This was one of the most awesome 21st birthdays ever! You know why? Yes, not only because my band played, but because this is somewhat like what I wanted to do! I wanted to have a evangelistic 21st birthday party! Playing evangelistic songs and using it as a platform to share the gospel kinda thing.
I'd live to do that everyday. Haha. Using my hobbies & talents for an eternal cause is really worth it. :D
We took tons of pictures there so I shall let the pictures tell the story :) Chronologically...
We went to Canaan at 1.30pm to get all our equipments into the van. Oh by the way, Marc went to collect the van before Matthew's birthday. Thanks Marc! :)
So yeah...there we were @ Canaan taking all the stuff down :)
2LT Matthew, 3SG Jonavan & 3SG Mark taking the lead as commanders :D HAHA! Whatever. LOLS.
Standard ah! Me doing all the work...HAHA! Jkjk :D I was merely taking my own SBO. LOLS.
We then set off for the place...in cabs...Not everyone could fit in the logistics van. Haha. 3 vehicles brought us there:
Logistics Van - Marc, Renee, Matthew, Ron & Mark Leong
Taxi - Me, Marilyn, Cheryl & Jun Ming (If I remembered his name correctly...HAHA!)
And being the "I/C", the first thing we did there was to discuss our scores arrangements :D HAHA!
Check out my music scores :) Haha. Nice shot Renee! :D
Me in action...talking theory & arrangements...You can see that Ron just wants to dive into the action...without the planning...He's bored. LOLS! :P Matthew's deep in thought. Haha.
Ok, we didn't just sit around the table and discussed scores...we also sat around and took pictures :D HAHA! Standard ah!
Bassist Ron, Electric Guitarist + Vocalist Jonavan & Keyboardist Matthew :D
Me, Matthew & Mark :D
Ok, enough of cam-whoring...We spammed at least a dozen more around the table...but we finally remembered to set up the stage. HAHA! Here's some of us in action...
Matthew setting up his keyboard.
Mark fixing his drums.
Matthew, myself & Marc's backside setting up the stuffs :D Haha.
After setting up, I gathered everyone and got us praying...I started praying and the person on my left would continue and so on...By then, Marilyn and her few other close friends were also there...and then Reuben arrived. This means we could do our sound check :D
So we did a little sound check. To ensure that all our instruments were properly wired up.
After that, we then sat around and continued spamming photos...Haha. This time with Marilyn's violin included. LOLS!
Reuben & Myself :)
Revealing a bit of my rock side...HAHA!
Discovering the violinist within me :)
After the round 2 of cam-whoring, it was about time...Her guests were due to arrive in like 30mins time. That's when Mark, Matthew & Myself went to change into our performance shirts :D Haha!
Electric Guitarists Marc & Myself :D This is my performance shirt :D Nice eh? :) haha!
We got a little army-ish...haha.
Guitarist & Violinist :D You know who's the actor...haha! Reuben's & my shirt had a little resemblance in the checkered design...haha. My squares are bigger though. HAHA! Whatever. Lols.
By then, most of her friends arrived already and they started playing games. While some of them were playing games, we did our final sound check...to ensure the volume levels and our mix sounded good.
Final sound check.
Myself :)
We sound checked the song "Love Is Here". And, we ROCKED! :D Haha. Cos our sound check already drew crowds...HAHA! After the sound check Anne was telling us "You all sound really good!" I was like "Yeah man!" & "Duh?" at the same time...HAHA!
Oh and of course we didn't forget to take a picture on "stage" with our dear birthday girl Marilyn :)
Marilyn, Marc, Mark, Ron, Reuben, Matthew & Myself :)
Take 2 :D
With that we ended our final sound check.
Just as everything was about to go swee swee, and when we're all ready to roll, IT RAINED!! -___-" DUA LAO SAI!! This means our instruments out there'll be wet!!! Because it's not sheltered!!!!
We then threw the canvas over everything...the drums set, marc & my guitar + effects, ron's bass guitar & the piano... -__-"
After a while, the rain subsided. We were hesitant whether or not to take to the stage. Cos it may just rain again! HAHA!
I then prayed out loud with my band and told them that if anytime during my 3minute long prayer the lightning were to strike, we'd not go up to perform.
Guess what? Lightning didn't strike throughout my prayer. But seconds after I said "Amen", the lightning struck! HAHA! But well, that's after the prayer.
So we all took to the stage! :D So did the crowd...ok, they took to the seats...armed with umbrellas. LOLS!
We did 2 songs "If It's Love" by Train and "I Do Not Belong" by Kutless. After the song, it began to drizzle again -__-" By the time we finished the second song, the rain was kinda heavy. So we had to stop and save our instruments.
I was really touched by the audience man...they braved the rain to hear us perform! We're either that good, or they're super nice, if not they're just plain bored. HAHA!
But the latter two can't be reason enough for them to make such a huge sacrifice of getting wet right? HAHA! :D
Our brave audience! :)
Ok the audience weren't the only ones who had to sacrifice their dryness...My effects did too!! $&@$#@)!*&($&%^&$ This is the first time my guitar, guitar bag, effects, effects bag GOT WET!! DUA LAO SAI!! My file of scores was also wet.
Anyway, I Febreeze-ed my guitar bag & effects bag thoroughly & aired them all. LOLS!
My effects! :D WET!$%^!*&#^@*&
The rain chased us in and we continued eating...LOLS. The lemon chicken or some fried chicken thingy was really good. It was cleared in no time. Haha.
Then it was cake cutting time! It was an awesome ice-cream cake!! WHOO HOO! It was really, really good man.
After the cutting of the cake, Marilyn began to share her testimony of how she came to know God. Details of her arduous journey to find God was explicitly revealed by her...talking about her really personal stuffs like a secret boyfriend whom almost no one knew about and all...
Sharing halfway, she just broke down. While trying to share about God's love, God's love overtook her. Compassion filled her as she looked into the eyes of her unsaved loved ones. At least, that's why I think she broke down.
Very much like myself...I will also break down, not because I'm getting all emo about my sad life story, but filled with compassion and desire to see my friends and loved ones I'm sharing to saved.
Upon seeing the conducive and open environment she has created, we sprang into action. I took the guitar, Reuben took the mike, Matthew took the keys and we played my evangelistic song "Where Can You Find Love Unfailing?"
Me on the guitar for the gentle rendition of my song :)
Reuben did an awesome rendition of it...but not without changing half my song's tune... -__-" HAHA! But at least the message was brought across. :D Haha.
I don't know how many people were saved or whatever, but at least the seed of the gospel was sown and you could feel God's love flowing outta Marilyn. That's what matters.
After we did my song...we did the last 2 songs Marilyn wanted us to play. "Love Will Keep Us Alive" by Eagles and "Friends" by Michael W. Smith.
We did the unplugged version of it :D Haha. It was only 2 electric guitars on clean, keys and vocals. It was awesome :D
After the whole emotional & spiritual episode, what else can we do? Snap pictures! :D HAHA!
The band! :)
The 2 breath-taking vocalists :D
We'd have to take breath into our diaphragm & lungs before we can sing right? HAHAHA! :D
Matthew (keys) & Me (elec. guit. + vocals) :D
Me & Ron (bassist) :)
The 2 brothers & I :) Marc, Myself & Ron :D
The 2 Marks & I :D Ok..it's Marc & Mark. LOLS. And look at the idiotic placing of Marc's pick on his forehead -__-" HAHAHA!
Me & Marilyn, our dear birthday girl :D
Me, Anne, Marilyn & Joselyn :D I wasn't tip-toeing...HAHA! I'm serious!! LOLS! :D Ok, they weren't squatting either...HAHA!
Cheryl, Me, Marilyn, Some girl, Jun Ming & Abraham Kang :D
This is Marilyn's core group of people whom she calls her VIPs. These are the people who got her birthday going.
Cheryl's her good friend from Campus Crusade who helped her with logistics & decorations.
Jun Ming's the emcee with a really cool high-pitched voice. I think he'll sound real good & reach really gay notes if he trains up his vocals. haha!
Abraham Kang's the really funny & crappy emcee. Filling in the gaps with his lame jokes & comments. Haha.
Yup, that was Marilyn's awesome 21st birthday party! :) Held at some ulu bistro bar called "Soulout Cafe" in Pasir Ris Farmway drive 1, it was the best event to attend of the day man. HAHA!
Had a great time. There are many more details I've left out...You must be there to know. You can check out the rest of our pictures at my facebook or Marilyn/Marc/Evangeline's facebook. Evangeline's her sister by the way.
Once again, HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY MARILYN! :)
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