A Few Reasons To Watch GARY VALENCIANO's "Gary V Back at the Museum"

Had a really fun time at the Music Museum attending the concert of Gary Valenciano called "Gary V: Back at the Museum". It was officially his 93rd time to perform there and the show was pretty much a huge time travel, of things he's done at the Music Museum and even have video synced in almost every number he did at that venue.

It was fun to see how several big stars of today were in the audience, and much of his fans in those years still attend the show. As Mr. Gary Valenciano puts it, he says "Music Museum is the most intimate venue, and this is why it's important for me because much of my songs and it's messages are meant to be done that way."

Sure enough, we got that treat. Music Museum has the audience placed very close to the stage and Gary could actually see much of our face unlike other venues which is why he prefers it. It's like he could talk to people, sing his songs while you are actually there. It felt very personal, but he's not even shortchanging anything even the dance moves.

Gary V performed with Kianna Vee for a little Father Daughter number

Mind you, the Manouvers that are dancing with him are actually 4th generation (Manouvers Ignite). They all retired (I think) and he's still dancing? What?!

These are just a few of the reasons why you should watch the show. Gary Valenciano is also helping a few charities that cater to kids, those affected by health conditions (those with diabetes) and the poor. Even though I barely did catch what they did in the 80's and early 90's, his music transcends all these and have really good lyrics. It's like poems come alive, and I couldn't keep up with the crowd that evening even if I was extra energetic. If you're a Tita/Tito, Mom/Dad, Lola/Lolo, millennials or Gen XYZ, you'll enjoy his music and the memories that come with it. There are still a few dates left this August 12, 19 and 26, so get them tickets at ticketworld.com.ph and celebrate his birthday too!

Btw, make sure to watch out for the "request" part of the show and get heard by Mr. Pure Energy himself and sing your favorite Gary V song. (It was my favorite part of the show!)

Congratulations Sir Gary!

Filipina-Israeli Shira Tweg Releases "Pag-ibig" Under Star Music

I've seen Shira Tweg a couple of times from her previous movie "Sugat Sa Dugo" back in 2021 (we interviewed her) and MMFF Summer entry "Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko" (she portrayed a young Sharon Cuneta) which talked about the life of Singer-Songwriter and hit maker Rey Valera. She's a Filipina-Israeli actress who I think looked like a mix between Salma Hayek and Catherine Zeta Jones. She's also a singer and this time, she just released a new single called "Pag-ibig" under Star Music

Here's our interview with her during the launch:

I like the song and its premise, of where a hopeful young girl still believes there's someone out there for her even though she already got hurt in past relationships. She's not a belter per se, but she sure has a unique voice and tone that's pleasing to the ears and an ability to tell a story. She gave us a show during the launch, albeit sick, she went ahead and performed for us. It was nice to hear her rendition of Sharon Cuneta's Mr. DJ and her new song "Pag-ibig". Her new single was also written by Direk Joven Tan who's also done a lot to help her in her music career.

Shira also plans to have her own business soon, and she's preparing a lot for that. She's an actress and she's raring to grab the opportunities presented to her, to hopefully also release more songs in the near future. About pageants, she's not that interested in doing it, but rather do modeling.  

She's had suitors, but prioritizing her career and education comes first. Love isn't perfect she says, but the song "Pag-ibig" gives you reasons to still believe in it no matter how many times you fail in relationships. It also tells a story of your struggles, on how you would take the courage in professing love for another person. She hopes you find this song to be about you in one stage of your life, and yes, you can stream this now on all digital platforms and YouTube for the music video.

She's got a long way to go, but she's talented and we hope they get to create even more songs for her so people would be able to listen to Shira Tweg and believe in love again. Congratulations on your new single dear!

Meet the Band Called FIREFLIES

Took time out of my busy schedules for a night out on my neighborhood in Quezon City. Pretty dark out there, but I've seen something glow from afar, it was lights from a local bar where I saw FIREFLIES was playing.

It's a band formed in 2016, who now decided to get re-launched with new members in tow. If you're a little observant, you probably know most of them are from bands Cueshé who's had remarkable success in the early 2000's. Jay Justiniani does Lead Vocals, Jhunjie Dosdos on Vocals , Guitar and Keyboards, while JC Del Rosario IV does Vocals and Bass Guitar, RM Tolentino who does Percussions and Pat Galut does the Lead Guitar. They've been working hard the past few months taking a shot at writing songs, doing covers and performing in different locations across the Philippines.

Here's our short chat with them after a set, apologies as it's quite noisy in the bar we were in that evening. 

Jay says "Actually, this group is easy to work with. Jhunjie is a former band member of Cueshé (like him) so we do really know each others dynamics. Our other band members are also good songwriters, so it was easy to work with even though we have different ideas. It was easier to make songs if you guys understand each other. Jhunjie and I are good friends, and good friends are hard to come by."

JC adds "Jhunjie and I started to work with Fireflies, and we now have new band members, we just didn't have a vocalist then, Jay agreed to join later on and that became a positive direction for the Fireflies band."

Jhunjie adds "I remember Jay was having doubts joining us a few years back. He was very busy and was based in Cebu. It was a bit difficult because we were playing in Manila most of the time. Some of the former Fireflies got a little tired working with us in the band because of the pandemic as income was really tight because we didn't have gigs during the lockdown. He had to go back to Davao. I was the only one left, I knew I had to do something. I'm thankful Jay agreed even if we haven't seen each other for a long time."

They named themselves Fireflies because it's like a spark in the dark. They're raring to perform in company parties, concerts local or foreign. They are currently being managed by Ms. Grace who previously worked in ABSCBN. You may get in touch with them through 09923150106 as it'll be surely busy during the holidays. They're bringing their new brand of music, some covers, and some old classics that 90's kids, Millenials and Gen Z's would absolutely love. They're going to release a few singles soon, so make sure you follow them also on their social channels at https://www.facebook.com/fireflies.ph because they're going to post updates of their gigs on that page.

Cheers to more music from FIREFLIES! Hope you shine brighter in the darkest hours and share your love of music even more!