Just recently, a colleague
described me as a “music fan and magazine editor” both I have no issues with
since they are true, the first is a known fact that I have been this since basically
forever (and will always will be) and the latter is something that I've really
worked hard on achieving. Like probably anyone in my industry, I've also worked
with different kinds of people and there was a phase wherein I worked closely
with musicians whom some I've stayed friends with.
If there's one local band that actually made me cry during a gig that would be Sugarfree. I'm not sure whether I was really sad at that time when I first saw them play at 70s Bistro or maybe because I was really taken by the lyrics of some of their songs, particularly Burnout which happens to be one of my favorite songs ever (here's my cover of it). I remember telling vocalist Ebe Dancel after their set that their songs made me feel many..uhhmm..feelings and I just cried during their set (yes...I like to embarrass myself once in a while) and he just laughed and apologized and continued by saying that it wasn't their intention to make me cry. But that's what made Sugarfree one of my favorite bands to watch, their songs have that "tang'na...yan talaga yung nararamdaman ko e!" thing to it.
Imagine the sadness that I felt when they decided to break-up. I was so affected by it that I was not able to go to Eastwood and watch their last show. I thought to myself, why would I travel all the way to Eastwood just to be brokenhearted? Ano ako, tange? So I just stayed at home and sulked. I attempted to tune in to the live airing of the show over a radio station. I heard my friend Quark introduce Sugarfree and when I already felt my cheeks starting to burn up and my tears starting to build up, I turned the radio off. It was painful. Eventually though, I got over it, I moved on. I even had a chance to interview Ebe who was at that time planning for the launch of his first solo album and had been working on gigs.
The interview happened at the Warner office in Ortigas. As always, it's fun and at the same time humbling to be able to interview musicians that you really like and look up to because luckily enough for me I get really good answers from questions that sometimes I deem silly or redundant (sakit yan ng mga ibang di ganun kabihasang manunulat gaya ko...hayaan nyo na).
Fast forward to this year, seeing that Ebe is obviously one of my favorite local musicians, it's no longer a surprise that I would want to include him in my list of people that I would like to jam with for my Cover Collab project. I sent a text to him asking if we can do the Cover Collab and gladly he agreed. We tried finding a schedule that fit us both and luckily enough he was able to. I went to his pad, which he shares with his beautiful and talented wife Nikita, and we ate pizza first before the recording. Nikita helped in setting up, rearranging some things, making sure that the "aesthetics" are taken cared of. She stood as our DOP / PD that night (thank you, Nikita!!!).
Ebe and I decided to do a cover of a Beatles original as well as a song from the Indigo Girls. I suggested the first one which he agreed because it was one of his favorites, and he suggested the second song because he just loves singing it. I have not heard the Indigo Girls' song for years and I did not have the time to memorize it so I had to use my gadget to read the lyrics while I sing (wow...what a pro, Mallabo). Anyway, without further ado, here are the 2 covers that Ebe and I performed. Enjoy!
I've been a fan of the Eraserheads ever since they released their first album and even though it's been years since they've gone their separate ways and continued to create music with their equally talented bands, there's still that fan girl in me that every time I get to see or talk to an Eraserhead, my soul gets into this high school vibe and I'd be all giddy. It takes a lot of my self worth to control it from coming out but I think I've mastered it...I think. Anyway, one day while I was on my way to Quezon City, I just thought of sending a tweet to Ely Buendia. I don't really know what came over me. Maybe it was because of the traffic that I got bored or maybe it was because I really would like to sing with him at least before I die. So I sent him this message:
Then he replied:
I answered:
And finally he said:
After that I sent him via direct message two songs that I wanted him to chose from. They were "Two of Us" by the Beatles and "Tonight You Belong to Me." I can tell that he instantly liked the latter because he replied by tweeting me a few lines from the song but he said that we can also do "Two of Us" if I wanted to. OF COURSE! It's a good thing that nobody knew me inside the van because I looked like a lunatic smiling while looking at my phone. So that was it, I'm singing with an Eraserhead. Although just a quick note, this wasn't the first time that I sung with an Eraserhead. Technically the first Eraserhead that I was able to jam with would be Raimund Marasigan with Sandwich. There was a gig in Saguijo and I sang "Butterfly Carnival" but I don't think anyone got that on video but I have my friends and my god-daughter to prove that it happened!
So now the next move would be thinking when will this ever going to happen? Or is it ever going to happen? I wasn't sure how busy Ely was but I know he is. And then I found out that he has a gig with his other band The Oktaves at 70's Bistro, which was perfect because I was staying at EDSA Shangri-la at that time which was quite near compared to Laguna so I went to the show and had a really good time watching them. Ely and I spoke briefly and I was surprised that he was the first one who mentioned that cover collab. He asked when do I want to do it, and I said that it's up to him. He then said that since it's a holiday on Monday (Jan 23...Chinese New Year!) might as well do it on that day and with not much thinking, I said yes! Oh, before I go on with the story, here's a video of The Oktaves performing "La Paloma"
The days before Monday I've been practicing those two songs that we will be playing and at first I thought of bringing my ukulele for "Tonight You Belong to Me" but changed my mind the last minute. Monday came and I was off to Ely's place. I suggested that we meet at 1pm but he said that it was too early and that we meet at 5pm (the Golden Hour he says) instead. I've never been to Ely's place but I already saw it in a magazine once and it looked great but it's better looking once you're there (ang pogi pogi ng bahay nya! O_O). We hung out first on his roof deck. He brought his two acoustic guitars and we "practiced" and jammed a few songs (e.i. "More than Words," "Under the Bridge," "Elesi" etc.). We talked about a lot of things, interesting things, but most of them are not blog worthy for reasons that I might get into a bit of a pickle.
He asked me why I asked him to sing with me and what brought this idea. I don't actually remember exactly what I said but I think that I told him that I just wanted to do it, that I'm a bit bored and why not? All my reasons were stupid since I really don't have a more valid one but basically I just took a chance, there's no harm in taking chances (unless you attempt to jump off a cliff and see if you'd still live or something to that effect). Even though we've known each other for years, he could have still said "no." I'd feel sad but only for a little bit but I'd definitely would understand but the thing is, he didn't so it was a WIN for me. I got curious and asked him why he said "yes" to me immediately, I guess other than the fact that we're no strangers to each other. He replied by saying "I'm bored too" and laughed and he said that he loved the tunes that I picked to cover and they were two of his favorite songs and went on by saying "kaya sino ang makakahindi dun di ba?"
So here are the two songs that we covered. That day was epic and extremely unforgettable. The kind of thing that you would want to (humbly) brag about. I sang with an Eraserhead! I sang with a music icon! I FUCKING SANG WITH ELY BUENDIA! And it was awesome! :)
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