punking high school, shoegazing college, breaking beyond

Now then, in about 1993, my last year of university, I started becoming someone who adores songs, no matter the so-called musical genres. Previous to that, though, I was a mostly rock chick, with waves of preference for gothic rock and post punk, Philippine folk, as well as shoegazer.

In 1982, I was in my fifth year of grade school and had my first even favored band. It was Duran Duran. Nonetheless, I wasn’t yet a true music fan by then.

Being a “true music fan” was something that happened to me at the first year of high school. The year was 1984, and I would be a fanatic of The Cure and Joy Division. As well, I would be well into gothic rock, post punk and new wave for the next five years, which included local bands such as Identity Crisis, Ethnic Faces, and Dean’s December.

However, from 1988 to 1989, I likewise got into modern Philippine folk, with bands just like Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad, Buklod, and The Wuds. In 1990, meanwhile, I began savoring My Bloody Valentine followed by Ride, Slowdive, Lush, and shoegazer in general.

By 1992, I was truly fixated on P J Harvey, Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos together with Down Colorful Hill by Red House Painters. It was a sort of shift in the mode of songs I liked and would probably be the last time I called any music “favorite”.

Beyond 1993, in the meantime, among the music I would break for were Yo La Tengo, Mogwai, Blue by Joni Mitchell, Stereolab, Grouper, Moondog, School of Seven Bells, M83, From the Valley to the Stars by El Perro del Mar, Kraftwerk, Low, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Arcade Fire, Air, Wolf Parade…

…And to a lesser extent, The Weakerthans, Rachel’s, Maps, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Drugstore by Drugstore, “Save One for Gießen” by Duraluxe, Local Natives, “Evergreen” by Celebration, “Pachuca Sunrise” (Alias remix) by Minus the Bear, The Field.

Also, some of my guilty pleasure preferences would be Spiritual Machines by Our Lady Peace, “Relative Ways” by …And You Know Us by the Trail of Dead, “A Favor House Atlantic” by Coheed and Cambria, together with “The Flame” by Cheap Trick.

The Groop Played "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music" by Stereolab
& Source Tags & Codes by …And You Know Us by the Trail of Dead

I Could Live in Hope by Low & Selenography by Rachel's

me & my musical event firsts

I attended my very first genuine music party at third year high school. This was sometime in 1986 or 1987. The music party, which was named “Requiem”, was a biggish new wave-gothic rock affair at St. Scholastica’s College, Manila. My high school was spent entirely at Malate Catholic School, Manila, which is a bit close by yet not quite.

Meanwhile, sometime in 1987 or 1988, come my fourth year of high school, I went on to my first huge music party. It was a music event by the “Social Distortion” DJs, and it got held at the Folk Arts Theater near the Bay Area of Pasay City.

Also on my high school fourth year, I would take part in my very first genuine music concert. It was a mini festival of several rock (mainly new wave and gothic rock) bands headlined by “The Dawn”. The rock festival was organized in SM City at Quezon City, which was kind of really far from where I resided and attended school then.

Now then, while going to the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, during my first or second year of college, I would go to my earliest international music concert. It was a “Duran Duran” concert that was assembled at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, City of Manila.

Among my favorite Metro Manila music events that I was a part of would be a “Pearl Jam” concert at the Folk Arts Theater, a “Metallica” concert at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, the huge so-called “Freedom Party” with DJs at the Dome Arena (perhaps now the SM Mall of Asia Arena) in Manila Bay (in 1999, I think), and the UP Diliman Lantern Parade “Maskipaps” 1989 Sunken Garden afterparty at which “The Eraserheads” played.

And in 2000, a time when I was already working as an advertising senior writer, I took part in my very first music concert outside of the Philippines. While on a month-long trip to Belgium (and France) on that year, I attended a “Radiohead” concert at Werchter Park in September 11.

Prior to going home, I likewise came to one music fest on the same month, the Leffingeleuren on the 16th. (I went there a month late for the Pukkelpop fest.)

Six years later, on 18 September 2006, I sat in on my most known musical, having been a bit into theater since kindergarten. I was there on one night of “Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular” at The Venetian while on a two-week working vacation jaunt in Las Vegas, USA, via Portland.

Radiohead concert at Werchter Park, Belgium, 11 September 2000

Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular at The Venetian, 18 September 2006