Friday, December 7, 2007

Gig for Kids - A Benefit Concert

Last December 6, 2007, Rob and I headed out to Route 196 for the fund raiser "Gig for Kids". This benefit concert is the brain-child of our good friend and long time brothah Dong Magsajo. The event was graced by 4 awesome bands that lent their talents for a worthy cause -- the Pandacan Service Center for Street Children. On the roster were local bands Sino Sikat?, Paramita, Nyko Maca + Playground, Shift and Aliya Parcs.

I haven't been out in a while, especially to rock and much less charity related events, but I crawled out of my cave to show support.

Route 196 is a bar along Katipunan in Quezon City. A small venue, but it created an intimate setting for the event. Great pizza too!

It was my first time to see Paramita, Sino Sikat?, Nyko Maca + Playground and Shift. I must say, the Philippine music scene is really growing. Yeah!

Paramita performed first, a three-man (er, okay, two-man, one-woman) group. The female lead singer of course, is also the drummer. Yes! The drummer! The only other artist I have seen who can sing and play the drums at the same time, and with that kind of ease is Phil Collins!

Each band had their own style of music ranging from rock, r&b, hiphop to fusion. But for me, it was Paramita who brought the house down in terms of music and showmanship and I foresee this young group going a long way. Thanks as well to Sino Sikat? for bruising our car bumper at the parking lot (I told Rob that he should have asked the band to pose beside our car for posterity! hahaha)

Though Dong Magsajo has been generously sharing his blessings with the Pandacan Service Center for Street Children for sometime now, with the help of his buddies from the motoring world, plus his passion for music, this is his first salvo at putting up a benefit concert. And it seems with its success (I believe they were able to raise an estimate of about Php200,000), this will not be the last.

So congratulations my friend! May you continue to share your blessings with those who need it the most.