The Calling, the iconic 90’s rock band fronted by my crush Alex Band, finally brought their music to Mindanao, Philippines! You could just imagine just how excited I was. So I bought tickets (yes, this isn’t a sponsored post LOL), brought my brother along, and we trooped to The Atrium of Lim Ket Kai Center, Cagayan de Oro City.
However, patience was the name of the game as the The Calling CDO concert started significantly later than scheduled, testing the crowd’s enthusiasm before the band even hit the stage. Mind you, it was a Thursday so there was work and business stuff the next day (in my brother’s case, he still had to wake up very early because he had to drive his daughter to school). I was already actually sleepy!
Good thing the moment Alex and the rest of the band stepped into the spotlight at around 8:50 PM, every minute of waiting was (sort of) forgiven. I had a feeling it would be an unforgettable night of nostalgia, raw emotion, and pure rock energy. And I was right! Check out the videos I took below (these garnered a ton of engagements not only on YouTube and Facebook but on TikTok as well):
The “The Calling: Before the World Turns to Dust” setlist was nothing short of a 90s lover’s dream come true. The band rolled through their greatest hits – Adrienne, Stigmatized, Our Lives, Could It Be Any Harder and of course, to the resounding roar of the crowd – Wherever You Will Go. It was nice to see and hear my fellow The Calling fans sing along in near-perfect unison.
However, the night wasn’t purely a trip down memory lane. Alex Band and the rest of The Calling gave happy fans like myself a taste of what’s coming next. They performed their most recently released track, Stand Up Now (which has been a part of my car music rotation for months now) plus live debuts of unreleased tracks such as Hold On Me and Don’t You Cry. According to Alex, those songs will be part of an album that will be released on summer of 2026. Of course, that announcement sent waves of high anticipation throughout the venue. I can’t wait!
The evening closed on an emotional high. Thank you to The Calling for making this fan girl’s heart happy and sending it on a natural high!
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Mindanaoan is a multi-awarded blogger, content creator, seasoned social media strategist and publicist with undeniably successful track record. Her content niches are lifestyle, travel, politics and events. 2012 International Visitor Leadership Program (for global leaders) alumnus and O visa grantee (for people with extraordinary skills and who have risen to the top of their field). Avid traveler and a proud relief operations volunteer. Regular resource person for social media, blogging and content creation. Available for work and travel – [email protected]
