Keb Daaaarrrrrge!!!

Keb! Keb! Keb!

Keb Darge did a series of sets two weeks ago, and a post may be quite late in coming. It is such a waste, however, not to write about Keb, and his great set, and the fantastic night that I had over at Ten02 last June 11.

My first encounter with Keb took place last year, at The Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf coffee shop, of all places. I remember quite well the conversation he had with Je (Or was it Je who related excerpts of their conversation with me? I cannot remember anymore.). Keb's style of playing is straightforward and he does not indulge much in sound manipulation and loops and such. It is all about in-your-face music.

Two weeks ago, Keb did a couple of sets: I was at the Ten02 leg of his series of gigs. His repertoire was a rousing mix of northern soul, garage, and rockabilly, with some classics (Tutti Frutti, Johnny B. Goode) and recent tunes (Little Lil). Most of the audience responded with equally rousing dance moves (hahah!) At one point, Keb, the dancing master that he is, went down the DJ platform and danced to his heart's content. Guess who took over the turntable that time?

Keb's set was preceded by sets courtesy of Neighbors, Juan Pablo Dream, and Steady Movin' Beat, and the event was hosted by Bisikleta Productions' Hilboy and Neighbors' and Soundblasters' Jon Capistrano. By sunrise, the event was over. Or was it? Rumor has it that Keb will be back once again before the end of the year. An event with Keb is always enjoyable, never mind that he twirled the head off my neck as he attempted to make a dancing queen out of me. (Uh-oh, apparently I am not a very deft dancer like him and Bing.) Thank you Keb for the great moves, great music, and great time. As the great modern philosopher named Gonzales once said: I haven't stopped dancing yet. (Heehee!) Laters y'all!

Juan Pablo Dream

Steady Movin' Beat

The dancing crowd

Keb and Myra Ruaro

The Bing Austria Show on a Very Very Wet September Night

The rains had been pouring in torrents the whole day yesterday, which was such a bummer because, really, non-stop rains can put anyone's spirits down the gutter. Especially so perhaps when you live, or have to report to work in one of those places notorious for flooding up at the slightest downpour. España, the location of Sazi's Bar and the current home of The Bing Austria Show, is one of these places.

Thus, it was quite a miracle that the affair was still decently attended. Not jam-packed, it's more like being in a dingy (pardon the term, it was the first term that came to mind when I entered Sazi's last night - their aircon was out of order!) jazz bar with a sizeable crowd of regulars on a weeknight. Except that the music playing on the stage was a combination of ska, rockabilly, hiphop, mod, and punk.

Unfortunately I missed the performances of Bembol Rockers (wow, labo, how could I have possibly missed these guys?) and AMPON (wow, ang labo talaga, isa ko pang na-miss). Also missed Coffinride, which I was told gave a solid performance. Some bands did not show up: Gut Reaction, Tango Bitoy, Steady Movin' Beat, Skies Of Ember. Pity.

Neighbors did perform (haven't seen these lads for so long, though I expected the line-up changes), as well as The GoSignals, who at present have been regularly including their original, "ELISA", in their set. Also saw Life Without Francis (with the Umble Uno horny guys), Earthlings, and Pusakals. Ojie of TSA (occasionally donning the "Pharaoh" look), was likewise present.

Some photos here. [In order: Pusakals, Neighbors, Earthlings, The GoSignals, Life Without Francis]

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Coming Up!

The boys of T.S.A. are playing this weekend: Friday at the Leprechaun Bar, Saturday at Ten02. Something to look forward to. Watch out for updates. have a good week ahead, and don't let the rains get you down.

Ditch The Roses, Sweety. I Want My Balaw-Balaw

If romance to you means balaw balaw, minaluto, and itik, then I think I've got something for you. Angono ska specialists Neighbors (yes, they're back) will be playing on THE V-Day at Hajime along Angono Highway. Unplugged, that is. If you think that sounds romantic (or erotic, since I heard that balaw balaw makes a good aphrodisiac), then head to the east tomorrow and catch them live.

Also, do check out our siderail for some gig announcements, which are constantly being updated. Stay tuned, and have an interesting Valentine's Day.

The Skaramouche Philippine Tour (plus CBI, Spaceflower Show, and Neighbors)

As I have stated in my previous post, we will be featuring Skaramouche, a Swiss Ska band set to do a series of gigs here in the Philippines on June. Formed in 2002, Skaramouche is a 9-piece band fronted by Delphine Lyner, and so far they have released two albums, the latest of which is called No Exit. Skaramouche have also been actively touring their region in 2007, promoting the said album.

The first of Skaramouche's gigs will be held at Chakiks in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, on June 6. They will be playing at the Mandarin Hotel in Makati City on June 7, after which they will be going to Gingoog City for an open-air gig on June 13. Next stop will be at Cagayan De Oro City for another night of their brand of ska on June 14. Cebu is also included in the itinerary: Skaramouche will be skanking at The Outpost in Lahug, Cebu City on June 20. The band will be back in Manila on June 21 and will be performing at the Fete de la Musique at SM Mall Of Asia at 8pm, and at Handle Bar at Polaris St., Makati City at 10pm.

Front acts for the Chakiks and Handle Bar gigs will be The Spaceflower Show and Coffee Break Island. Check out Skaramouche's official site here or take a look at their Myspace site for more details about the band.

We have prepared a cool playlist consisting of songs from The Spaceflower Show, Coffee Break Island, and Skaramouche. We reserved the last track in the playlist for a song from the Angono ska pioneers, Neighbors. The lads, it seems, called it quits last April, putting an end to nearly 13 years of skanking Neighbors style - you would know what I mean when you've seen them live, at least once. I know not of any details (this is not a chismis blog anyway, so don't go asking me why :D); you can check out their site though. Click here for more Neighbors-related stuff.

We wish Neighbors the best in their future endeavours; this playlist also serves as a send-off of sorts to the boys.

Now for the playlist:

1. COFFEE BREAK ISLAND - "Ranking Full Stop"
2. SKARAMOUCHE - "Offbeat"
3. SPACEFLOWER SHOW - "Acrobatic Love"
4. COFFEE BREAK ISLAND - "Let YOu Go" (demo)
5. SKARAMOUCHE - "Too Much Hamlet"
6. SPACEFLOWER SHOW - "SKangarude"
7. NEIGHBORS - "Angono Ska"

For high-res playlist, tick here.

Photos of Skaramouche and Neighbors come from the band and their respective sites.

Have a great weekend, people. Be sober, be good.

The Story Behind Weslu's Pensive Photo

At Luis Guiang's wake at Floresco Funeral Homes in Gen. Luna St., Malabon almost a year ago, people were treated to different forms of surprises every night.

On the first night of his wake, people were trooping non-stop to Floresco, all anticipating that his body would be ready at around midnight or so. In typical Weslu fashion, the white coffin rolled in 4 hours late...

...and the wheels rolling on the floor was the only sound that was heard at that particular moment.

Everyone didn't seem to mind that Luis was (again) late. As the reality that it was in fact the body of Luis that was in the coffin set in most people's minds, sobs started to ensue. Tears flowed from the eyes of even the nastiest looking guys present at that time. It was a chilling, nearly surreal sight.

In another night, bands gathered to pay their homage in the form of acoustic sets. I was not personally there, but I was told that it was a night full of music and moving tributes.

And there was a night where pictures of Luis were shown to the public in a slideshow. Towards the end of the slideshow, a photo was flashed as a taped interview of Weslu played in the background: WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM, A BIG HOTDOG? (laughter) WITH KETCHUP? (more laughter)
The photo was that of Luis playing with an acoustic guitar, looking pensive. For those who have been with Weslu enough to know that he is a perpetually happy man, this is a rather unusual photo, for it seems to reveal his pensive side.

The same photo is presently being used in his Friendster account, Photoshopped to accommodate the image of Jesus Christ holding Luis' shoulder. It was moving enough that it nearby made me cry when I first saw it.

*****

The photo was taken last May 15. 2005. It was Sunday afternoon. Karen (AKA Dylan of NU107) was hosting her Pinoy Rock show Tapsirock and was set to interview JR of Shuffle Union and Jon, formerly of Neighbors at the NU107 booth. Luis joined in later in the interview to be a kibitzer. During a lull, he sat, and upon seeing an acoustic guitar lying nearby, picked it up and started strumming and singing softly to himself...

...and you know what people say about photographers? That instinct drives them to capture the perfect moment, at the perfect time?

No, I am not a photographer in the real sense, but I am proud to say that I was able to capture that (almost) perfect moment....

*****

It's great to see the same photo represent Luis in other print forms, websites, and the like, and for me it should not be a problem. It's all about seeing Luis in a different light, showing people that there is a thoughtful, pensive side to him, and that it's been a great honor for me to be able to even approximate that mood through a digital picture.