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For their first concert here in the Philippines, Third Eye Blind didn't disappoint, as they performed their biggest hit songs such as "How's It Going to Be?" "Jumper," "Deep Inside of You," "Never Let You Go," and of course, "Semi-Charmed Life," among others. It was a treat for fans who've waited long to see them perform live. It was worth the wait even if they started their set already at around 1230AM.

The concert ended the San Miguel Oktoberfest Kickoff Party held in the San Miguel Avenue-Julia Vargas area, where parts of these streets were closed for the event. The Kickoff Party featured several mini concerts and the much hyped world record for the longest beer bar.

All these weren't without hitches, though. Even if three stretches of streets in the Ortigas CBD were closed for the event, the place was packed. Many people also tried to get in earlier that night by trying to tear down the barriers to the event, which were aluminum roofs. The area was well secured, but a row of security personnel lining the measly barriers would've helped prevent incidents such as some of the roofs actually being torn down.

The special areas for VIP, media, and the general crowd somehow merged, too. And because of this, many people weren't allowed to enter the area--even if they had tickets, and VIP tickets at that. "I don't understand how they wouldn't let [me and my friends] in even if we had VIP tickets that's worth 1,500 pesos each. Sayang lang sa pera," said Katrina, a marketing manager in Makati. She added, "I would've been less disappointed if I had run out of tickets na lang instead of getting my tickets in advance only to come here and be told that they can't let me in. Hindi ba nila binilang yung capacity ng area versus yung number of tickets na ni-produce nila? Maybe not!"

According to sources, those with tickets that weren't able to use them can have them refunded. But as of this writing, there's no announcement yet on the San Miguel website on how to go about the refund.

But it was truly an entertaining night thanks to Third Eye Blind and other participating bands, and one that will go down as one of the most memorable Oktoberfest parties--for those who got in the venue.