StopOver: Aloha Bar and Grill

07/22/2017 11:55:32 PM

In the outskirts of San Antonio, Makati near the PNR line and just in front of a police station, the words “The Collective” would always ring a bell, but the infamous B-Side would topple them the most. Unless you are a frequent visitor of PADRE, Wingman, and the now-closed Ukulele Philippines.

But apart from the mentioned, there are lot of stalls that comprised The Collective, and one of them is named as if there's Hawaiian vibe that exists in this archipelago.

Make no mistake about it: Aloha Bar and Grill may have installed that sunny-like atmosphere and be relatively small just like those known music bars. But they are one of the underrated nightout spots in the Metro, located at the farthest (and hottest) corner of TC.

The Scene Around: Carousel Casualties Madison EP Tour

07/07/2017 02:04:18 AM

It was the mid-May when Carousel Casualties launched their EP titled Madison wherein close to a hundred people – young and not-so-young – were be able to witness the madness in unison brught by the indie rock quartet of Emmie Villegas, Pau Villanueva, Jot Nicanor, and Xavier Lucente.

Snappy Rebuttals to Stupid Taxi Driver's Excuses

07/18/2017 11:16:52 PM

Photo credits: Rappler

Since time immemorial na lang yata naglipana ang isa sa mga pinakamalalalng problema sa larangan ng transportasyon sa lipunan – ang tahasang pagtanggi ng mga taxi. Siguro karamihan naman sa atin ay minsan nang nagkaroon ng engkwentro na ganito. 

Nah, ako nga tinanggihan ng halos 20 taxi nung may isang araw na kailangan kong pumunta sa BGC para mag-cover nun sa isang event bilang blogger. At hindi lang ito nangyari sa iisang lugar. Sa dalawa pa nga eh.

Yung iba, nuknukan ng pagiging arogante pa kung tumanggina as if isa na siyang demigod at deity ng katrapikan sa Metro Manila. Yung ilan napakabayolente. Yung iba naman, dinaan na lang sa bait para hindi halata ang pagdi-diva nila.

Sa sobrang kakupalan ng ganitong aktibidades, sarap tuloy gawin ulit yung biglang baba ka na lang ng taxi – at hindi mo isasara ang mga pinto nito. (Oo, 'ulit' kasi nagawa na namin yun dati at walang halong pagsisisi yun. Tangina niya eh.)

Ito lang ha? Pare-pareho lang naman tayo nagkukumahog na kumita sa araw-araw. Pero kailangan mo ba talagang manlamang ng kapwa mo at hihirit ka pa ng “keso ano naman gawin ko? Magnakaw?!” (sabay labas ng crowbar o katana). Mga tsong, hindi dahilan yan. 

At please lang, kung gusto niyo na pagkatiwalaan kayo ng publiko sa halip na patulan namin ang mga TNVS, huwag na huwag kayong tumanggi ng pasahero, at baka mabara lang namin kayo sa alinmang isasambit ng mga gaya nito:

Ride No More?!

07/17/2017 09:35:22 PM

Isa sa mga pinakamahalagang bagay sa isang bansa ay ang pagkakaroon ng isang sistema para sa transportasyon ng tao. As in mass transportation ba.

At para sa mga nag-aaral/nagtatrabaho/naggagala sa Kalakhang Maynila, malinaw na isa ito sa  mga pinakamalalang problema na may karugtong pa na sakit na ulo – ang trapiko. Imagine mo no? Mahirap na ngang sumakay, naiipit ka pa sa lugar na iyong kinatatayuan.

At dahil lagi na lang puno ang mga jeepney, bus, at ultimo mga tren – sinamahan mo pa ng maraming maaarte na taxi driver, talaga nga namang ang mag gaya ng carpool at TNVS na lanmang ang nakikitang solusyon rito. Kaya nariyan ang mga gaya ng Uber, Grab, at ultimo ang Angkas.

PlayBack: Stereodeal - New Jersey

07/07/2017 06:15:58 PM

Mid-June turned out to be the very first time I encounter the stompboxer's band called Stereodeal and it was just in time for the launch of the music video of a song that is so emotional in the part of the singer-songwriter-guitarist.

The Scene Around: Vic Viper (2016)

07/07/2017 02:06:48 AM

A lot of gamers would obviously know what this band really offers. Vic Viper,  known for covering lots of game sounds and scores, was in the country late last year. And they hit PADRE inside the Collective on the rainy night in December as part of their Philippine leg tour.

PlayBack: TheSunManager – Worth (album)

05/14/2017 10:10:15 PM

After four years, the solo project has found its way to a full-length album. 

The Scene Around: Carousel Casualties Madison EP Launch

06/08/2017 06:06:05 PM

It was a madness in unison last 19 May 2017 as the indie rock band Carousel Casualties launched their 6-track album titled Madison at saGuijo in Makati City.

PlayBack: Banna Harbera - Sorrys & Goodbyes (music video)

07/07/2017 05:38:52 PM

It's a rainy day on a raining soul like yours, and probably the playlist will go on pouring like the water from up there and the ones from your eyes and glands. Just when you thought that music can be deceiving by making sad lyrics danceable like pop, some soulful blends will make you cry and remind of how demise of a relationship can be so bad that you have to look at the brighter side. 

Just like this music video that may look partly-colorless and too slow-paced for most of the time. However, they are just showing the exact figurative displays on their emotions. 

SAWFT?!

07/07/2017 02:21:54 AM

It's been two weeks since this happened on WWE's flagship program Monday Night RAW. And this might sound like a double cross candidate since the SHIELD in the 2014. But somehow, there's something beneath the lack of execution and its aftermath.



However, this made me think for a second: Big Cass and Enzo split up? This might look not well in the overall picture. Did this happen too early or too soon?

PlayBack: MilesExperience – Sunshine

07/07/2017 04:53:22 PM

It was a ruckus-and-rockin' 2016 for this soul-jazz-blues band known as MilesExperience; from launching two Filipino songs and music videos into their debut album. And the surprises just kept on pouring as MCA Music signed them as part of the flourishing roster of bands from the independent music scene.

And probably we all wonder: what's actually next for Miles Bondoc, Tim Dadivas, Justin Teano, Ian Diaz, and Guido Hizon? Now they are signed and more exposed, where this quintet will go? 

Challenges of making new music are always present, and probably this is just the first of the series of results: walking their happy trail with Sunshine.

The Fête de la Musique 2017 Experience

06/28/2017 03:32:42 PM

Two years ago, I attended my first ever World Music Day – commonly known as its French originator Fête de la Musique. And it was an astonishing memory as I too part of the indie stage as part of the organizing groups wherein almost 20 bands performed in front of more than 1,000 attendants inside the 12 Monkeys Music Hall and Pub at Century City Mall, Makati City. 

But it was in 2017 when I went back to this worldwide phenomenon again – this time, as a fan who roamed around various places in Makati City only to hear a whole lot of variety.

The Rundown Slam: WWE Money in the Bank 2017

06/28/2017 05:07:34 PM

Photo credits: Sportkeeda

A few months ago, me and one of my elder buddies in the music scene (who's also a wrestling fan) that goes by the name of Cris Ramos debated that Money in the Bank should've been a non-exclusive pay-per-view (PPV) event. But of course, it's not gonna happen at all as SmackDown live, home to the WWE Champion, is the house of their alternate-to-the-first biggest individual prize. That said, the blue brand is the home of Money in the Bank. 

The Rundown Slam: WWE Extreme Rules 2017

06/30/17 03:43:54 AM

Photo credits: WWE, Bleacher Report

We get it. Braun's (then) out, so that prospect match with Roman Reigns was shelved, and probably we have expected that to be carried on by the likes of Dean Ambrose and The Miz. And by the first look, Exterme Rules wouldn't have been salvaged if: (1) the former Intercontinental Champ wasn't sent to RAW as part of the Superstar Shake-up; and (2) the Hardy Boyz surprise return. 

The Rundown Slam: WWE Backlash 2017

06/30/2017 12:40:04 AM

Photo credits: WWE

It seemingly WWE Backlash came too early, with barely eight months since their laatest staging on September 2016, with the coronation of AJ Styles as the WWE Champion; thus, saving themselves from already the unstable-than-supposedly-unstable development of their previous kingpin Dean Ambrose.