The generation that grew up in the ‘90s looked to a quad from the country’s premiere university to put words and melody to things they felt and thought. That was an entire group of then 20-somethings who sang with the band that poked fun at school, bled clumsily for unrequited love, vented frustration, and wished to learn how to drive.

More than a decade later, another group of 20-somethings are venting out frustration, professing love, thinking out loud through tweets, Facebook and Multiply updates. They are possibly doing something else, too, as we see how they pick up on online conversations about the latest news on the coming May 10, 2010 elections and about the personalities participating in the polls.

One thing appeared to be constant though: this generation, as in the others that came before it, has maintained its affiliation with music, picking up tunes and adopting it like soundtracks of their lives.

It is this affiliation of the youth with music that fueled, among other things, the plan to mount a concert for Boto Patrollers -- members of the Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo: Ako ang Simula (BMPM) campaign.

BMPM is ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs’ election-focused citizen journalism campaign. It is made up of an army of Patrollers – citizen journalists who submit news tips and materials. The official number of those who registered to be part of this army stands at 62,995.

The country’s top artists will be jamming with these Boto Patrollers in the first ever “eyeball-concert” of BMPM, the “Ako ang Simula: Himig ng Pagbabago” on Friday (Feb. 19), 6 p.m., at the University of Santo Tomas Parade Grounds and Athletic Field.

Musical performers Parokya ni Edgar, Kamikazee, Barbie Almalbis, Moonstar88, Rocksteddy, Bituin Escalante, Bayang Barrios, Kjwan, Pochoy, Peryodiko, Astro Juan, Julianne, and many more will take the lead and rock it out for change together with ABS-CBN’s respected anchors and reporters.

The concert is meant to raise the youth’s awareness on the need to take an active role in society and begin the change they want to see in the country.

ABS-CBN has been giving away free tickets to Boto Patrollers and to those who have registered to be one since Monday. Tickets will continue to be given away until today (Thursday, Feb. 18) at the Center Road of the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City. On concert day (Friday, Feb. 19), tickets may be claimed at the concert venue in UST.

Each Patroller gets two tickets. Just bring one valid ID with picture.

Since the start of the campaign last year, BMPM has encouraged the youth to take an active role in the monitoring of the registration, campaign and other election-related events. Now, BMPM is challenging the youth to take steps and begin the change they want to see in our country.

Some of the most compelling stories aired on ABS-CBN news programs actually came from Boto Patrollers, like the burning of a poll precinct in Batangas in 2007 which claimed the lives of two teachers, and the first photo of the Maguindanao Massacre on November 2009 to be seen in public, which was taken only minutes after the gruesome crime occurred.

For more information on “Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo: Ako ang Simula” just log on to abs-cbnnews.com or at botomoipatrolmo.multiply.com.

Watch the primetime airing of the BMPM concert this Sunday (Feb. 21), 10 p.m., in “Sunday’s Best” on ABS-CBN.