Saguijo weekends

Have been going to Saguijo for more reasons than the music. last week, thought I’d go see Greyhoundz to shake off anxieties through slam dancing. Its a great thing NA is a rap metal junkie, who thought I’m not in on loud riffs and growling. Its acquired taste really but I’m all for it.

Last night, I dragged my best friend Edgar along to meet Ed, Jac and Eddy and see Up Dharma Down play. Armi and the band delivered a perfect set, good good music. Its a different experience watching every band play. With UDD, everyone is just quiet and bouncy, a little chorus sing along here and there, but mostly we are feeling the music and letting Armi do her magic.

It was also great to see Paramita play,its my first time to see them. Seeing a female lead singer bang the drums, i thought was a thing of the past. Looking at the girl, the thought in my heads goes like “how can she hit the right drum and hit the notes”.

the weekend aint over and there’s still a party I have to get ready for.

Taking new routes with Deep Fried

It’s been exactly a week since hitting the dance floor at Route 196 with Ed. Route 196 is an underground rock music haven like Saguijo, only it is located in Katipunan Ave in QC. For this particular night, the guitars and banging drums are taking a rest and is giving it up for Electro! 

The event is called Deep Fried, it’s bringing the new revolution in club/dance music by bringing the beats in various places and harnessing local DJs. The man behind Deep Fried is Toti Dalmacion, same guy behind Groove Nation who is responsible for the rave parties in the 90s. ( I might have mixed up my info a bit, but that’s the gist)

Two nights in a row, I went to places I should’ve known , lots of firsts last weekend. The room is pitch black, with only led lights coming from the devices and bright strobes providing a bit of light. Ed was there before me and is getting down and dirty on the dance floor. It was cool to see people dance all facing the DJs booth and not each other, its as if they are getting dance instructions. The pulsating beats has moved and drowned me so I grabbed a beer and joined Ed and the gang. Met interesting peeps like Swissy, Jim, Arthur and Armi–see you more next year.

the music went on and on with Toti Dalmacion and Cyril, but too bad I missed Arthur’s set. I’m ill equipped to describe the music but I must say its rockin! i’ll just put it parallel to the metallica of dance electro, if that even makes sense. One thing I know is that i’ll continue to attend Deep Fried events and tag more friends along and submit to being part of the new revolution.

Left the route at about 330am aboard a bug on the way to partying in zero gravity.

Underground heaven

I can’t get over being flabbergasted about the underground scene and being in a room full of straight people. Having been used to having lots of gays around me all the time sorta been the thing, and certainly, partying with the straight crowd (like myself) is like being in a new world.

my kindred spirit ed, invited me to check out Saguijo, a rockers haven my side of Makati (can you believe that?), Cynthia Alexander is playing and there’s no way I’m gonna miss out on her again. It’s been a good six years or so since I saw her play at the UP bandstand. What’s more, Kate Torralba is gonna be on as well and I effing love her style, I remember being blown away seeing her play Alanis’ Your House during the Alanis Morissette tribute concert at the Shangrila Strip in 2005 in time for the promotion of Jagged Little Pill Acoustic. I thought she was on it more for a hobby coz I’ve always known her as a designer. As it turns out, she loves music all that much and its a plus factor that she plays the songs I know and love. 

We got to the venue around 11pm, I could already hear Kate’s passionate piano keyboard playing from the gate and I just wanna jump and pop myself inside. It’s Ed’s first time to see Kate, I have put a good word about her so by then i think Ed is expecting to be blown away. Kate didn’t fail him after delivering her piano driven renditions of songs from Regina Spektor, Tori Amos and Radiohead.

One of the highlights of the night was when Kate mumbled she didn’t have a setlist and we’re welcome to make a request, like an autopilot, I yelled “Your House”, she said “What?” “that’s the Alanis song without music right? and seconds after, she was widowing the notes I suppose she arranged from 3 years back and sang it to us. Electricity flowed through me as if  like butterflies in my stomach,  and I felt Ed shaking, shivers went down his spine and were both cringing, not minding that Kate have already forgotten some words and which lines go where. I thought to myself “not even Alanis can do that song like that”. There goes the part where I wished we got there earlier to hear more of Kate’s heart in sound performance. What I like most about her playing is, she conquers the song and owns it. Its that thing you find in rock that you wont find in RnB or house music.

Once again, there I was singing along to songs from the wicked and extra talented songwriters from the golden age of alternarock 90s, in chorus with people who find relevance in these songs the way i do. Nostalgia is the word, common ground is the place, music is the language!

Kate ended her set and walked up to friends, Ed couldn’t contain his excitement and came up to Kate and thanked her for the music. She’s warm and very welcoming and just sweet. 

Cynthia Alexander took the stage next with her 2-piece acoustic ensemble, multi-instrumentalist Malou and a bongo player plus her on guitar.  She’s just how I remembered her from way way back. She opened with a song I’ve never heard and words I do not understand, but the language of music does the work so all is well.

 

Memories rained on me hearing Cynthia’s songs like Comfort in your Strangeness, Malaya, Insomnia live and straight from the lady herself. About this time, I looked around and saw and heard a whole lot of people humming along. We must be from the same generation and likely the same wavelength.

 

It’s a bit different to hear Kate sing international classic rock ditties to hear Cynthia’s renowned songs. She was never mainstream and is known only to those who dig the whole rock genre and tune in to NU107, therefore, a dot in a humongous circle. Might I add the rock crowd has evolved all too much, they are dressed to the nines as opposed to the old greasy, all black outfitters of the 90s. They are eloquent, reserved and has seemingly disposed the trash talking. Boi have we grown.

Simply sitting in a dark corner of the room listening to Cynthia and Malou gave me a natural high, so high I didn’t even complain the bar is a non-smoking room. A few notes at the start of Malaya and Insomnia ticked my eardrum and sent me to peak at the moment. I’ve heard these songs prolly a million times yet it always sounds new, fresh and continuously growing in me.

Outside, we caught up with Cynthia and Malou talking about the olden days of bandemonium and how bad the local music industry turned out over the years in the hands of who knows who.  Malou, Ed and I went deep into the  conversation discussing the fate of rock legends Eraserheads, Rivermaya=Bamboo Manalac=Rico Blanco=Perf de Castro. I cant believe I have the names and know a bit of history of those acts, more so care enough what became of them, yet I suppose I really do care.

Chilled out a bit at the outer lobby of Saguijo while Paramita(*they go by a new name now, cant remember) is playing. Kate, as I was told was getting down and dancey inside. She came out after the rocking wrapped up and caught up with friends at the next table. She invited for us and everybody for kebab in Mr. Kebab all the way in QC, which we had to refuse considering the time and distance. She let us in a little secret, an album will be out in March 2009 and i’ll be there when it hits the racks.

The whole Saguijo experience is like a drug to me, like a vice I ditched and got back to. At the same time, it’s an eye opener, I discovered I’m a true blue rakista. Now, I’m all psyched to go home and dust off my guitar and play music again. Thanks Ed for re-igniting the old fire. I had a blast!

 

Rock On!

 

 

 

roomful of mirrors

Outside the home,where the heart is, is where pieces fall into place. Every place we are immersed in is a mirror, the workplace is where you see reflections of your mind, where you look around and meet minds one way or another. Elsewhere, in the company of friends, makes you see yourself enjoying moments of fun and the comfort of being seen for who you are.

Last weekend, I had the strangest feeling just being in a room where I looked around and saw myself in everyone, listening to songs I know by heart and mind, singing words I’ve known for so long, and hearing it knowing  that people around me love it for all the same reasons I do. What have I been doing all this time, and where have I been going?

I was in the comfort of the strangeness of perfect strangers who share my passion for genuine articles of music. Every beat, every note, every key, every chord with every strum is a familiar one that only re-ignited the fire that used to burn so brightly inside me. I may have embraced the musical revolution, welcomed the infiltration of new media while somehow loathing the scene, not knowing that somewhere in a lazy street not far from where I live, is a heaven underground where the music I know and live for still thrives.

We are who we are, and we are really what we listen to.