A decade after the worldwide hit Apologize got us hooked, we finally got the men behind the song, the American pop-rock band OneRepublic playing live on our shores for the first time last Thursday evening.
The crowd filled the familiar Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani to see Ryan Tedder (frontman), Zach Filkins (guitars and viola), Drew Brown (guitars), Brent Kutzle (bass and cello) and Eddie Fisher (drums), plus Brian Willett -- the band's touring keyboardist.
The night kicked off with Stop And Stare, the band's hit from their first album Dreaming Out Loud in 2007. It was immediately followed by Secrets -- another hit from Waking Up, their second album in 2009. The set-list then worked its way around the well-known tunes from their four studio albums and singles -- both old and new -- which the crowd have grown to love over the years.
As an established songwriter and producer, Tedder also performed a few songs he co-wrote for other artists: Beyoncé's Halo and Ed Sheeran's Happier.
And Tedder wasn't the only one under the spotlight. Another founding member, guitarist Zach Filkins, gave a stunning solo performance on his flamenco guitar that amazed us with his quick fingerwork.
And it was just that: the band and the music, with an impressive light show to accompany their tunes. There were no fancy props or computer graphics. Not that they were needed, anyway. It was all in the sound, from the moody air with a hint of R&B and progressive rock in Apologize, all the way to the fun, lighter tone of the recent dance hall tune No Vacancy and the summer jam Rich Love.
These tunes displayed the band's versatility and diversity. Their range has grown to encompass and span different genres from the usual pop-rock fanfare ever since their debut in 2007.
At their first performance in Bangkok, OneRepublic proved one thing: they make good records. But what they can do even better is to give a live performance. Tedder, as the band's frontman, was a charming, genuinely affectionate and skilful musician who shifted from singing to playing piano and guitar, all the while focusing on entertaining his Thai and expat crowd.
Two hours with OneRepublic flew by in the blink of an eye. We were blinded by the strobe and laser lights. Our ears hummed with the melodies, the sounds of cello, piano, drums, guitars, bass, keyboards and Tedder's voice, which hit all the high notes splendidly. His, and the band's, energy didn't fade from the first song to the last. The six men were solid, both in their performance and energy. And we jumped along. Our hands in the air. Our lit-up phones were held high, waving around. It was indeed a fun night.
On another note, we can't go back and listen to their records the same way anymore without comparing them to the live versions. The live performance was much, much better.
In his tiny breaks between the songs, Tedder spoke about how OneRepublic has been around for a decade, with their first hit Apologize coming out 10 years ago, and yet here they still are, travelling and discovering the world together.
Upon hearing his words, we hope they keep that going. We like what we've been listening to in the past decade, and we definitely love what we experienced last Thursday. Keep them coming, please.
With silver confetti still flying in the air, the band bid farewell with Counting Stars and Love Runs Out. We will have to hold Tedder to his promise about having a concert here again as early as next year. We didn't have enough in those two hours last week. And we sure look forward to any shows the band is planning in our capital in the future.
The band's lead vocalist Ryan Tedder. photo courtesy of OneRepublic Live in Bangkok
