Though I must admit that I came in to this scene rather late (which is to say, lately) and hardcore rakista friends would talk of its glory days, I still did enjoy the performances I had caught here. There is a huge scheduled plastered by the entrance where you will spot acts with already sizeable fan bases like Ang Bandang Franco and Moonstar 88, playing side by side up-and-coming bands. (In fact, booking a gig here could mean graduating from being the latter, and debuting into the league of the former.)
The joint still feels indie, in a sense almost exclusivist in being so (in spite of its renovation) and on a good night, it gets pretty crazy-packed. I don't remember the menu items to be expensive, nor particularly orgasmic, but then again, as in places of this sort, it is always ALWAYS about the music. And if you are not one to enjoy weeping guitar riffs and heart-pounding drumbeats, maybe, this is not the place for you. You see, this is a place where you can find pretty much most of your life written in the lyrics of a rock song. But if you are down with banging your bangs to some beats and not caring how you look while doing so, or not minding that the nape of the guy in front of you is dangerously too close to your nose, then by all means, step inside and let the madness carry you to an alternate state. read more