The hounds

 When one speaks out against the one you love, I am sure that minutes after clicking the post button, many will share their own sentiments good or bad.

We all know how social media works. How toxic the discussions are, insults throwing around and of course too many fake news. 

That is why I wouldn’t be surprised why famous artist and celebrities can’t take a stand.   Now with the current election happening in May... whew! Grabe ang toxic talaga... That’s also why I respect how brave some personalities in voicing out against Duterte and Marcos. Lalo na musicians because as all you may know, the common comment of trolls when they speak up is, “Mag banda ka na lang” or “tumugtog ka na lang”. Which of course makes no sense since they are still Filipinos who pay taxes and have the right to voice out opinions.

I just saw this video. Biro mo Ely Buendia made it to the trolling world of bloggers hahaha. Proud of you man! Anyway, if you will watch this video, this is actually sums up how the trolls react when a musician speaks up. Of course, makanti mo lang ang Poon nilang si Digs, they will post video right away dissing them.

The song in question is “Metro”, a song that serves to educate the voters and telling to vote wisely. Of course, the DDS world will not keep quiet about this. They are triggered with this excellent line “Pangulo ba o Pang gulo”

Bulag sila sa mga pahirap
Na iyong nararanasan
Di nila naiintindihan
At may mga nagbibingi-bingihan
Sa mga kasinungalingan
Di kaya sila ay bayaran?

Kamatayan at sakit
Kalayaan ay nagigipit
Lupa at dagat natin ay pinagsasanla

Kapatid di pa ba nagsasawa?
Tumatakbo ang metro
Wag ka ngang muling magpapalinlang
Sa pangakong pinako

Mga abuso sa kapangyarihan
At maling pamamalakad
Ang sagabal sa kaunlaran
Walang pinuno ang hindi marunong
Lutasin ang mga problema
Ito'y panata nila sa bayan

Simulant ang pagbabago
Sa isang pinuno
Na may pagmamalasakit
At paninindigan

Panahon na upang imulat
Ang mata sa katotohanan
Pandemya at kawalan ng kabuhayan
Asan na ang nawawalang lupa't pera
Bagsak ang ekonomiya
Di ka ba nagtataka?
Pinunong may talino, puso at tapang
Ito ang kailangan ng ating bayan

Kapatid di pa ba nagsasawa?
Tumatakbo ang metro
Isa lang ang iyong pagpipilian
Pangulo ba o pang gulo?
Pangulo ba o pang gulo?

Pangulo ba o pang gulo?
Pangulo ba o pang gulo?
Pangulo ba o pang gulo?
Pangulo ba o pang gulo?

So to answer you Mr. DDS/ now Yorme enabler, the answer to our problem is removing your tatay and replace him with a Pangulo and not a Pang gulo. 

Anyway here is the updated version of “Metro” for VP Leni and Sen. Kiko.

As of this writing, Ely is now making news again because of his tweet:

Note the haha react

 And trolls are so alive, they are like hounds searching for someone to attack:

Try harder blengblong supporters

To the trolls, Ely Buendia is a legend and been through so much hate lalo na when the band disbanded so you “Laos ka na” or  “high lang yan” comments won’t give anything to him. Try harder please. 

To Ely, thank God you are using your influence and platform to ask questions that will tickle one's mind.  He can just sit there comfortably from his ivory tower, but no, he went down and join the people. To others this may not be much but for now, we need little things to make big difference.

Edited: Just in, may bagong tweet si Ely, sobrang fiery at higit sa lahat Tagalog haha. Sabi nga nila bardahan na ito. pero ito talaga din kailangan natin, harsh words para magising kahit papaano ang mga nagtutulog tulugan pa rin.

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Resurgence of OPM bands thru political rallies

When a political rally turns into a big pink concert, OPM bands are a staple so people can be entertained while fighting for their beliefs at the same time.

When Vice President Leni Robredo started her campaign, Rivermaya was the first band to step up and help out for free. They always sang "Liwanag sa Dilim," which aptly encapsulated VP Leni's role in the upcoming elections.

I've seen Rivermaya's current lineup perform. Nathan Azarcon, Mark Escueta, and Mike Elgar took turns singing their anthems. They may not have the strong vocal prowess of their previous lead vocalists, but they give a livelier energy to the songs. So when they played "Liwanag sa Dilim" right after VP Leni finished her speech in Naga, I can say it still gave me goosebumps.

After a couple of sorties, Ely Buendia joined VP's rally. I'd say he and Rivermaya paved the way for artists to make a bold stand for their political beliefs. Of course, Ely is still at the top of the list when you ask who the idol of today's OPM bands is. He is still incredibly influential. After he performed at the Iloilo sortie—which was one for the books, I must say—so many other bands followed in his footsteps. 

Mayonnaise, Moonstar88, Gracenote, Ebe Dancel, Itchyworms, Ben&Ben, and Chicosci, just to name a few, followed suit.

Which brings me to Chicosci.

I am a casual listener of the band. I'm not their biggest fan, though checking my previous posts here, I did like Mong Alcaraz. Yeah, my 16-year-old self liked the chinito guitarist. Seeing Miggy's emo demeanor back then didn't really appeal to me as much—I was more of a Yael Yuzon stan, preferring that clean, Atenista look.

But my god, I am 32 now, and the resurgence of me liking these vocalists came back thanks to VP Leni's sorties, haha.

I also realized what makes me like Miggy now is his political stance. I only followed him on Twitter this year because of his tweet about the dictator's son. Chicosci's first gig after two years went viral. Down to their last song, he took time to give a short speech about the upcoming election. He said we should really think about our choices and not just believe everything we see on TikTok. He didn't explicitly name his candidate at first, saying they weren't that kind of band. But midway through their song "Diamond Shotgun," he sang, "Lock and load, Leni, let's go!" He only said it once, and I don't think the audience heard it clearly at the moment, but what was clear was him flashing the "L" sign. The clip went viral, confirming he actually sang "Leni, let's go" instead of "baby, let's go".

And I must say, buti na lang he didn’t stick to his emo sound and look. Also I never thought that he is that vocal about his political stand. I just think he is that cono elitist who is so out of touch. Sorry Miggy! You have that look eh haha same like you can judge if a person is a dds or bbm.

Their Camanava performance was awesome. Miggy hyped the almost gen z crowd. I mean, i am sure majority is not a chicosci fan or doesn’t  know their song but he was able to make them jump, shout and sing. Grabe yung energy from both sides. What I love the most is he was able to deliver  a powerful message. That we should fight for the country and leader that we deserve.

There’s so much to say about our upcoming election and the rallies that turned into concerts. Having supported and loved OPM rock bands since my high school years, the resurgence of the live music scene gives me hope in this crazy world. I also love that these bands use their platform in the best way they know how: to make people happy and take a stand for their choices. At the end of the day, the music of these OPM bands will stay with us no matter what the outcome will be this coming May.

More than that, we now know the bands who share our political stance: that Marcos is no hero, Marcos Jr. is a joke, and Leni Robredo is our hope.

Kaya lock and load Leni, Ipanalo na natin to’

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When the meek speaks

 How do you feel when a famous person you look up to suddenly speaks about a controversial topic in our nation? If you share the same thoughts, you’ll be ecstatic. If you have a different view, you’ll be disappointed. Buti na lang it’s the former instead of the latter.

When Ely Buendia was asked about the reunion, he said this:

When I read this, I was a little confused and didn’t know if I should believe he actually tweeted it. I’ve been a fan since God knows when—you can search for Ely here in my blog, and it will bring up hundreds of posts about him. I mean, it’s quite out of character for him to tweet something like this.

Ely is not known to promote a candidate, especially a candidate for President. He is vocal with his ideologies on Twitter, but to be this straightforward and open about his choice for the presidency is unusual,

I know when he tweeted this, the reunion was just a joke—that even if Leni runs, a reunion is quite impossible for now. But I am so happy he said this. It gives me a lot of hope.

And when he actually visited Leni to give her the limited edition Eraserheads vinyl, I was over the moon. It shows that he is really serious about supporting her.

When a person like him speaks up about what’s happening in our country, you know something is seriously wrong and we need to act. He’s incredibly successful—with millions in the bank, he could easily stay quiet and retreat to his ivory tower. But he chose not to. He isn't just singing songs anymore; he's making his voice heard and taking a stand for what he believes is right.

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Ultracombo

Photos grabbed from Roxanne Nebres

Jan. 19, 2019 — still my birthday.

I had just seen an Instagram post about the UltraCombo gig that morning. Since it was my birthday and I had no plans for the evening, I decided to celebrate by going to Eton Centris to see three of the four Heads live.

I’ve never seen the Eraserheads together, so this was the closest thing to the real deal. I’ve been to Ely Buendia’s solo concerts, but even though he was their lead vocalist, it’s still not the Heads. Well, UltraCombo isn't the Eraserheads either, but there is still something unique about the chemistry between the three of them that makes you just want to watch and listen to them play.

It brought me so much joy seeing Buddy look over at Rayms, or watching Buddy smile whenever Marcus messed up the lyrics. I love watching Rayms on the drums—it must be so hard to sing while drumming, but every time he hits the cymbals, he gives it his all. And Marcus... well, Marcus is Marcus. He isn't the best vocalist in town, but damn, those guitar riffs!

The concert was pure nostalgia. I realized I knew the lyrics to every single song they performed—yep, even the rap part of "Superproxy." That’s how big of an Eheads fan I am.

They kicked off the set with "Overdrive." From the very first note, I got goosebumps. The whole event felt like a massive karaoke session with three of the Heads playing their biggest hits. Raymund Marasigan and Marcus Adoro alternated on lead vocals, while Buddy Zabala provided backing vocals. Their setlist was packed with sing-along classics like "Sembreak," "Minsan," "Pare Ko," "Ligaya," and "Magasin." Most of the tracks were upbeat, keeping the crowd jumping and dancing along.

Sure, there were a few mistakes—missed cues and forgotten lyrics—but that’s completely forgivable because, well, they are legends. Besides, the slip-ups were hilarious, like when Marcus forgot the words to "Harana" or sang, “Ilang tansan pa ba ang kakain oh giliw ko? Ilang isaw pa ba ang iipunin oh giliw ko?”

I couldn’t help but jump, raise my hands, and sing along. At one point, Rayms shouted, “Put your fucking cellphones down. Walang ganyan nung '90s!” I had recorded a few snippets earlier, but I put my phone away because I just wanted to feel Rayms' drums, Buddy's bass, and Marcus' guitar riffs. When they played "Ang Huling El Bimbo," I closed my eyes, sang my heart out, raised my hands, and thought: Damn, it’s my birthday. I’m glad to be alive, and I’m so glad I decided to come to this gig.

It was a night to remember—definitely in my top 5 best gigs ever. The crowd energy was amazing, too. I still hold out hope for a full reunion concert someday. It’s every '90s kid’s dream. I was just a baby when they were originally together, but this mini-reunion was more than enough for me. I hope they keep making music, even if it’s not under the name Eraserheads—because damn, they are legendary. One in a million. UltraCombo.

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Ely Buendia Greatest Hits Dec 2015

This is late post but I just like to post this. So I went to Ely Buendia's greatest hits at Robinson's Galleria with my brother. We were so thrilled that he sang some rare songs like Fruitcake and Christmas Party.  It's one of happiest Ely in concert I've seen. He made jokes like "Music pa more? Or should I say great music pa more?" During Christmas Party, he let us stand and be near at the stage. I was able to hold his hand.. That's one of the highlights of my 2015. Sorry, if it is shallow, but I am a fan since God knows when so pardon me for being a fan girl :)

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Come Together - When Rockstars Unite

  Ok. This may be a year old  video, but I just want to share this epic, history in the making video where not one but 2 rock icons in a stage singing "Come Together" a Beatles classic.

No, I won't comment on who is better, I will leave it on the youtube commenter. The two are different in so many levels.I hope there will be another MDR event.

Now, to make things more epic, Ely Buendia, Rico Blanco and Raimund Marasigan singing "Laklak"



Ely and Dong Abay




Bamboo and Rivermaya


So enjoy watching the videos.OPM rocks!!

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Pupil version 2015

I’m getting old. The last concert I went to was the New Year Countdown at Resorts World Manila, where Ely Buendia was so close to us—approximately half a meter away on a 3-foot stage.

I never thought I’d ever get closer than that. But thanks to H&M, the distance this time was shockingly about half a ruler’s length, on maybe a 12-inch stage. As Ely put it, this was the closest they’ve ever been to the crowd while performing. I was so close I could count his white hairs… so close I could even read their setlist.

To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed when I saw the setlist. Most of the songs were from their new album, Zilch. If they had released this when I was still in college, I would have already bought it and been able to sing along with the band. But no, I’m at an age where the quarter-life crisis is hitting hard. Sayang, I couldn’t show him that I knew the songs—and we even made eye contact!

The first two songs were “Firewall” and “Why.” The third song was “20/20” from Limitless of the Infinity Pool. Finally, I knew the song and was able to sing along! Next was “Resonate.” Then a group of teenage boys requested “Monobloc” from the Wildlife album. Ely joked that Jerome Velasco (their new guitarist replacing Yan Yuzon) was still learning their songs. So I blurted out “Nasaan Ka” from Beautiful Machines. He said, “'Yun. 'Yung mas madali na lang.” Haaay… it was surreal. It was beautifully sung. I sang along, and surprisingly, almost everyone knew the song. Ely seemed happy to see that people still knew songs by Pupil (and not just his old band).

Since he was so close and it was my first time using my Canon S140 to take concert photos, I was practicing with the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (or whatever, haha). Anyway, some people were requesting “Hey Jude” and “Hey Jay,” and Ely gamely played the intro riffs of those songs. Then they started requesting other songs from his old band. I wanted to say, “Please stop!” since Ely was in such a good mood and I didn't want them to ruin it. He had already played “Magasin,” and I could tell he was in a genuinely great mood.

I think every time he's with Pupil, he feels more comfortable. Unlike when he performs as a solo artist (where he projects a completely different vibe) or with The Oktaves, I can really see his passion and happiness when he's with Pupil. It’s his comfort zone.

After those nostalgic songs, they played new tracks like “Cheap Tricks” and “Out of Control.” At the end, he threw his guitar pick into the crowd while saying, “Sa inyo na lang.” I don’t know if I was just imagining it, but he looked right at me! Sayang! I almost caught it, pero there was a taller guy. So yeah, like I said, his vibe that day was just different. It was the happiest performance I’ve ever seen him give at a gig.

Wendell Garcia, the happiest drummer boy... but not seen in this picture.

                                Dok Sergio fixing his effects

                                           his signature pose

Ely wearing polka dot polo while showing his white hair…still looks good.

The disadvantage of being close is not getting a complete band shot 

Haaay… with this gig I rekindled my love affair with the band music and scene.
Thank you H&M for the giving us literal  “CLOSE” the loop experience.

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New Year Countdown 2015

Spent the last and beginning of the year at Resort’s World Manila for Year-end countdown.

Mitoy, Princess.. blah blah performed. but the reason we went there is because of this guy..

We were super close to Ely Buendia. This is the closest I've been to any concert. Thanks to Yeng’s fans. They went away after the Pop Rock Princess or whatever they call her performed so we were able to stay in front.

His first song was “Higante”.He sang 2 Eraserheads songs. Around 11:50 they stopped, then the host went to stage and let the previous performers and wait for 12 midnight.The Dawn also was there. Me and my brother were waiting for them to interact or to greet each other. Well they did but not that significant so we were quite disappointed.. haha… I can see his fake smile while having the countdown.. haha. but that's true Ely Buendia attitude so it's ok with me.

The perks of being in front of Ely Buedia.. we took his pictures, took stolen selfies with him… and we had eye contact with him even he is wearing eye glasses the whole time.  

After all these years I must say that he still has it. Sure, he does not have that energy of Bamboo or Rico Blanco but Ely is what he is now because he has this charisma and unique songs that can stand the test of time.

He barely talk during the set, but I don't care I just waiting what will he perform next. My favorite is his version of "Magasin" ballad style. He sang "Maselang Bahaghari", "Alapaap", Huwag Mo Nang Itanong" and of course "Huling Elbimbo"

It was really nice spending the new year with THE ELY BUENDIA. It doesn't happen every time. 

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