The Wily Filipino

Up Dharma Down / The Dawn / Taken By Cars / Paramita, saGuijo, Makati, 6/7/07.

I've only been dreaming about this for two years: to see Up dharma Down in concert. (First it was waiting for their first album to be released.) And my wish finally came true last night after seeing them at SaGuijo after travelling almost 7,000 miles. (There were about five bands who played -- Ruthie had warned me that club gigs usually didn't have headliners, but had bands play short sets one after the other -- but for me the evening was all about Up Dharma Down.)

Our group (earlier it included my brother and most of Eloise's siblings and their partners) arrived at saGuijo an hour after the concert was supposed to start (key locked inside the ignition, then driving up and down trying to find the venue, then the folks at the door had no change). But we made it in, thank goodness -- and there they were, the best goddamn band in the entire archipelago playing only a few feet in front of me. We may have missed the first or second song, but came in just before they started playing my favorite UdD song ("We Give In Sometimes"). Totally. Freaking. Awesome. Then they played a fantastic "Sleepwalk," and another song for an (unreleased?) movie soundtrack (Armi said she couldn't even find it on LimeWire or Soulseek). But just hearing them play "We Give In Sometimes" was enough. I was done for the year.

The Dawn played next -- perfect, in a way, because they were the very first band I've ever seen play live. (The late Teddy Diaz was still the lead guitarist at that point.) They were in excellent form, with Jett (in a Misfits T-shirt) sounding much like he did back in 1986, and the obligatory Carlos drum solo. Plus they played songs I hadn't heard in probably two decades: "Love Will Set Us Free" and "Living Seed."

(Taken By Cars and Paramita are going to blow up soon; keep an eye out for their albums. Taken By Cars' debut album will be out in July or August.)

I should also put in a good word for saGuijo: the place is tiny -- it's literally the living room of a house -- and so the musicians are always only a few feet away from you. There isn't a bad seat in the place, unless you're by the bar -- even if you’re outside you can see them through the window -- and you can sit on the floor up front, which is fine too. Beers are P50 (the first one is P10), and the sisig was outstanding. If I lived nearby I'd be here every night.

Blurry pictures here.

Posted by the wily filipino at June 8, 2007 02:29 AM