As I am writing this column entry, my Instagram selfie story amid the skyscrapers of California’s San Diego City is still up. For musical background, I picked the Counting Crows signature song “Mr. Jones,” in particular at the point where the singer is talking about believing so much that he mentions the word “believe” three times, culminating with the line, “Cause I want to be someone who believes.”
A few hours after posting that, I chose to watch via a YouTube upload the recent show of a good friend, Kenneth Laurente. This guy’s a baby-faced Fil-Am singing talent who migrated here in the US, joined the military, left it an even better man, and during the we’d-rather-forget pandemic started releasing records. He’s someone who, too, believes in making music, in the power of spirituality, collaborating with other voices, mingling with a community that empowers each other, and falling in love again after a heartbreak.
His show, held at The Courtyard Theater in Long Beach on Oct. 5, had the title “Because We Believe.”
“Moments like this remind me why I love what I do, celebrating the connections we built together,” said Kenneth after more than two hours of singing, joking, and pausing to breathe and express his deep thoughts.
The show, made possible by the First Church of Nazarene Long Beach, Cross Culture Faith Community, and in cooperation with Starlink Promotions, mixed heartfelt songs with natural, as-casual-as-you-get spiels that made everyone in the room comfortable. There wasn’t much visually spectacular stage design-wise, but the gritty performances made up for it.
Kenneth was backed by a competent band that helped him get through a medley of Bamboo songs, namely “Hallelujah,” “Tatsulok,” and “Noypi.” “That was a workout,” he quipped. I honestly thought he was leisurely walking.
“Because We Believe” started on a high note with the Stevie Wonder classic “You Are The Sunshine of My Life” and “When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2 fame. He said of the latter, “This song gets me nostalgic, back to my childhood when life was simple, enjoying carefree days without bills, rent, credit score, and car insurance.” He had a happy childhood, and being an adult in America could be both challenging and fun.
Kenneth had some songs of his own worth showcasing live; thus, he gave a nicely flavored vibe to “Worth It,” which he performed with guest Nate.
“Sayo Na,” for me his best single yet, was obviously a highlight. It was fitting that he introduced the song as an award-winning piece from the movie “Tahanan” and then allowed Klarence, his duet on the song, to make a quite dramatic entrance.
The night wouldn’t be complete without the presence of his co-members in Fil-Trio—Lyndon Apostol and Cristiani Rebada. Their group, by the way, has been included in the latest list of Blogtalk’s 75 Most Influential Filipino-Americans including the likes of Tootsie Guevara, Princess Punzalan, and Rachel Alejandro.
He thanked US-based Pinoy rock icon Paco Arespacochaga, whom he said challenged him to do the show. He said of the singer-drummer, “Your belief in this project is invaluable. I truly appreciate everything you do for our community.”
Spiritual pop was hovering in the air throughout the show, and those in the venue must have felt some holy presence, what with the moving renditions of “You Raise Me Up” and “The Prayer.” Kenneth certainly put on a cool display of his versatility, playing the keyboard with his fingers softly touching the keys that produced a sentimental sound to go with his expressive singing, and in one instance, playing the guitar with ease.
“No matter what our past, we are always offered a second chance to start all over,” he said in one of his meaningful one-liners.
That’s not saying he has a forgettable past. Rather, he believes that every moment given is a chance to shine. And that night, he did.
