03/26/2024 02:45:19 PM
I first wrote The Gigs as part of the music issue of the Philippine Panorama (Yes, the Sunday magazine of Manila Bulletin) back in February 2018, wherein I featured some of the places which houses live music scene. Add to that is how and why online is also the place to be if one looks for sources of new music.
Fast-forward to 2024: It has been two years since the time the Manila gig scene resurfaced for good. The months of February and March were the times when music events had its full-blown resurrection for good after being halted by another wave of community quarantine at the start of the year 2022. Some of us have to understand that this was an era of a convergence of the new normal and returning norms as some of our beloved venues closed, a bunch of personalities we know passed away (be it due to COVID or not), and everything noisy has mostly been made virtually. As we know it, the shutdown has put us in uncertainty; but eventually, we found our way back to hum tunes with our voices and instruments.
In 2022, we may have been walloping over the closure of Upperhouse, Conspiracy Garden Cafe and Route 196 (along with other shops and restaurants in various business fields that we didn't have chances to bade farewell), but new houses emerged to serve live music and all the merrymaking we barely missed that two-year stretch. Not to mention, other names which probably rang the bell, also made their respective returns (NOKAL, 123 Block and 12 Monkeys, to name a couple of them) – although, in different locations.
Add to that are the reopening of the venues that remained alive and kicking up to this day like saGuijo, Mow's, Social House, 19 East, and The 70's Bistro – but we'll talk more of that later on as we now take a look at some of the newest places to hang around and watch live our favorite music bands rock the night away.
