’s one thing to hear a new song for the first time, it’s another to experience it live with about 200 other people.

We had maybe ten minutes to collect ourselves and regroup (and scream “Walang uuwi! (We’re not going home!) in unison), before eaJ headed out in wtrsfm merch (and a furry cat hat someone passed him to wear) to wrap up the show with the encore, starting with ‘forest.’

In a full circle moment, eaJ officially ended the concert with ‘Car Crash,’ his first official solo single and fan favourite. Making sure everyone got more than a glimpse of him before he took his final bow of the night (at least onstage), eaJ ran into the crowd, around the Skydome, gave out the warmest hugs to fans including some lucky Titas (Aunties), high-fived everyone in his way, and jumped up and down in a sea of Jars.

“It is truly an honour to be here in front of you guys. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Zyjnah, a first-timer at an eaJ show, was “so proud” of the energy, level of artistry, as well as sincerity that Jae showed on and off the stage. “eaJ gave me a reason to live. He means so much to me. I hope he keeps doing what makes him happy.”

Emma sees eaJ as “a friend who can make you happy all the time, regardless of where you’re from”. Riza feels the same way. “He makes me feel seen and heard through his music. In a way, it's like when someone close to you comforts and reassures you.”

His consistent growth and, in eaJ’s own words, “improvement” makes being a fan more meaningful for Caryl. “​​He has made mistakes, learned from them, and moved forward. I’m really glad he did not give up on his passion for making music. His perseverance and growth are truly inspiring, and his music continues to inspire many people, including me.”

More than his talent, Justin admires eaJ’s attitude and personality: “Totoo siyang tao. Hindi siya nagpapakita ng false image. Kung ano ipakita nya sayo siya yun. (He’s a genuine person. His words and actions show his true self.)”

“EaJ is my rest. Siya talaga. Sinuportahan ko siya through the good and the bad (I supported him through the good and bad times),” Rini proclaimed. “I want to thank him for his existence. Kasama ko siya sa struggles ko sa life. (He is with me throughout my struggles in life.)”

This was my third time to see eaJ live. I first watched him at HITC Manila in 2022 and at Joyland Jakarta in 2023. It’s so refreshing to see an artist do their best and at the same time be so raw and vulnerable onstage. With every song, you could see much of himself he gives – physically and mentally. 

It takes a certain level of respect and mutual understanding to receive that kind of honest confession and emotion, and both eaJ and his fans made sure to create a warm and safe space for everyone to experience this soul-stirring exchange in the shows and within the community they’ve built together. 

We know that whenever eaJ asks, “Manila, you got me?” the answer would always be a resounding yes.

When The Rain Stopped Following Me Tour - Manila setlist

  1. voices
  2. come over
  3. burn
  4. visions
  5. sober go away
  6. traveler
  7. right where you left me
  8. mad
  9. enemy
  10. lennon
  11. safe in the rain
  12. la stars
  13. friendly fire
  14. (unreleased track)
  15. pacman
  16. castle in the sky
  17. in my civic
  18. when the rain stops

-encore-

  1. forest
  2. car crash

eaJ’s When The Rain Stops Following Me Tour continues in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul before heading off to North America. His new EP when the rain stops is out on 20 September 2024. Pre-save it here.

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