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Tommy Page: Bringing back the past

(JP/Jerry Adiguna)A nostalgic mood was felt throughout the room, when Tommy Page appeared on the stage in a black suit with natty polka-dot bow tie

Novia D. Rulistia (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, November 21, 2013 Published on Nov. 21, 2013 Published on 2013-11-21T12:56:25+07:00

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Tommy Page: Bringing back the past (JP/Jerry Adiguna) (JP/Jerry Adiguna)

(JP/Jerry Adiguna)

A nostalgic mood was felt throughout the room, when Tommy Page appeared on the stage in a black suit with natty polka-dot bow tie.

The 1990s-era pop idol opened his '€˜Come Home'€™ concert in Jakarta with his up-tempo single, '€œA Zillion Kisses'€, released in 1989, accompanied by a seven-piece band.

The hundreds of people in the audience '€” mostly women in their 30s and 40s '€” could not hide their excitement as he made a segueway into '€œTurn on the Radio'€.

As he brought the song to an end, Page, 43, greeted the crowd.

'€œI miss everybody so much. I feel like I'€™m going to cry,'€ Page said, to the cheers of the audience. '€œThe last time I was here was in 1995.'€

'€œWe grew up together. Some of you were still in junior high school at that time '€” and I'€™m going to take you there again.'€

At a press conference the day before, Page promised that he would do something special for the Jakarta audience: Sing a song that he had never performed before.

He made good on that promise with his third number, '€œI'€™m falling in love'€ to the delight of the crowd in the Upperroom of the Annex Building Wisma Nusantara in Central Jakarta on Nov. 15.

The crowd started to sing along spontaneously, led by Page at the front of the stage.

The nostalgia grew stronger as Page left his standing microphone and headed to the black piano at stage center to play '€œPaintings of My Mind'€.

More of his hits were performed, including '€œWhen I Dream of You'€ and '€œJust Before'€ '€” and even louder singing was heard in the crowd

Several times, Page tried to shake his body, even seeming awkward, to pump up the night. '€œI'€™m a terrible dancer,'€ he said.

Page made things intimate for the audience, sharing the stories behind his songs.

As the huge video screen at the rear of the stage displayed pictures of his three kids, Page told the audience that they were his biggest fans.

Page then dedicated his eighth song, '€œI Think I'€™m In Love'€, to his daughter, saying it was her favorite song.

On stage, Page collaborated with Citra Scholastika, performing '€œDon'€™t Give Up on Love'€. The Indonesian Idol winner opened the concert with a four-number set.

The crowd went crazy when Page took off his suit jacket and left the stage to greet the audience.

Some shook his hand, some tried to touch him, while the other used the chance to take his picture close-up. The crowd burst into song again when Page sang his one and only No. 1 hit in the US, '€œI'€™ll Be Your Everything'€.

Shortly after, he went backstage, generating requests from the audience to come back for an encore.

His return to the stage was met with elation.

Page approached to piano, playing a smooth intro to '€œShoulder to Cry On'€.

After the show, one avid fan, Rizkita Hanum, 32, said she could not be more satisfied with Page'€™s performance.

'€œI still can'€™t believe I'€™m here, said Hanum, the mother of a one-year-old son. '€œBack then he was very famous, his songs were played over and over, but then he was just like gone, didn'€™t hear anything about him for years.'€

'€œAnd now he'€™s here and I'€™m watching him. His voice is still the same as before,'€ she said.

Page said that although he has kept performing, the Jakarta gig had been his first full show in years, and would be followed by a gig on Surabaya, East Java. '€œDon'€™t worry,'€ the crooner added. '€œI still can sing.'€

His first album, released in 1989, contained '€œShoulder to Cry On'€, which was extremely popular upon its local release. So far, Page has released seven albums, the latest 2000.

Page, however, has remained active behind-the-scenes as an executive at Warner Brothers, shaping the careers of many artists, such as Michael Buble, Gen-X singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette of Jagged Little Pill fame and pop-punk icons Green Day.

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