Franco is, by far, my favorite Filipino band. I can't even describe how incredible Franco is, both…read morein terms of just their music and as a live act, but you've gotta see it to believe it. Unlike most Franco fans, I don't do "juts" (at least not yet) but nevertheless, I still absolutely love their music. When I meet friends who don't think OPM has good stuff in it (which even in general I vehemently disagree with), I immediately tell them to listen to a few Franco tracks. Franco is an absolutely brilliant band, and watching and listening to Franco Reyes is like viewing a genius at work. Not only does Franco brilliantly blend together diverse styles of music, ranging from grunge, reggae, classical rock, and alternative, their songs' poetic lyricisim and wordplay is pretty stunning when you're paying attention. Even if you don't take "juts" there's lots to love here. Live, Franco Reyes pours his entire heart and soul into his performances. He's an intensely charismatic frontman for the act, reaching riffs and putting on a crazy level of energy that infects the crowd. Franco is definitely a distinct and incredible act, one that manages to make you believe in the power of OPM. I certainly do. (francophilippines@gmail.com)

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 have had the opportunity to work part time with the ladies of Bride's Maids and Co., and if you…read morewant a worry-free, hassle-free and memorable wedding, put these lovely girls to work and worry only about your life after your wonderful wedding day. The team will sit down with you and plan everything with you. With over 18 years of experience, this wedding planner team has a veritably impressive list of suppliers that will take care of everything for your special day: caterers, fashion designers, florists, events planners, lights and sounds, dj or band, host and the arrangements in the church. They also deploy a dedicated team during your wedding day to make sure that everything is taken care of- from preparations, to pre-wedding shoots, all up to the day itself. While DIY weddings are much more popular these days (and it's okay, especially if you have supportive friends and family who are willing to pitch in their help), but if you have the resources, you can easily sit down and relax and let a highly-professional team handle all the worrying. You can count on Bride's Maids and Co. to make sure that all your guests are well-ushered and well-attended to, and that all details of your special day are being taken care of. Bride's Maids and Co. even handles events such as parties, birthdays and special occasions in your life. Give them a call the next time you have an event, and they will help you out with the nitty gritty details.

From ballet lessons, watching plays, and hanging out during breaks, to graduating high school,…read moreAssumpta Theatre will always have a special place in my heart. We have performed numerous times on stage before. I made a quick Google search and found this on Yelp. Oh, my childhood, how it flew by. I hope the next coming students find a way to love our home and find that it is their home, too.

This theater is an official satellite venue of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which is why…read moreit's called the "CCP of the East." It was built and inaugurated in the early 2000s and has since put on many shows and performances both by the local school community and the neighboring communities. I personally have fond memories of playing an Annie orphan, a King & I princess, a stone-faced Singkil fan-dancer, and doing countless chorale shows and ballet recitals in the past, heehee! It's a beautiful theater and visiting theater companies, musical artists, and touring shows have performed here, wonderfully bringing cultural education and exposure over to the folks at the East side of Manila. No need to go all the way downtown! The massive Assumpta is a fully functional performance venue with modern light & sound equipment, a large stage with stage wings and a docking area at the back; there's an orchestra pit, air-conditioned dressing rooms with their own bathrooms, a nice big lobby, and guest comfort rooms. The theater seats over 2,000 guests! It's pretty novel to have this kind of venue on this side of town, so a lot of schools and organizations from around the area have taken it up on its facilities for graduations, their own productions, and other events. You can just call the school to inquire about renting because they're very open for that.

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.

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.

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.

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.