Filipino bands worth a look-see
- Bands, OPM, The Scene -
By Clarence Yu
Contributor
BEING a club show band is a delicate act, and in most cases, we only see the performances of these bands, but we never get to know them in depth.
In most situations, audiences like them for what they play on stage and, after awhile, start to slowly think no more of these bands than just mere entertainment.
These bands, and their collective members usually play for a living, and it’s easy to discount the fact that they have their own lives, experience, frustrations, and most of all, opinions.
Meet Shayne and Brown Union. Think of the real Rhythm and Blues, Pop, Motown and Funk. Hark back to Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Earth Wind and Fire and Angela Boefill. Led by lead vocalist Shayne, the band performs to standing crowds regularly at Aruba Metrowalk, Tropezz at Greenbelt, and the recently closed Bagaberde in Pasig. Rarely will you see such an excellent caliber of musicianship since the days of Music Hall in Greenhills in the 1990’s.
Highlights of their set include cool renditions of 70’s and 80’s standards. “We usually play Top 40 music,” says male vocalist Tobey Padilla. “We call it ‘Chopsuey’ in short,” he adds.
