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Metro Manila first-timers Imagine Dragons said they were fascinated with the jeeps plying our roads. The American band is in town for their one-night-only show Thursday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The four-man band arrived on Wednesday and quickly got schooled with Metro Manila. But what we’d consider punishment, they, like professional travelers, thought of as amusing.
“To travel to a place you’ve never been before, it’s indescribable. It makes us feel like we need to work harder. We need to be deserving of the success that’s right in front of us,” says Daniel Platzman, the drummer of the group.
On Thursday afternoon, we met two of guys from the band who told us about their experiences in Metro Manila.
1. They were met with terrible traffic. Ah, even rock stars aren’t exempted from traffic. “It was bad,” says guitarist Wayne Sermon. “We’ve seen LA traffic, Atlanta traffic…Manila might be the worst. It’s up there.”
But Platzman counters: “But it was alright because that’s the typical Manila thing, right? It’s bad traffic, so [at least] we experienced something authentic.”
2. Our good and wide-ranging food. On Wednesday evening, they experienced for themselves Manila’s wide selection of delicious Chinese food. They had dinner at Golden Bay in Pasay, after which they tried balut. “That was really good Chinese but we also had balut,” they share enthusiastically. “It was delicious and cool. A little intimidating, but great. As long as you don’t look at it right in the eye.”
3. They were amused with our wide-range of transportation. Particularly the jeeps. “While in traffic, we saw the jeeps and it was nothing like we’ve seen before,” exclaims Sermon. “It was great and it was so packed. I liked how short they are.” Dan says he was trying to imagine his parents trying to get into them. “Like, I don’t know how my dad will be able to fit inside one. Cultural experiences like that, that’s what it’s all about.”
