i was supposed to go to a film screening in diliman (choosing that over a japanese street fashion show and seeing shonen knife, or a psychic festival in eastwood), but i was so tired when i got home, i was comatose as soon as i hit the bed. i also meant to go to a birthday party, but decided not to at the last minute because i thought the friend who'll be joining me won't go anymore (turned out he did). so what else is left to do on a saturday night?
then i saw a status message in facebook saying up dharma down would be playing in mag:net in high street. i've been meaning to watch that band play live since 2007 (i think) but some some reason or another, all those time i set out to watch them play bombed and i've had a least 3 stories of why i did not see up dharma down. i like mag:net but the beer is fucking pricey, but what the hell. i figured might as well watch the band, finally.
so i invited juna and marcy (both of them are also fans of the band) and told them about the gig. marcy came with mac, but juna was a bit late bacuse of train delays: he arrived halfway through the opening band's set.
"the singer sounded like a girl," marcy told us when i came back with juna. and he does, in some songs. we looked at the dude and confirmed that yes, the dude is a dude. we never caught the band's name but they were alright, despite a missing member. the sound was a bit ethereal, with loppy guitar playing which was pretty good. all 4 of us agreed it was better than listening to growly garage bands you always seem to come across in local gigs.
when the main band came on stage, we didn't recognize them. i probably would have, remember internet photos and music videos, but i was not facing the stage. besides, armi (the band's singer) has cut her hair really short. i did recognize the first song they played though.
"it's them," i told marcy.
after juna finished his last cig, we moved inside and stood in front of the stage. mag:net wasn't too big and there weren't many people that night, so we had a good view of the band.
up dharma down isn't there for a visually appealing stage performance. but at least their singer was standing instead of seated in front of an organ. but it's about the sound: the layered, funky, and soul-based sound that sets them apart from local mainstream bands.
it's different watching a band play live, as opposed to listening to a recording. live performances are more organic, with the band taking the vibe of the audience and making the music bigger than it sounds in recording. armi has this great soul singer voice that fills a room and she's a really good organ/piano player to boot: now, that is talent.
the band played 6 songs, including "sana" that marcy wanted to hear. at one point, carlos (the guitar player) mentioned that the next song was asked by one of the audience to be dedicated to the girl he was with. what followed was "oo". i thought it was odd, casually choosing that song for a dedication. maybe the girl loves the song and i was just putting too much meaning behind the dedication.
after the gig, all 4 of us went to tiananmen in makati ave for food and a night cap. did i say mag:net's beer was pricey? jesus, that's P110 for bottle cervesa negra. it's sub-zero beer, true, but it was still mf'ing pricey.
another friend, san, joined us in tiananmen while we had various noodles. marcy and juna ordered singapore sling while i ordered amaretto sour, as night cap. aside from the glass used and the garnishing, i couldn't really tell the difference. both tasted like odd calamansi juice.
then i saw a status message in facebook saying up dharma down would be playing in mag:net in high street. i've been meaning to watch that band play live since 2007 (i think) but some some reason or another, all those time i set out to watch them play bombed and i've had a least 3 stories of why i did not see up dharma down. i like mag:net but the beer is fucking pricey, but what the hell. i figured might as well watch the band, finally.
so i invited juna and marcy (both of them are also fans of the band) and told them about the gig. marcy came with mac, but juna was a bit late bacuse of train delays: he arrived halfway through the opening band's set.
"the singer sounded like a girl," marcy told us when i came back with juna. and he does, in some songs. we looked at the dude and confirmed that yes, the dude is a dude. we never caught the band's name but they were alright, despite a missing member. the sound was a bit ethereal, with loppy guitar playing which was pretty good. all 4 of us agreed it was better than listening to growly garage bands you always seem to come across in local gigs.
when the main band came on stage, we didn't recognize them. i probably would have, remember internet photos and music videos, but i was not facing the stage. besides, armi (the band's singer) has cut her hair really short. i did recognize the first song they played though.
"it's them," i told marcy.
after juna finished his last cig, we moved inside and stood in front of the stage. mag:net wasn't too big and there weren't many people that night, so we had a good view of the band.
up dharma down isn't there for a visually appealing stage performance. but at least their singer was standing instead of seated in front of an organ. but it's about the sound: the layered, funky, and soul-based sound that sets them apart from local mainstream bands.
it's different watching a band play live, as opposed to listening to a recording. live performances are more organic, with the band taking the vibe of the audience and making the music bigger than it sounds in recording. armi has this great soul singer voice that fills a room and she's a really good organ/piano player to boot: now, that is talent.
the band played 6 songs, including "sana" that marcy wanted to hear. at one point, carlos (the guitar player) mentioned that the next song was asked by one of the audience to be dedicated to the girl he was with. what followed was "oo". i thought it was odd, casually choosing that song for a dedication. maybe the girl loves the song and i was just putting too much meaning behind the dedication.
after the gig, all 4 of us went to tiananmen in makati ave for food and a night cap. did i say mag:net's beer was pricey? jesus, that's P110 for bottle cervesa negra. it's sub-zero beer, true, but it was still mf'ing pricey.
another friend, san, joined us in tiananmen while we had various noodles. marcy and juna ordered singapore sling while i ordered amaretto sour, as night cap. aside from the glass used and the garnishing, i couldn't really tell the difference. both tasted like odd calamansi juice.
2 comments:
i got to watch them in one of those gritty fund-raising college concerts that are (back then) pricey and overflowing with unknown opening acts. Of course, they were the big event. The wait was so worth it, I love their music and that strange magic they do by taking so many elements and making a melody of it.
Wish you invited me, too. Hit me up next time your hear anything! I promise to do the same!
sure. i'll do that. send me a pm with your phone number so i could send you a message. me and my friends are planning to watch them again soon.
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