“I’m in college and I’m in a band.”
You can belt out a tune or pluck a chord but who has heard you other than your shower head? Your band is underground; way underground, in fact, that only 4 or 5 people know your band exists. You need a venue other than studios with egg carton walls.
You and your motley crew have yet to prove yourselves in the music scene.
That’s where For the Record Events comes in. This production company, founded by college friends Alwyn Batara, Iji Cañamo, Cris Argamino, Ren de Grano and Lans Rosales, is the pied piper of all production companies. FTR champions the underdogs among young amateur musicians and gives them a chance to perform their original compositions and their versions of the songs we love.
Personally, I appreciate the efforts of the guys behind For the Record Events for giving a chance to aspiring bands to rock the casbah. The Founding Brothers of FTR have been in bands themselves so they know how tough it can be to get opportunities for breaking through the glass ceiling and performing live outside of school.
Back in my early college days, most of the gigs I went to were that of UP-Manila Musician’s Organization (UP MORG) with my brother, Glenn Maglasang. That was when my fondness for attending gigs grew.
My bassist brother.
For the Record Events’ fifth production, “Under the Influence”, took place at Timelock Bar last Saturday August 24. This is the second time I volunteered with my boyfriend, Francis, for FTR and the first time my friend, Naomi, went with us. As the name implies, this gig showcased the significance of musical influences to these young musicians and the rock n’ roll greats who inspired them to be who they are now.
The Under the Influence prod had a great line up with a myriad mix of rock, punk, pop, jazz, funk, acoustic and other beer-induced music with bands Synesthesia, Along Van Buren, Cattleya, Egg White Project, Anton and the Salvadors, Extrapolation, Miles Experience, and Nanay Mo.
Patch Javier, the bassist from the Fallout Boy-inspired band, Along Van Buren, is actually a good friend of ours (Francis, Naomi and I) from college. Performing hits of the punk rock persuasion, beer chuggers certainly got a kick out of their set.
Along Van Buren played us a little Fallout Boy.
Another band favorite wasExtrapolation. I saw one of their performances before at an Artists for Nature gig at Conspiracy Bar and needless to say, I got hooked. With a set of their own renditions of yesterday’s jazz with today’s funk, Extrapolation’s songs are certainly “not your daddy’s jazz”.
Extrapolation gets their jazz on.
Egg White Project truly does know how to thrill audiences with music that fluctuates from hard rock to melancholic acoustic. They were also fun to watch because the band certainly has a flair for performing that goes beyond what you wear, like say, sandos.
The Egg White Project
Anton and the Salvadors proved you don’t need words to speak volumes. With their face-melting and amp-busting instrumentals, the audience were a-flush with euphoria.
The other bands, Synesthesia, Cattleya, Miles Experience and Nanay Mo each brought much pizzazz and put on great shows like only great musicians know how to.
After another successful production, For the Record Events is proving themselves to be an unstoppable force, propelling young bands upward with their 25 minutes of fame. Amateurs, college kids, and bands with cult followings are free to contact For the Record Events for their next production, which the team aims to be accomplished once a month.
Where there’s beer, there’s BEER PONG!
The FTR team constantly makes it a point to make their productions interesting: from reaching out to bands of all genres, to games like beer pong, giveaways, and trivia segments on rock icons, patrons are sure to get more than their Php 150’s worth. With free beer, I might add!
For those who are interested to lend a hand, the guys behind FTR are always looking for volunteers to help out with their productions, especially with promotion. The perks? Music, beer and newfound friends.
For bands that struggle to branch out to an audience, For the Record events can answer your hey, hey hallelujah. Just make sure to put on a great show, and they’ll take care of the rest.
And for those about to rock, we salute you.
All photos taken by Alwyn Batara.
For the Record Events
fortherecordmktg@gmail.com
Lans Rosales 0917 628 8396
