Last Saturday night me and wifey went to a couple of shows which afforded us visual treats and partial hearing loss.

A free ticket is a free ticket so off we went to Paranaque and we watched this show called "WANDERS" at PAGCOR Grand Theater. We had a front seat so we had a spectacular view of those skimpy clad dancers acrobatics, and boy what a visual treat it really was!.

As usual we came late to the venue.Good thing they let us in even if the show has already started. Admittedly my knowledge about this fiasco is next to zero so when I first looked at those Chinese/Korean looking guys on stage doing circus stuff, I thought I was witnessing a stage version of Crouching Tiger but hey.. someone has spoken Tagalog! and was it Calvin Millado Calvin who? doing Ricky Martin? errr.

The show was done with fast faced performances and a live band served as background. All in all it was a great show especially for the kids. I liked the drum sequence of Maneuvers and the Russian Babes were sooo...hot! exotic!.

We went straight to Eastwood after our stint at Paranaque.It was already 11PM and I thought we were running late for Riki's ear splitting set, but surprise! the show hasn't even started yet. Well since we also haven't had dinner yet we filled our stomachs with some cheese fries and pizza ala dredd... but something really bothered me suddenly.. I remembered I forgot to bring. EAR MUFFS! LOL.

eardrums check-within normal hearing

The show started with stereo-what'sthatnameagain? band and a series of punk rock renditions were heared. Wifey was already complaining about the loud speakers but hey, the place was so cramped we might as well get the hell out of that place! but were here to support Riki remember?..so we tried our best to enjoy "the cures-boys don't cry".

Next on stage was one of Riki's many Band called Chardonnay! Applause! Applause!.

They had a brand new girl with a foreign accent.wow!

She also sang barefooted!.

enough said hahaha!.I liked the original tagalog song by the way,forgot the title but it speaks about "kabet" if I recalled correctly!

eardrums check-mildly blasted

Then came Mayonnaise.Don't know much about this band other than they already had an album and has gained airplay on mainstream radio. Later on I goggled that they've won this RedHorse Muziklaban back in 2004 and has released several albums and singles.

I had to admit they were rather very good.Three kids formed the band and they played solid music. I especially enjoyed their tagalog originals and has gained my respect as a groupie.

eardrums check-partially deaf

We decided to pay our bill and head out of that pressure chamber but the waiter took a long time so we were able to watch the final band called "Hoods Of Nature?"not sure again. At first I thought this was yet another scream-at-me-till-your-lungs-burst band but surprise again..this band can really do a tune. The one that stood out was the drummer/percussionist who had his own set of drums and was using one drumstick. Though that dreadlocks of that boy on vocals deserve Helen of Troys scissors!or was it a dagger?.whatever.

Finally the bills were paid and we had fresh morning air.

eardrums check-blasted to oblivion


(L-R Chardonnay/Mayonnaise/Hoods of nature/Stereo...)

My daughter wanted to watch Madagascar so off we went to d block to have her treat.

I like to move it move it.. I like to move it move it..

As we were about to catch a cab on our way home I saw this familiar face having a coffee at seattle with an equally familiar face..

I couldnt believe it was Riki and Paula sitting there so I told Wifey and Daughter to go ahead without me and off i went to have a chat with my long lost friends.

It was like "cream days" once more and I had to admit I missed these guys immensely.

We were all part of a local provincial band called CREAM back in 2002. I was the first one who left for another band back then but we remained friends and in contact for sometime.When I decided to leave the band scene and pursue nursing I wasn't able to catch up much about what happened to them and as years went by we finally lost touch.

Meeting them now I was happy to know that they are still on the gig scene.Paula does sequencing for a band who performs locally and abroad and are now bound for Thailand for another gig, while Riki does drums for a local band called "milk n money" and "chardonnay" who happens to have a gig this coming nov.15 @clubdredd libis..

That video attached was from "milk n moneys" first album. Riki's not part of the band yet when they released that song since he just recently replaced the old drummer who left. They are in the process of recording a new album as of the moment according to him..

Enough of this! :p

I'm not good at plugging..

Good Luck RIKI and Paula. And btw nice car rik!.

This post is my tribute to us cream hearted forever!.

When i was about 5 years old my mom urged me to join the local church choir since according to her better judgment, i have a good voice and i sing well. So everyday at around 7 PM we would gather around the porch of Nay Bene and make ourselves ready to belt hallelujahs. I was the youngest and the smallest among the other choir members but i also have the tiniest and the loudest voice a small boy could possibly have. No wonder Nay Bene put me to be among the sopranos.

Every given Sundays after officially being picked as a choir member i would get up earlier than the rest of the household to be at the porch of Nay Bene again. This time not to practice but to have the required dose of "salabat" which according to her will improve our vocal prowess. Deep inside I was also hoping for the moment when she announces that all sopranos has to be submerged on a drum full of water that we may also acquire regine's ability to break chandeliers. Too bad that moment never came.

One day a politician wannabe sponsored a local singing contest to be held at the town plaza. I joined out of curiosity and won half a dozen drinking glass and some candy to boot. I forgot the title of my winning song but i clearly remembered the song of my cousin who happened to join the same contest at a later time. It was "twinkle twinkle little star!"-and she won too!.

I was a competitive pupil during grade school when it comes to academics. I was never out of the honor roll and i always manage to secure a ribbon or two during recognition day. I was also gaining popularity since i was always invited to sing in town programs and private parties. That popularity i think led me to be chosen as a candidate for presidency for the pupil government. I didn't do any speech during the rally. I was not hoping to win anyway since i was put against another darling whom i honestly believed would be a better president between the two of us back then.What i did was just do what i know i do best. I SANG "help" by the Beatles and i WON. I won the presidency by a song!.

My parents decided to let me do junior high in Kalibo. It was an adventure for me since it would mean traveling from New Washington to Kalibo everyday. I missed those times when i would ride the jeep every morning and ogle pretty coeds and smell an assortment of bench sprays which was so popular back then. Of course i still sang but something terribly went wrong when i got to my sophomore year. If Michael Jackson retained his voice when he was still "black" and singing "Happy", mine did a sudden back flip and went from Whitney Houston singing "Didn't we almost have it all" to Nat King Cole singing "Unforgettable".

It was then that i did the HIATUS thang which is a popular word here in the blog sphere. I tried other avenues of the arts and pursued dancing as an alternative. I joined several groups of dancers and has tried folk dancing and cheering competitions. It was fun while it lasted and i missed singing along the way but i had no other choice at that time. It was even made to worst when abou told me "you rise and you fall.. but i wonder why you haven't risen anymore". .the ever eloquent abou.^_~

I went to manila to take nursing since again according to my ever reliable mom, "that is where the money comes from!". If i were offered a choice back then i would've taken architecture or visual arts but since i am an obedient son, i had to agree. Mid nineties was the advent of local bands and of course we were not spared by its popularity. We even imitated them!. By then I already accepted the fact that my voice will never be as high as before but on second thoughts, if Ely Buendia could pass his voice as a record selling squeak then i thought me too could be one like him. So one day me and my friends formed a band.

There was this University battle of the bands and a cash price was awaiting the winner. Admittedly we were more interested on the cash price that time and the catch that the winner will have the honor of performing at folk arts theater during the University Concert didn't appeal that much. Duh! We needed money not prestige!(plastic!). And guess what happened? We won the competition by doing my best parody of Ely's "Ang Huling El Bimbo".We never get to play at folk arts theater but who cares? the point was we got the cash!!.

After graduating from nursing school my dad died.It was during my board exams that he passed away.That might be the reason why i got furtive looks from my relatives when i got home during my first day of test. They don't want to let me know just yet since i still have to take the second set of exams the following day. Thank God I passed the board that led me to become a full pledge nurse-then a bum.

I bummed for one year.I didn't do anything except beer/rum/gin guzzling every night. It was one of those moment's when i am happy even if i don't have any money of my own. I still ask money from my mom which i am not proud of, so one day when sam asked me to join his band i said yes without second thoughts.

I did back up vocals for Sams band.I liked being the "chuwariwap" since i am not obliged to go up on stage and make "epal" with the audience. And best of all i got to be paid with the same rate like them so i enjoyed my status for a while.. but like the song "Some good things never last" goes, my being a "chuwariwap" was short lived since they all screamed "not fair!" and off they pushed me to the spotlight..

After about a year of doing a series of road trips i decided to leave the band and pursue nursing for a change.I applied to several hospitals in manila but all of them seems to want only the "uber" intelligent ones and not a mediocre nurse like me. Worst, they said they will only accept me as a volunteer and they also expect me to pay them in return for this good deed.Good Grief!!.

So i accepted the job offered to me as a medical representative. At least by doing this job, it will mean I will have an excuse to wear a suit and play glamorous everyday. I also get to use my drivers license since they are providing me with a car. Now, that's what I call LIFE!. A little "pa cute" there (although i am not cute) and a series of nice chats made my day as a rep. I also get to be on places i wanted to be on a whim. Baguio,Antipolo and Tagaytay are just one of my weekly hangout... Of course the company shoulders the gas tab.

For two years I spent my life on the go. But at some point i also got bored. I lost the drive of being competent with the job that feeds me. And at the same time i fell in love with my wife and she got pregnant. I was already having trouble with my job back then so i decided to resign and head back to Aklan to carefully think things over. I know i am ready to become a dad but what bothers me that time was if i can carry on with being an "able" dad.

The moment i told my mom that i got my GF preggie was the hardest moment of my life. It took me weeks before i had the courage to finally tell her. she was calm, not the freaky kind of reaction that i was dreadfully expecting but you could see the disappointment that she felt. I guess i got the transparency of my facial expressions from her that what i feel shows before i even try to say it.. And her face showed it all.

I worked for a hospital by day and I sing at clubs by night. The fallen has finally risen and i came back with a vengeance. I never got enough sleep though because of my schedules. And the worst part was when the spotlight finally died down, another window will open.. called reality. That will keep me awake the whole morning again and i still have to do duty at 7 am.

Remembering these events of my life kept me sane i guess. I have no regrets for whatever decisions I've made and I treat them as my lessons in life. I may have made mistakes to some but that's how we learn, by trying not to repeat the mistakes we did in the past..

TO BE CONTINUED:

(at to be continued pa daw sa haba nito? hehehe!)