Java Rockin’Land Revisited – Day 2: Arkarna’s Huge Comeback!

Welcome to the second day of Java Rockin’ Land 2010 music event! After being washed away by rain (and the slight disappointment towards Billy Corgan and friends) the previous day, people returned to the festival expecting to see something good. It was Saturday and everybody wanted a great night indeed.

As much as 32 guest-starring bands, such as Boomerang, The S.I.G.I.T, Superglad, Killed by Butterfly, Kikan and Female Stars, Burgerkill, Slank, Social Code, Dashboard Confessional, Arkarna, and Stereophonics provided constant entertainment across the venue. We couldn’t stop ourselves from moving out from one stage to the other. They are absolutely phenomenal!

Playing simultaneously at four different stages, The Bohemians, Matterhalo, Stereomantic, dan Hyder greeted the crowd into the second day of Java Rockin’ Land. Just before nightfall, Slank took to the stage and captivated the audience with their usual, energetic performance. Kaka, Bimbim, Ridho, Ivanka, dan Abdee warmed up the night by playing Slank’s hit songs such as I Miss you But I Hate You, Bang-Bang Tut, Malam Minggu Lagi, Virus, Gara-Gara Kamu, Ku Tak Bisa, Mars Slanker, and many others. As far as we know it, Slank was the only band to play more than 10 songs that day. Their endurance on stage is one of the things Slank are well known for, and there’s no stopping Slank when the Slanker fans have joined them. Our salute goes for the band!

No Slank concert is complete without the Slankers, so the organizer of JavaRockin’ Land allowed these Slank-loving fans to enter the premises, free of charge! To avoid any unwanted occurrences, a special space, positioned slightly away from the regular crowds, was reserved for the Slankers. Fortunately for everyone, Slank’s fiery concert lasted without incident until the very last song.

As we went further into the festivity, other guest stars take turns heating up the night, including The S.I.G.I.T, Social Code, Dashboard Confessional, Arkarna, Burgerkill, and Stereophonic. We were deeply impressed by Arkarna, who performed well beyond anyone’s expectation. The band, once hugely popular among the teens in mid-1990, took the crowd back through time with their songs. The band’s leader and vocalist, Ollie Jacobs, performed vibrantly and flawlessly on stage. His energy brought the audience together as they sing along, move their bodies enthusiastically to follow the rhythm of the songs, and give off roaring applauses. That night, Arkarna was simply outstanding!

The crowd’s enthusiastic response seemed to surprise the band, who said “terima kasih” (thank you) and “kalian hebat” (you guys are awesome) many times between their songs, albeit with odd intonations. Ollie and his friends pulled out their cameras every now and then to record the lively atmosphere of the concert. “I will post this video on my twitter. You guys are awesome!” said Ollie. Arkarna’s one-hour performance was simply too short to satisfy the craving audience, as reflected through the title of their last song, “So Little Time”. Arkarna left the stage, smiling happily on their way out. “Thank you, thank you!” they said. You’re very welcome Arkarna! That was a great show!

*Pictures taken by Pramanaya Tjokronegoro dan Lucky Natalia.