"Rivermaya!" Thousands of fans screamed as they answered Bamboo Mañalac's query, "We are who?"

On 17 February 2024, for one night only at the SMDC Festival Grounds, the quartet, comprising Bamboo, Rico Blanco, Nathan Azarcon, and Mark Escueta, called themselves Rivermaya. Dubbed as the "classic lineup," the night's roster was a throwback to the years 1995 to 1998. 

Rivermaya through the years: a timeline – past and present members, discography, stories, and more

Most millennials like myself were too young to watch them live at shows. We only ever saw this particular lineup on variety shows on our TV screens or heard their hit songs on the radio. Despite that, we were no mere spectators. We lived and breathed Rivermaya while we were growing up and still figuring out what our taste in music is. Among the thousands in the audience were longtime fans, as well as notable Filipino personalities like popstar Sarah Geronimo, actress-singer Maris Racal, actor Daniel Padilla, TV presenter Gretchen Ho, actor Jericho Rosales, Youtuber and musician Chris Cantada, Mayonnaise vocalist Monty Macalino, and more.

Hale bassist Sheldon Gellada shared how he first discovered the Filipino rock band at age 12. "I saw them play 'Elesi' on a local TV show then [I] bought a copy as soon as I got a chance!" Rivermaya's third album Atomic Bomb was the first-ever cassette tape he bought with his own money. 

Denise Mallabo, journalist and longtime friend of Rivermaya, first encountered the band when she purchased a "Song Hits" magazine and saw a photo of her old friend Rico Blanco with the rest of the members alongside the chords for 'Ulan'. Odessa, a fan from Cavite, first heard 'Kisapmata' on the radio as a 9-year-old. "It was the first full-length, non-nursery song I've ever memorised – and liked for that matter." Paolo Gregorio, a 30-something banker, learned how to play guitar with the band's earlier albums on cassettes and CDs they had at home in the late '90s.

Once upon a time in our youth, we were smitten. Yet we weren't the only ones. Despite the changes in their lineup, Rivermaya would continue to inspire the next generation of teenagers. Gen Z musicians like Zild Benitez and Badjao De Castro discovered Rivermaya's songs through their high school classmates. Badjao jammed with his friends to the songs, while Zild learned by watching his friends playing them on acoustic guitar or watching fan-made lyric videos on YouTube in the 2010s. "The lyricism of Maya is also Pinoy-witty, which inspired me in my own work," Zild added.

Seeing this lineup felt like a fever dream, even to casual fans who have never seen any iteration of the band live. The idea of Bamboo and Rico, now two powerhouse rock icons in their own right, coming together for the first time in decades was enough to pique everyone's curiosity and make headlines. Rivermaya fan Paolo mused about how "It was only a pipedream for many to have Bamboo come back and sing Rivermaya songs." And in Zild’s words, "It’s like watching Batman and Superman together." 

With founding and present members Mark Escueta and Nathan Azarcon, this version of Rivermaya on a stage of this scale, playing deep cuts and hit singles, with a few surprises thrown in between, made the Live Nation Philippines-helmed Rivermaya: The Reunion a show to remember. "The whole production was incredible," Sheldon shared. "It felt like watching a concert of a foreign artist."

 "You can just feel during the concert that they respected their fans and the essence of this ‘reunion’. They didn’t take that moment for granted. They played amazing. They sounded great – I’d say even better,"  She Matucad, a Rivermaya fan since the mid-2000s, added. 

In an interview with Offstage Hang, Mark revealed that the setlist would be primarily songs from Trip and Atomic Bomb, as well as a few cuts from their self-titled debut album. Leading up to the concert, we pretty much had an idea of what songs would be performed at the show, but what we didn't know was when and how they'd play these songs. 

Defying what would be the norm, the foursome kicked off with 'Monopoly,' an unexpected choice off their sophomore album, before segueing into 'Kung Ayaw Mo Huwag Mo' and ‘Princess of Disguise.’ “The harmonies between Bamboo and Korics (Rico Blanco) are addicting. It made me realize that a band can be not just about the frontman, it could also be about the other members," Zild commented. 

The first three songs set the tone for what was to come, radio hits sandwiched in between cult fan favourites. "They played my favourite tracks from their albums which were not promoted as singles. I had zero expectations of the songs being played. But they did!" Sheldon shared. 

"There are some moments you never forget. It's your first, right? This is our first song, our first single," Bamboo said as he introduced 'Ulan'.  A fresh arrangement, with added strings and horns by famed music director Mel Villena's band, their debut single elicited some of the first singalongs of the night with the crowd responding to Bamboo's call for "Ulaaaaaaan!"

Meanwhile, on the B-stage, crew members started to put together the setting for the next performances. After 'Ulan' wrapped up, Rico Blanco appeared, blowing kisses and putting his hand over his heart, with tears in his eyes, before settling in front of the keys to sing perhaps the band's most internationally famous song. Rico played an earnest and extended take on 'You'll Be Safe Here,' written for Filipino TV series Spirits (2005). In his emotionally charged rendition, he added some Filipino lyrics towards the end, similar to their MTV Asia Awards 2006 performance. 

Released five years after Bamboo left the band, the track was an unexpected addition to the setlist, but also a reminder of the legacy and longevity the band has maintained despite lineup changes. "The way he slowly walked to the piano and looked at the audience teary-eyed left an impression on me that his songs and his career are a blueprint of an artist not quitting," Zild also noted. 

The rest of the B-stage set, with the help of Mel Villena and his band, continued to ramp up the emotion amidst sombre tunes like the Azarcon-penned 'Luha'.  Bamboo and Rico took turns on vocals alongside the audience with 'Bring Me Down’. As they were performing '20 Million,’ the quartet seemed to be enjoying themselves for a good minute and a half, until they finally realised none of us could hear them singing or playing instruments. Shouts of "audio!" and "copyright" filled the air from the Bronze section all the way to the VIP area. It was obvious there were some major technical difficulties – it proved that the earlier sound outages were more serious than they seemed – and while the tech team figured out what to do, the band decided to get offstage and reach out to the fans near the barricades.

While fans tried to make light of the situation by joking around and waiting for and with the band, it still affected the audience's experience. "I was frustrated by the nearly 15-minute dead air caused by a technical problem,” Denise shared. “The sound was turning on and off while they were playing their second song."

After minutes of silence save for some fuzzy radio chatter of the tech team scrambling for solutions, the show was back on with all four artists back on the B-stage restarting again with '20 Million'. A fitting closer for this set, fan favourite 'If' garnered one of the loudest singalongs with the audience singing even the verses as confetti blasted through the air. Denise called the performance "magical," adding how the song was "made even better by maestro Mel Villena and his orchestra, who, as mentioned by Nathan (Azarcon), created the strings part of the song, adding a wonderful touch to the performance."

The night continued on the main stage with the band powering through 'Fever,' 'Kundiman,' 'Hilo,' and 'Flowers,' before taking it down a notch with 'Panahon Na Naman'. Before launching into the song, Rico addressed the audience, "You've kept our music close to your hearts for so many years. You've given us the honour of keeping you company in your journey through life. I dedicate this next song to all of you, for all the love, all these years."

An underrated highlight of the night, the performance featured Rico, Mark, and Bamboo sharing vocal duties, as well as a sea of lights. She named it as one of her favourite concert memories, "It was just a tender moment with everyone’s camera flashes on."

Somewhat symbolic of how the mic has been passed down throughout the last 30 years – from Bamboo to Rico... and now to Mark, who currently takes on vocals with the rest of the present members. Undoubtedly the heart and pulse (literally, he does take care of the beats) of Rivermaya, he has steadily held on to the band's rich and storied legacy, bringing their music and stories to the new generations with the present Rivermaya. 

For the final chapter of the show, Bamboo amped up the showmanship and star power with 'Elesi'. Multiple guitar solos from Rico and Nathan dancing and frantically running around, obviously having a whale of a time, was a sight to see and hear. Seeing Nathan just having the time of his life while playing songs from 30 years ago with his old friends was a heartwarming scene.  

"We have a surprise for you," Bamboo said as the band kicked off to start 'Nerbyoso,' a track off It's Not Being Easy Green, Rivermaya's first album after Bamboo left for the States. The surprise was that Bamboo would take on vocals for the first time on this Rico-led song, a special treat for everyone who turned up at the historic show. "I know for a fact that fans are just begging for a studio release or recording of that version,” She said. 

The band reserved the biggest anthems for the end of the show, playing 'Mabuhay' and 'Awit ng Kabataan' back-to-back. The sudden appearance of Higantes or giant paper-mâché puppets, who took part in a dance-off with Bamboo, and the marching band for 'Awit ng Kabataan' lent a fiesta-like atmosphere. Someone handed Rico a rainmaker, Nathan danced his way around the stage, Mark kept the steady beats going, and Bamboo ran all the way across the VIP section to meet the fans at the Gold barriers, singing amidst the crowd.

"Kaya n’yo pa ba? (Can you still handle it?)" Rico asked the crowd and Bamboo answered, "Yes, we can!" Screams filled the concert grounds as the first notes of '214' played with the orchestra joining in, Bamboo crooning "Am I real?" Perhaps the only song that the audience sang from start to finish, it was a fitting finale for the much-awaited concert of this version of Rivermaya.

"Bamboo's voice gave soul to the words...and the lights, the instruments, the feels... I had goosebumps," Odessa said.  Zild added that Nathan's "chorus-y bassline in '214' also made me scream." "The fireworks [for ‘214’] made the night unforgettable," She added. 

For the encore, Rivermaya played two of their biggest hits from their second album, 'Himala' and 'Kisapmata'. Closing it off with more singalongs, impassioned performances, fireworks, and applause, the night ended with Bamboo, Rico, Nathan, and Mark making their final bow together. 

Taking us back to the mid-'90s, it was a look at what the band could've been had they kept this particular lineup. It was a nice thought, but as Badjao said, "Ine-enjoy lang namin yung mga moment na binibigay nila (We just enjoyed that moments that we were given)" – Recognising this concert as a notable moment in the band's history, and at the same time, understanding that Rivermaya is more than its past and present roster of members. The band's legacy lies in the songs and the stories they've soundtracked and the artists they've inspired throughout the years and in the years to come. As the band grapples with its legacy – whether with its ever-changing lineup or who gets to use the name – the concert showed that Rivermaya belongs to all of us.

Rivermaya: The Reunion Tour is coming to the US and Canada with its "classic lineup" – Bamboo Mañalac, Rico Blanco, Nathan Azarcon, Mark Escueta

Thirty years later, with a dozen members come and gone, and numerous hits under their belt, Rivermaya remain the quintessential Banda ng Bayan.

Riverymaya: The Reunion Setlist

• Monopoly 
• Kung Ayaw Mo, Huwag Mo
• The Princess of Disguise
• Hinahanap Hanap Kita
• Ballroom Dancing
• Sunny Days
• Ulan
• You'll Be Safe Here (Rico Blanco solo) 
• Luha
• Bring Me Down
• 20 Million
• If
• Fever
• Kundiman
• Hilo
• Flowers
• Panahon Na Naman 
• Elesi
• Nerbyoso 
• Mabuhay
• Awit ng Kabataan 
• 214 
• Encore:
• Himala
• Kisapmata