Joe Jonas Visits Alabang Town Center 2012 - Fastlife Ayala Mall Tour

I grew up only having a few celebrity idols in my life. I mean, I do like a ton of 'em but there were only a few that really made my heart skip a beat. The first of which was Jolina during the heydays of Ang TV back in the 90's. That afternoon TV show was the only thing that made me wanna go home before 4:30 pm back in high school just so I can watch her. I lived in Cagayan de Oro then so when Ang TV visited my grandfather's hometown, I dragged my best friend, Mer, to come watch their concert with me. There I met Jane, Jao Mapa and most of the gang. I even went on stage and talked to Jane. 

Kamikazee Romantico Album Launch @ B-Side

***This post has tons of pictures and they're best enjoyed if you read the story behind them.***

I don't normally listen to rock or alternative music. If and when I do, I only listen to Parokya ni Edgar (and Eraserheads a loooong time ago), well, coz the famous guitarist (Gabriel Cheekee) of the touted Philippine National Band (Parokya ni Edgar), is my cousin-in-law and from time to time, we do watch him play (and he gives me free cd copies.. okay fine, there was just that one time, teehee) plus, Parokya ni Edgar has always been my brother's favorite Filipino band since I was in high school and their music kind of grew on me. In fact, whenever I hear them play Buloy or Picha Pie, it makes my heart skip a beat, making me reminisce my teen years full of puppy love and shallow romance like it was just yesterday. 

So one afternoon, I texted my dear cousin-in-law, Gab, and told him that I'm back in Manila and I'm looking for gigs to go to. He texted me back the dates they'd be playing here in Manila and I figured why not go? It could be fun. It's always fun to listen to Parokya. Then I checked my facebook for other events. Kamikazee's update caught my attention. They're having an album launch of their new cd "Romantico" at B-side in Makati and Parokya ni Edgar will be there too. I thought, perfect! Just perfect! There'll be other renowned bands too like Hilera, Franco and Typecast. I've met Franco before in one of Parokya's gigs here in Festival Mall but I've never heard of Typecast. I'm not really a rock n' roll or alternative music fan but I'm open to new possibilities. After all, I've always vowed to do things that scare me... things that I don't normally do (like living alone for 33 days in Boracay, braving the surf in Siargao after 5 long years since my near-death experience,  falling in crush with Kean Cipriano (LOL!), etc.) and learning to like other type of music aside from reggae and the typical love songs I listen to is one of them. If I get to kiss or have my pictures taken with the band members, I guess that'll be the icing on top of my sweet chocolate cake. ^_^

Cirque MOTHER AFRICA Live in Manila

Audiences in Manila are set to be dazzled by Cirque Mother (CircusMama) Africa when it rolls into town on April 19th – 22nd at Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila presented by Establish Events in cooperation with Media Central. Philippine audiences are familiar with Cirque Du Soleil but this time, they will be challenged and mesmerized by the sights and sounds of Africa. This innovative two hour show, which combines African music, dance and performance, pulsates with the heartbeat of Africa and the combined talents of 40 artists from nine African countries, including Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Benin, Zimbabwe, and Guinea. Although the artists come from all parts of the African continent, on stage, they fuse into a single family whose cheerfulness and passion immediately capture the audience. And they are versatile performers!

Parokya ni Edgar Encounter

Parokya ni Edgar, named as the Pambansang Banda ng Pilipinas, graced my town last month and performed at Greens and Grills outside Festival Mall. It’s been years since I last saw them play live and I’m just amazed at how they can still wow the crowd like they did before.

I started listening to Parokya ni Edgar back in college (basically half my life ago..haha!)  because I had no choice. Buloy was repeatedly played in the airwaves and in the casettes of wild jeepneys that ply the Montalban - Cubao route which I rode every time I went to Ateneo. It had a catchy tune and listening to the lyrics made me both sad and hopeful. Listening to their songs also made me forget how fast those Montalban jeepneys were flying! Haha! Little did I know that I would someday be related to one of its band members and songwriters, Gab Chee Kee (my then boyfriend’s first cousin). Small world!

Boracay Night with Mellow 947

My friend Noelle de Guzman arrived in Boracay on Friday. Noelle, for those who don't know her, is the host of the health and fitness segment of TV 5's "Alagang Kapatid”, which is a public service program that airs on TV5 every Saturday at 6am and Sunday at 7am. She also blogs at kikayrunner.com. She's here for Havaianas and Women's Health magazine. Anyway, after having dinner and drinks at EPIC, we headed to Summer Place where Mellow 947 was having an event.

The Last Time I Watched Brownman Revival Play

watching Dino Concepcion sing on stage still makes my heart skip a beat. ^_^

I was thinking of happy things to do when I realized I haven't organized my BMR photos yet nor blogged about the last time I saw Brownman Revival play. It was on Nov. 18, during their 16th anniversary. Wow! I can't believe I've kind of followed them since the first year they were just one of those Ateneo bands I first heard during orientation day in freshman year. Anyway, I wanna keep this post short since I still have a lot of photo organizing to do. I'd just like to share here my fave photos for that evening...

L-R: Princess, me, Dino & Ces

The Thrill of KAOS @ Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila

I am feeling a bit torn about November 27. You see, on that day, KAOS will be having its advance screening and I have 4 complimentary tickets with me. I already gave away two of them to my friends and I still have two with me. Why you may ask. We'll be leaving for Dumaguete on Nov. 26, therefore, we won't be able to watch the Nov. 27 show. On the other hand, regular showing at Newport Performing Arts Theater starts on Dec. 1. Hopefully, we'll still have some funds left by then so we can buy our own tickets and watch this never-before seen-in-the-Philippines theater show. Check the schedule and ticket rates of KAOS here:KAOS: Las Vegas Meets Broadway @ Resorts World Manila


Look at some of the videos I took from my phone when we watched the live preview of KAOS recently.

Another Reggae Night with Brownman Revival

eBefore I head off to Baguio in a few hours, where I'll be with my fellow bloggers for the next two days, let me share here first another night that I spent with Dino... and Brownman Revival. (Haha... you thought... yeah... I wish! LOL!)

Brownman Revival and The 700 Club

Anyway, on Sept. 16, 2010, my favorite reggae band once again played at 70's Bistro. We were there early and we caught The 700 Club interviewing the band. I was like ... whut? Well, come to think of it, their songs do convey good values. Jah bless and Jah rules!


I must admit I thought I won't be able to make it. But because I was a bit sad the last time we saw them coz our friends weren't with us and there was this lady who danced with Dino on stage, I promised myself that I'd go see them, that I'd be early so I can get seats for my friends, and that I WOULD DANCE with DINO ON STAGE no matter what! Hehehe.

Me and My Friends

Me and My Girls... why do they look more wasted than me?

My boys (L-R): Brian, Peter and Dino

Merry Christmas girls! (L-R: me, Claire, Mau & Koryn)

Cheers! (L-R: Koryn, Mau, Brian, Tin, me)

It won't be my usual "pa-cute" antic where I'd go on stage, hug Dino and have my photos taken for a few seconds. This time, I will dance, if not a whole song, then at least from the chorus to the end of one reggae song. And that's what I did!

Suffice it to say that by the time I did this, I had already downed 2 bottles of Tanduay Ice and 2 glasses of Kamikazee. I ordered pizza but I didn't eat much. My head was spinning but I didn't care! I was having a great time! Hahaha!

Brownman Revival, Alcohol, Friends and UNO Open Bar

Sept. 2, 2010, exactly a week from today, right after attending the CashCashPinoy launch, Peter and I headed to 70's Bistro to watch Brownman Revival play. Unfortunately, that particularly week has been very hectic and rainy that some of our friends got sick. It's a good thing then that we just replenished our stocks of Vita Plus so I was able to bring a box to one of our dearest friends, Koryn, who works at ABS-CBN and lives a stressful career life.

So that night, it was just Peter and I who went and watched Brownman Revival. We came in late and there were a few tables and chairs left. I wasn't in a very happy and partying mood. I missed my girlfriends! Especially my photographer girlfriends! Who will take my picture with Dino now? LOL.

Home Sweet Home

I had a very relaxing weekend. Last Saturday, I finished my work early in the afternoon then I slept until around 9 pm. I've been paying my sleep debt for some time now coz last week has been super hectic that I was awake for a few days straight and maybe even more.


Anyway, last Saturday evening, there's not much left to do outside the house since all malls were closed by then. Peter was perceptive enough to cook some Pesto Pasta early that evening thinking that I won't be waking up until much later and he was right. So when I did wake up, his delicious dish was already waiting for me. Then I thought "Yay! It's the weekend at last! I can have my cocktails and vanilla cigs!" Teehee. I was excited to try out The Bar strawberry and lychee flavor. So exquisite and crisp! *hic!*

The Black Bat Vanilla flavored cigs were delicous too. Hehehe.


We had several new DVD movies but only got to watch a few of them (The Client List, Splice and Eclipse which was a complete waste of my time. Eclipse is such a stupid vampire movie. Anyway...)

Then, we just decided to enjoy the rest of our house. The way we designed our home, it's meant to look like a beach house during the day and a beach bar at night. We have musical instruments we can play with, we have videoke, Wii and tons of DVD videos waiting to be watched, we can simply hang out by the balcony if we want to, or spend some time at our backyard.

That particular evening, we dimmed the lights, lighted some incense, and played with the drums and bongos. I played some songs with my guitar too. I was amazed to find out that I still know the chords of my two fave songs, This is Me and Alone, even if I haven't been practicing much. Yipee.


When we got tired of playing music, we sang songs until I got a bit tipsy.

Eleven Years of Togetherness and Going Strong

The Mafia couple, taken at 70's Bistro

On Aug. 14, 1999, after 12 days of courtship, I said my sweet yes to one of my best guy friends, Peter. I figured, we already know a lot about each other so why make the courtship long?

Before him, my ex courted me for twelve long years, had a relationship with him for four years and everything just went down the drain ...after college.

Then Peter came into the picture. He was my first crush back in freshman year. But I never thought he liked me too, until the day I broke up with my then long time boyfriend. Since then, we vowed to always stay true to each other in a non-conformist, non-traditional kind of way. Few people really understand the dynamic of our relationship. But we don't care. As long as we understand each other, as long as we love each other the way we do, there will always be us, just us two.

Party Weekend with Brownman Revival and Gab

What can I say? The month of July really paved the way for my old party habits. It's a good thing then that Brownman Revival does not charge high fees for entrance, otherwise, I might just find myself broke for attending their gigs 4 times in July! ^_^ And this August, they will be playing every Thursday at 70's Bistro. I just hope and pray that I'd have the energy and budget to see them regularly. They're one of the things that keeps me sane and happy whenever I feel so burnt out from everything. So anyway, the last time I saw them with Peter, our gf Koryn, our bf Joaqui and our new party friends Tin and Mau, I did something really... nice. LOL! But I think I won't ever do it again. Not in that kind of setting anyway. Hahaha!

Here are some of my fave photos from that last gig...

with Dino Concepcion

Music, Movies, Friends and Alcohol Make the World Go Round

I had my weekend all planned out. I was supposed to work for at least 32 hours to compensate for those days I was offline due to my intermittent internet connection all throughout the week. But then my body was crying for rest and I wanted to spend some quality time with my husband too. So come Friday evening, we attended the 2nd Banana Gangbang Rock Festival held at Mooters Bar beside Ortigas Home Depot.

Six things made me so happy that evening:

One - Cecille and Dino (vocalist of Brownman Revival) were able to make it. If it weren't for them, I'd still probably enjoy the music that night (I loved Giniling Festival, Mike Test 123, Lose Your Beer Belly and Marco Palinar's solo guitar act), but it wouldn't be 100x more awesome! It's really great when I can spend fun times with good friends (and my crush of all time! LOL!). So guys, thanks for taking the time out from your busy schedule and being with me that night. It was great catching up and having tons of laughter with you guys! Labyah mare't pare!

L-R: Me,Ces, Dino
Yes, I was in such a hurry that evening, I grabbed a white bra to wear instead of a black one.

At the background L-R: Mel,Bim and Mikey; In front L-R: Ces, Dino, Me and Peter

Good times with good friends: Ces, Dino,me

Two - Peter's cousin, Gab (guitarist of Parokya ni Edgar), was able to make it! Karen was with him and it was just so good to see them again and catch up.

Weekend with Dino and Brownman Revival

Thanks to Brownman Revival, I realized that the old Jen is still alive... somewhere here inside of my being. I really thought I was over my groupie days. I thought I have become the kind of person who only thinks about work, biz, house chores and blogging all the time. Thank God for Dennis' (BMR's drummer) and Jotay's (BMR's manager) frequent invitations and text messages, I finally gave in and since that fateful weekend, I started watching Brownman Revival live once again! In short, I was revived! Hahaha!

Hearing them sing their songs brought back old memories. I miss the good old days when we used to frequent Xaymaca (the reggae hub in QC) and jeggaed with the reggae crowd despite the multitude of people who were always present, the suffocating smoke that filled the air and the drunken antics of people around. In fact, I was tripping down memory lane when I thought of uploading our 2006 and 2007 BMR photos on Facebook. I plan to upload 2005, 2008 and 2009 as well.

So, anyway, it was another fun reggae weekend for me, my hubby Peter, and my girlfriends Ninette and Koryn. Brownman Revival played at Ten02 bar in Timog, Quezon City. I promised myself not to get drunk and true enough, I only had 3 shots of vodka, not enough to get me up on stage and harass my favorite band. Mwehehehe. But I was a bit tipsy though... just enough to let me have my fun while I try to be there for my girlfriends in their moment of need. ^_^

I also decided to be a little more conservative with my getup. If you remember the weekend before this one, my boobs seemed to be popping out of my dress. So, I changed tactic and bought one of the clothes I was selling and wore this beautiful Venus chiffon dress I like. ^_^

Missing Dino and Brownman Revival

Peter and I attended Cherry's wedding at Shangri-la last Saturday. Unfortunately, due to my busy schedule with work and with my online clothes business, I forgot my SD card in my pc at home and therefore, our Nikon D40 had no use for us that night. I was devastated! We even had a little fight about it in the car. My logic? Of all nights that I was set to watch Brownman Revival after 100000 years of not seeing them, this would be the night that I would have no photos with them. Arrghh! Can I just die?

Kidding aside, it was such a blessing when our friend Ninette brought her camera with her. Yahoooooo!!!! It was manna from heaven! You see, when "important moments" in my life are not documented, it's as if they never happened at all. Twisted, yeah. But that's just me.

Nah, actually, it was okay. I was even telling myself "At least I'm no longer crushing over Dino". BUT, the moment I saw him from outside the TEN02 bar in Timog, my heart started beating so fast, my knees became so weak and I couldn't get out of the car coz I was hyperventilating! I was transported back to 2o06 once again! I need alcohol, fast!!!

So without further a do, let me just show you how much I missed Dino and Brownman Revival. And yes, after all these years, when I saw him sing on stage, he still has the same effect on me. Take note, I'm not usually like this under normal circumstances, like when Dino visited us at home last October. I am usually very well behaved. But desperate times call for desperate measure. Add alcohol to the equation and this is the Jen Adams you get...

Lee DeWyze Wonderfully Sings "Hallelujah" American Idol Season 9 Top 3 5/18/10

I find myself listening to Lee Dewyze's rendition of Hallelujah in American Idol on May 18 as I go about doing my work. He has such an amazing and powerful voice, not to mention the charm which will most probably make him sell a lot of records in the future! The crowd loves him so much and so do I! Rock on Lee DeWyze!!!

Kids Dancing To Single Ladies

These pretty little kids, around 8 years of age, danced to the beat of Single Ladies and their video has gone viral with over 2 million viewers! It's just been featured at The Insider NYC and people have been debating whether the video is too racy or not.

Honestly, the first time I saw this fantastic vid, my jaw dropped! I had to squint several times to make sure if it's kids that I'm seeing doing those sexy, provocative moves. And I was right. They're just kids! Beautiful, talented, amazingly gifted kids! I'd be a proud momma if I had a kid like that! (see video below)

Then and Now Massive Music Festival 2010 - Sharing My Experience

To my surprise, I ended up with 6 more free silver tickets that night c/o Jayvee. We met with him at Don Henrico's together with his beautiful girlfriend and their friends. I immediately texted, plurked and facebooked about the free tickets but only two were able to avail of them.

Anyhoo, just like in any other big events, there were some minor inconveniences that could have been avoided, and could've made the whole experience seem massive indeed... inconveniences like having a faulty microphone, no regular hosts entertaining the crowd in between sets, and the monitor not working properly (even Jojo, while performing, asked to have her monitor turned up).

Anyway, overall, I had fun. Even if I was napping in between sets while seated on Peter, who was seated on the ground, I loved almost all the songs they played for us. They're the songs I perpetually play on my ipod and at home! Yeah, I am an 80's girl but I'm also stuck in the 90's. Ask me what I love about music today and all I know is that of Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato. Okay, that one song of Miley Cyrus too. ^_^

Back to the Then & Now Concert... Peter and I had particular favorites though ---

Then & Now Massive Music Festival 2010

Yes, Peter and I are going to watch the Then & Now Massive Music Festival 2010 tonight at MOA concert grounds because Jayvee was kind enough to offer us some free tickets. ^_^