Pinoy rock music fans are eagerly anticipating the reunion of three of the four original members of Wolfgang for the Reunion Concert this coming February 7 at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao.
Drummer Wolf Gemora returns behind the drum kit for the show, something he has not done since 2002 after migrating to the United States. He will be joining guitarist Manuel Legarda and vocalist Basti Artadi for the show.
Although Wolfgang sans Gemora has played through the years and even put out an album (Villains) and a mini-album since then (Ang Bagong Dugo sa Lumang Ugat) with Francis Aquino on drums, it has been awhile since all three played together considering Legarda is now with Razorback.
Original bassist Mon Legaspi passed away in 2022.
Fans weighed in on the Wolfgang Reunion Concert as presented by Ovation Productions.
I was 16 years old back in Christmas 1995 when a friend gave me Wolfgang’s first album on cassette,” shared Chris Salvador. “I played it on the deck, then ‘Arise’ hit, and boom!” I thought, ‘Ano ito?! Ang bigat? Galit na galit! Iba ‘to!’ It felt like a battle cry for those about to rock. Been a Wolfgang fan ever since. Now I’m 46, and solid pa rin.”
For Allan Hinayo, Wolfgang’s music and the reunion show represents a step back in time and sharing it with a loved one. He first saw them in the now defunct Mayrics’ back in 1995 and while working in Saudi Arabia from 2003-06, he played his cassettes whenever he would drive around the kingdom.
“Wolfgang was one of those bands that was and still is part of my life’s soundtrack. The band’s music accompanied me during my tough journey. I lived by ‘As Oceans’’ lyrics, ‘Quiet but never afraid. Silent but always awake.”
The Reunion Concert will be a bonding time with his son, 16-year-old Sebastian Adam who was named after Basti Artadi.
“He will see how tatay spent his youth. He even wishes that he was born in the 90s!”
Jerome Cruz, who last watched the band back in 2011 at the Met, echoed the sentiments of Salvador and Hinayo, “It is hard for me to put into words what Wolfgang meant to me as a teenager and all its challenges, and now as an adult, facing real life problems. Their music was a part of my life’s soundtrack then as it is now.”
“Wolfgang isn’t just a band,” succinctly put in Andrew Ruiz. “It’s a four-headed sonic beast.”
During the band’s 30th anniversary last year, they re-recorded their self-titled debut album, Wolfgang 30 that was put out on vinyl; their music was used in a critically-acclaimed rock opera, Si Faust; the music video for “Arise” was unveiled for the first time and remastered for a new audience; and they are culminating the year-round celebration with the reunion concert.
Summed up Salvador, “Wolfgang isn’t just back for a reunion. They’re inspiring a whole new generation.”
Tickets to the Wolfgang Reunion Concert on February 7 at the New Frontier Theater are available at ticketnet.com.ph. You can also purchase the limited Soundcheck Party Add-On as a special benefit with a free signed poster and a group photo with the band. Visit Ovation Productions social media accounts for more details.
