The showcase marked a memorable milestone in the band’s long journey of making music, capturing not only the explosive energy of youth but also the depth of years spent growing together. A day of gratitude for all the friends and mentors, the event became more than just an EP debut. It served as a heartfelt tribute to the mentors who had stood beside the members, guiding, shaping, and inspiring them from their earliest steps in music to the stage they now command with confidence and passion.
The crowd was a vivid mix of music lovers, from older fans and alt-style regulars to groups of students who had slipped away from their school’s dull evening performances that no one really cared for. Different backgrounds, different stories, but all drawn together by the same pull: the promise of a night where real energy, real passion, and real music would take over.
Giấy Gấp — An airy, atmospheric opening
Giấy Gấp delivered a performance steeped in everything that defines being eighteen, nothing more quintessential than young love told through intimate, personal lyrics. Their songs floated between angelic softness and haunting depth, carried by a voice that made the crowd scream along without hesitation. Each note shimmered with emotion, each line felt like a page torn from someone’s private diary. With their atmospheric sound guiding listeners through waves of tenderness, longing, and quiet ache, Giấy Gấp led the room on a full emotional ride, letting every heart drift, swell, and break with them.
Jaigon Orchestra – Playful chaos and youthful energy
Jaigon Orchestra erupted from the very first second, delivering a performance so explosive and unrestrained that the entire venue seemed to shake in the most literal sense. Their ska-driven sound was pure 18-year-old madness, joyful, chaotic, and absolutely electric. Every moment felt like the product of years of tight rehearsal: from the skillfully addictive guitar riffs to the trumpet lines pushed to the edge of breath, funky and fearless. The crowd wasn’t there just for their one-hit wonder “Chinatown”. They came for the rush, the wild burst of energy, and the sense of connection that feeling of seeing themselves reflected in every shout, every beat, and every chaotic, beautiful second on stage.
18.18 – More than pop-punk
Before the show, the band’s vocalist shared that his nerves were kicking in hard, his heartbeat racing “like fighting a boss.” Yet beneath the anxiety was a fierce determination. He said they were ready to pour everything into their performance, using their music as a declaration of who they are and where they stand in the Saigon scene. For them, this showcase wasn’t just another gig; it was a moment to prove their identity, their sound, and their place among the city’s rising pop-punk voices.
18.18 opened their set with a short animation projected onto the screen, a nostalgic Nintendo-style tape flashing names of their past shows, a playful yet powerful symbol of how far they’ve grown within the Saigon indie landscape. Throughout the night, the backdrop cycled through pop-culture references from films to video games, capturing the fun, youthful spirit often found in pop-punk, yet reminding everyone that 18.18 stands for something beyond the genre. From the very first moment, they threw themselves into the performance, dissolving the barrier between stage and crowd as fans stage-dived, screamed every lyric, and surfed across the room. People caught each other, lifted one another, and kept the energy surging; the true spirit of punk lived in every movement. What set 18.18 apart was their ability to transform on the spot, never constrained by the borders of pop-punk.
Their sound shifted with instinctive fluidity: skillful, fiery guitar lines; explosive drumming that felt like it was thumping directly into people’s hearts; and a vocal performance that moved effortlessly from airy softness to throat-ripping screams, proving that music, for them, cannot be boxed in. The stage soon filled with guest performers, friends, mentors, and companions from their long journey, celebrating not just a showcase but the story of how 18.18 came to be. As the night neared its end, the venue showed no signs of slowing down. The crowd, breathless yet unstoppable, kept chanting “one more song” and then “one more” again, refusing to let the moment fade. And 18.18, with every last drop of energy, gave it all back, closing the night not just as performers, but as the beating heart of a scene that continues to grow with them.
Once-in-a-lifetime marker for every member
The night drew to a close with a lingering sense of youth the quiet, tender ache left behind by Giấy Gấp, the relentless, fiery energy burned into the room by Jaigon Orchestra, and the immortal spirit of eighteen carried proudly by 18.18. It was a concert that made many people remember the feverish days of their own youth, and for others, it became a moment to cherish while they are still living it. More than a showcase, it stood as a milestone not only for 18.18 but for an entire scene that continues to evolve and move forward day by day.
Photos: Hohish Ho
