In the realm of Filipino musical acts, sometimes it seems like it's divided between western-style…read moreanti-mainstream "underground" rock and mainstream beep bop P-Pop Sarah G hits. Up Dharma Down exists as a sort of completely different kind of act from everything you expect an OPM act to be. Here's a band that has a thoroughly different sound: easy listening, piano-based, bluesy songs with relationship-oriented lyrics. That's why Up Dharma is such good counter programming for the music scene. It's one of the mainstream musical acts on the Philippines which you can certifiably remark is totally different from everything else. Their sound, which they have spent around a decade trying to capture, is so distinct, yet appeals to such a large market. It's a fantastic band.

For those bitching about how Art should be more accessible to everybody, may I present to you the…read moreTiu Theater. Formerly the old Louie's THX Cinema, the theater has recently been reinvented as an events venue back in 2014, and has hosted a number of concerts, plays, recitals, and performance art pieces. But what sets the Tiu apart from other event venues is how committed it is to making Art more accessible. The management of the Tiu will go out of their way to look for worthy art groups to sponsor. They have even staged a couple of free shows, just to get people more chances to watch these kinds of works. Time will tell if the Tiu can sustain and thrive with this kind of setup, but I'm happy we have such a venue for the arts.

Back in the day, the Tiu Theater used to be Louie's THX, the most high-tech movie theater in Makati…read moreat the time. These days, the Tiu Theater has become an events venue. I had the opportunity to come here for the Luna Art Festival in early 2015, and I loved the intimate, community-like vibe that was present all throughout. Inside the main theater, performers like the Adinkra Lumads group and other ethnic Filipino musicians and dancers performed to a crowd of art enthusiasts, and at some point, people took off their shoes and started dancing in the middle of the aisles! There were also a bunch of merchants outside the theater, selling shirts, food, jewelry and more. The back part of the theater is dimly-lit (adds to the vibe, I think), and has large murals painted on it, cementing the Tiu Theater's position as a haven for artists to showcase their work - be it performance art, visual art, handmade crafts, and more! I always enjoy events that are hosted here because it's always a good time with quality people in attendance.

Hi im Beenevil sir pwede po ba akong makapag record sa studio nyo sa mababang budget hindi ko kase…read moreafford ang libo sa iba hindi ako matanggap may mga kanta nadin akong na upload tulad ng (titled* look back at i know yee, marami po akong kanta na gusto kong i record dahil sa cp lang ako nakakapag record saka wala po akong alam sa mga mixing na kaialngan pa pala sana po matulunga nyo ako salamat.

St. Francis Xavier or SFX Digital Sound Studio is the home studio of award-winning music groups…read moreBukas Palad, Hangad, and Himig Heswita. It's an affiliated unit of Jesuit Communications and is actually located in the JesCom building inside the Ateneo de Manila campus. It's a full-service recording studio that can help you with your music projects, film scores, commercial jingles, albums, and even video production. If you've seen those JMM Cover videos on Youtube, this is where those were recorded (both the video and the music). Artists like Noel Cabangon, the UP Singing Ambassadors, the Loboc Children's Choir, and even The Dawn have recorded here. My highschool choir had the opportunity to record here as well for this alumni album project for our old school and we had the best time! There are 2 studios, the main one that can hold a full choir/band, and a smaller one on the second floor that's better for solo singers or smaller groups. Although the interiors are a bit old and not very fancy-looking, it's still a top quality studio, fully fitted with the right facilities, tools, and equipment. They also offer instrument rentals if your group might need it, and their friendly and super helpful in-house producers & sound engineers are always there to assist. These guys are sometimes even Jesuit Music Ministry artists themselves! They can also help with full production of your CDs from designing to producing the actual bulk copies. The studio is open for bookings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I was in High School the first time I heard Gracenote. Just like everyone else in High School at…read morethe time, I was in that sweet spot where I was listening to all these punk pop bands like All Time Low, All American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, and of course, Paramore. Gracenote was an actthat was featured in our variety show as the opening act for Imago. Just like everyone else in the crowd, no one knew who they were. They were a fairly indie band at the time. Literally, it took one song to figure out that they were eventually gonna make it big. They opened (expectedly) with a Paramore song, and for a second I literally thought that it was Paramore on stage. After a few more of their originals, I was hella impressed. Not only did they sound like legitimate punk pop (and they weren't trying hard like a lot of other acts were) but their original music was fucking legit. Flash forward to a few years later, and I see them on TV promoting their first album. A few more years, and I find out that their booking fee has skyrocketed by a lot. I'm kind of amazed at how big they made it. They're literally our equivalent to Paramore - a female-led punk pop act with insanely catchy songs. Gracenote is a pretty great band that can only go up from here.

Teatrino is one of my favorite venues for concerts/shows. I love it because it is conveniently…read morelocated in greenhills. There's almost-always parking available and there are lots of coffee shops/restaurants to hang out in if you're trying to kill time before entering. I also love it because it is very cozy. It's not too tight and squishy, but it's not massive either. They also serve drinks and food while you're watching, making you feel comfortable. Teatrino makes the perfect venue for intimate concerts and various shows/performers. I love how they have such a wide variation of performers. From old-time and starting singers to stand-up comedian Rex Navarete. They're very diverse with their shows and yet, they almost always sell out their tickets. I can't wait to see who other acts they have in store for the year. I'm looking forward to watching something again there soon. :)

Bad experience with this venue. It was advertised on the their website that one of their…read moreprovisions is security. It was not safe at all. Someone posing as waiter will ask for a payment without giving a receipt, only to find out it was not teatrino's waiter.

RCBC's Carlos Romulo Auditorium is an irony in itself to me. It's small, but it has big productions…read moremore often than not. There are countless performances showed here that're actually the big names in Broadway. The most favorite of mine that I've seen here is Rock of Ages Philippines. I've been a fan of the musical way back since I've heard about it. I mean, why wouldn't I be? It's like a musical with 80's stuff! What more could I ask for? Anyway, it wasn't long after Rock of Ages Japan ended their tour (see? I know these useless stuff!), and the 2012 movie trailer was shown in the movie that ROA Philippines was announced to be showing in the Philippines. I almost screeched in public when I've read it online. So I immediately bought front row seats. I think it was the fourth seat to the front? (egh, the seventh and eight row were already taken at that time). I wasn't thinking clearly though, I was so into seeing Mig Ayesa upclose that I forgot that no matter where you are in this theatre, it's still a nice view. I could've saved like a thousand then! Yeah, it's that small. So the next time you are trying to save up and you still want a great show, it doesn't matter where you are here. Oh, and because it's a small theatre, the audience tend to be awkward towards each other because of its intimacy. If you want a total kick-ass show with all the fireworks and dancing and crowdsurfing awesomeness (okay, not really), make sure you get the tickets to the last show. It's usually where all the awesome occurs. Of course those are just my own tips for having nothin' but a good time (See what I did there?). You can always get the best seats at the best convenient schedule to you.

Avenue Q, RENT, In The Heights, and recently No Filter, have all been staged at Carlos P. Romulo…read moreAuditorium (RCBC Plaza), which should tell you something about the quality of the plays they produce. I mean, Avenue Q was by far the funniest, most uproarious musical I have ever seen in my life! Who knew puppets played by Rachel Alejandro and Felix Rivera could make me bend over so hard from laughter to the point that I was already crying? And No Filter was a breakout play of epic proportions, delivering quick-fire monologues and witty banter with a solid cast, interrogating what it really means to be defined as a millennial. Before I delve too deeply into the awesome-sauce plays they've staged, which are too many to count, I want to say that although the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium might look small and intimate for a theater, it's those qualities precisely that make going to the theater here such a visceral experience, drawing loud reactions from everybody in the audience. Other theaters will make you feel like you need to dress up fancy for the occasion, but the truth about the theater is that it's accessible to everyone and not just rich snooty people. I wish we could clear that misconception in our country.

No one goes to Parañaque to watch gigs as there aren't really any good gig places here. But if…read morewe're talking about spots that go against the grain, Gara-eh offers a totally alternative scene, and I'm not even referring to the genre here. Garaeh is a LOT of things. Run by super friendly artist couple Yvette & Om as well as a couple of their friends, this place is a community of sorts that focuses primarily on music. Firstly, Garaeh is a space. It's literally a "garahe"--an outdoor garage that's filled with art and curious things. They, as well as their friends, host music gatherings and gigs here. Aside from an events space, they primarily offer rental services for music equipment for events. I HIGHLY recommend their music equipment rental as they do have a complete set of equipment at good rates. They also offer music classes (drums, guitar, voice, keyboard, etc.) for people of all ages, even music-appreciation for babies! Inside Garaeh is an electronics repair shop as well. What else? Occasionally they also do sell vegetarian mock-meat via their small project 'Ngitian Kitchen'. Their mock meat liempo is really, really good. Events aren't regular, as well as the classes or the veggie food, and you can't just barge into this place unannounced. It's best to stalk them online to see if something's up or if there's a gig to catch. If there is, do drop by as you're in for a unique and interesting treat.

Cool guitar store - Filipino made by Ramon Jacinto (RJ) . Limited selection of nylon string…read moreguitars though but I really love the game workmanship and beauty of the mahogany wood and appliqués of the steel string guitars that RJ made.

RJ Guitars is the place to go if you are looking for affordable musical instruments. Last year, I…read morechanced upon RJ's birthday sale in Robinson's Galleria with my girlfriend. They had this promo where every hour, from opening until closing, the discount gets bigger. Since we were there near closing, the discount was already at a whopping 40%. She didn't think twice to fall in line and choose among the instruments propped up against the wall. Although the selection was a bit limited because they were almost closing, they still had a few items that were worth lining up for. The line wasn't that bad, by the way, and the salespeople tried their best to help out everyone even if the store was a bit crowded. In the end, we were able to buy a pretty decent ukulele that was imported from Korea for around 3,000 Pesos. For starter musicians, I suggest putting RJ's birthday on your calendar because the sale definitely worth it.