Elliott Yamin at TriNoma Mall

Eliott Yamin, the third place finalist in American Idol season 5, came to the Philippines for a mall tour this week. His first stop? TriNoma Mall in North Ave/Edsa, QC (September 21 2007).

Even though Elliott Yamin is not that well-known in the Philippines, it was surprising to see how big already his following was. The entire TriNoma activity center was filled and the floors surrounding it were also crowded. The people who watching were actually fans of Elliott's, and not just some curious bystanders looking around.

It was announced that at 10AM, the concierge would release ticket stubs for seats inside the activity center and for the "Meet and Greet" ceremonies with Elliott. At 9AM, the first floor of the mall was already packed and the line was so long, that by 10:30AM, the concierge was already out of tickets. People who weren't able to get them just had to stand outside the center area by the railings.

The gig, which was scheduled at 7PM, started on time. Elliott sang about 4 songs (I'm not really familiar with the titles) before the Meet and Greet ceremony. There were so many people taking photos and videos; die-hard fans were screaming and shouting their compliments at Elliott.

After performing, Elliott stepped out the stage for a minute to prepare for the Meet and Greet ceremony, where fans with ticket stubs can fall in line and come meet Elliott up close and personal. Elliott actually seemed friendly and genuine when the fans met with him. He shook their hands, gave them hugs, gave them besos (cheek-to-cheek kiss) and smiled at them genuinely. He wasn't celebrity at all, which is good given that he was also once an average/ordinary/non-celebrity guy.

Naturally I didn't line up, but I did manage to take pictures from the spot right in front of where Elliott was sitting (not that close though, still had to zoom in to get a clear shot). The fans beside me kept on calling Elliott so that he would look at them and they could take his picture. Two girls were so envious of those with Meet and Greet stubs that they wanted to cross the velvet rope already. Now that's fanatic!

After the Meet and Greet, fans with CDs lined up to get Elliott's autographs. The whole thing ended probably at around 10PM because there were so many fans that wanted to get a glimpse of Elliott and see him in person.

Elliott Yamin, who didn't even win first place in American Idol, has apparently created a following in the Philippines. The hundreds of fans that appeared in TriNoma are only those from the northern areas like Quezon City and the CAMANAVA. I'm sure that another hundred would show up when Elliott performs in other Ayala Malls around the metro. Thank goodness for TriNoma for being established here, otherwise all northern fans of Elliott's would have to travel all the way to Makati or Alabang just to see their idol.

*Disclaimer: I'm not a professional photographer and I'm also not into the technicalities of photography. I just point and shoot, so please excuse the qualities of the pictures (dim lighting, red-eye, noise, etc.)