They were recently named the Best Asian Band at the Bandlab NME Music Awards, ranked as the most-streamed Filipino artist on Spotify for 2021, and probably the most top-tier OPM Act of their generation. The 9-piece folk-pop band from the Philippines is coming back to Dubai to deliver a surely emotional rollercoaster performance no one should miss.
It’s real, it’s exhilarating and it’s here… Live in Dubai. They’re killing it and not even Omicron can stop them…
Man, “Not even Omicron can stop them.” It’s ironic how things turned out, right? I wrote those introduction lines a few days ago when I began penning this article. This is supposed to be an appreciation write-up I was hoping they would read. It’ll be a good warmer before we get to supposedly meet them the next day after their concert.
But then just a few hours ago an unprecedented news story took off. Show is canceled, Ben&Ben can’t come to Dubai anymore (just yet). The reason: COVID-19. Wow, the irony screams.
So there I was with an almost finished piece cramming the last edit to turn this article around. Hopefully, Ben&Ben still reads this and I pray they get well very soon.
Since I’m always told how good a storyteller am I, let me tell you a story then of my Mahiwaga encounter with the Nuggets. For that, I’ll have to take you back to December 2019 – The last time I saw them perform live during Hamon: The Noche Buena Project.
Here’s what happened:
It was my first annual leave after working overseas for a year. As a newbie expat, there’s no doubt everyone will agree that the excitement and paranoia really build up as we’re getting closer to the day of our flight: A realization that our days are numbered as soon as you arrive home. Such an Inglourious battle we take no victory from. For a time like this, the least one could do is to really make the most of the time we’re given.
And so I did, or so I thought…
You see, I confidently planned my itinerary ahead, perhaps all those backpack travelings prepared me for this moment, somehow. Everything was on the dot so not a single day will be wasted.
Heck, I even booked trips in advance and squeezed in whatever catching-up or get-together with friends and families I can as long as time allows. I was all so inspired and looking forward to enjoying my time until a dishearteningly unpredictable mishap caused by Tisoy (tropical storm) wrecked everything: Our house, our city, and my itinerary. What was supposed to be a vacation getaway, turned into days of gloom and doom real quick.
No one can blame me when I say nothing good came from my vacation after the typhoon. Sure you still get to enjoy certain reunions and all but it’s not what you originally planned. It’s not what you wanted… It’s all ruined. I was almost about to accept defeat as I was only 3 days away before my flight back to Dubai until Ben&Ben came to the rescue.
A single notification changed everything. Upon reading the details, I booked the ticket to Baguio on a whim, canceling what’s in the itinerary (it’s ruined anyway, why stick to it.) Good thing my flight is in Clark so a side trip to the neighboring city wouldn’t actually hurt.
I’m aware I was a late registrant so I didn’t actually expect a good area to settle with. But kudos to the Hamon Coordinators for an excellent job accommodating me. They manage to swapped me in, to cover for the late-canceled reserved ticket. I got myself a better area for a few bucks upgrade fee. Oh, the power of showing up.
The concert was captivating from start to finish. They played their Limasawa Street tracks and each song just resonates as dynamically as the band and their instruments.
Keifer’s violin solo in War just echoed a relaxing embrace, everyone in the auditorium felt that. I even saw friends shrugging their shoulders as they agreed eye to eye while nodding with a smile. You know it’s a good song when it communicates mutual feelings without a word.
I actually served in the Event Industry for some time and have been through different live performances where in the midst of the show you’ll realize that you’re actually getting less of what you paid for. For once, Ben&Ben Concert is the opposite of that. I couldn’t believe that this experience was cheaper than an Imax ticket at VOX Cinema. (Hindi yan sponsored. Wag kang ano 😅 )
My curiosity got answered though as soon as the hosts took over mid-set for a short break, explaining the purpose of the show. Turns out it was a benefit concert for a cause. All proceeds will be used to sponsor a family’s Noche Buena. These will be distributed to poor communities and families affected by calamities in the Philippines. This is their 6th year and Ben&Ben is a regular supporter long before they were a name.
We are talking about a band who’s said to have a TF of hundreds of thousand per booking earlier that year, and I’m sure it has ballooned already by December knowing their increasing visibility. And yet here they are, playing for a crowd with all-out energy for free. All because they wanna lend a hand.
This really spoke volume to me. I stan them even more now, knowing that information.
Perhaps that explains how they’re taking over the music scene now more than ever. A well-deserved reciprocity for their kindness.
It was even better for the 2nd set. One highlight is when they mend sorrowful hearts as they serenade us with Leaves. (Kahit yung hindi magka-away, nagkabati.) Even the cliche of turning the lights off leaving only the phone’s flashlights on hit different as “Mahiwaga, pipiliin ka araw-araw” reecho throughout the place. Araw-Araw just made so much more sense in that set-up. It felt so true and magical it almost made me believe in commitment again. JK. *wink
Then they wrapped up the concert with a reverberating performance of Riding Home. Everyone knows it’s the last song and yet everyone was dancing. And it was so joyful of dance I couldn’t help but join the crowd. Ben&Ben was the first OPM act who made me sway with strangers and I don’t regret it. It was an epic way to seal the night.
If you’re an expat, you’d know it’s is a universal feeling for us to be overtaken by a deep longing for family and home as we return overseas to face reality again, especially on the last days of our vacation. It was that feeling I’m most anxious about as it was my first vacation. But during my return trip to Dubai, Ironically, this song stuck in my head was a remedy.
So, even though my whole stay in Baguio is just literally during the concert. Man, I’ll say a million times that everything was so worth it. ‘Di alintana ang pagod ng byahe.’
TALAGANG MAHIWAGA!
“Ang bakasyong nasira ng di inaasahang bagyo ay nasalba ng ‘di planadong byaheng Baguio.”
Meme Break:
Album Take: Pebble House, Volume 1: Kuwaderno
I strongly believe that the circumstances I just shared actually grant me the right to become the ”Very First Original Number 1 Kaliwanag” (chill, Self-Proclaimed yan).
Kidding aside, the band’s Sophomore Album is now out. It is a “personal collection of songs, stories, messages, experiences, learnings, and insights that have formed and grown with them through their lives and past years as Ben&Ben. Each song, much like an entry in one’s personal journal, encapsulates something uniquely special to mark something in a certain point in time.
They felt it would be important for their second album to be a work that brings Ben&Ben closer to their listeners and introduces them more to the wide spectrum of what Ben&Ben is capable of and of who they are as people.”
That being said, here’s my take about the Pebble House Volume 1.
Disclaimer: This is coming from a personal perspective. We might differ in opinion and that’s OK. I still firmly believe that all singles are equally atypical in a very unique way. So read on.
1. Kasayaw – Ben&Ben
Lyrics in line: “Tanging kasayaw ang aking anino.”
With an 80’s Discotheque vibe, I say it’s a good choice for making it the first single of the album. The welcoming dynamics gradually set the mood until you find yourself foot-tap jiving to the
floor. I can just imagine my late grandma grooving to this beat, honestly. But the song has a catch though, the playfully sounding lyrics still pierce with the Ben&Ben signature sting (they just can’t let this one go) and of course, the classic slow fade instrumental of Poch just did the right end. A matte finish.
2. Swimming Pool (feat. Chito Miranda)
Lyrics in line: “Andiyan ka ba, Bathala!”
Even when you’re having a breakdown you just can’t stop yourself from headbanging to this one-of-a-kind nostalgic collaboration. With a nudge to 2000’s OPM’s aura, this upbeat single deliberately encapsulates life’s struggles and whatnot. It could be a desperate cry to God, a longing for someone to listen to our sobs, or a mantra to keep going because “what could go worse right?“. The obvious feel of Parokya’s touch in the song and the Nuggets getting out of their comfort zone paddles well in Swimming Pool. The track serving emotional dilemma wrapped with lyrical antics is just too bitter-sweet, not to mention tacky. TBH, It’s the first time I hear “Samgyupsal” in a Tagalog song or perhaps it’s the only Tagalog song that has it in the lyrics and still doesn’t sound weird… that’s Chito’s charm for us. You see, when a veteran and a poet pen a masterpiece, this is what we get. Lodi!
3. Elyu – Ben&Ben
Lyrics in line: “Pakiusap lang, lumayas ka sa ‘king isipan.”
This single’s title succeeds in highlighting how witty Filipinos are. Elyu is actually a ‘Tagalized’ acronym for La Union, L.U. = Elyu. Get it?. although Ben&Ben didn’t invent that. This will help out publicize this shame-saver info especially for the titas and titos out there.
Elyu is the “It’s-not-the-song-but-what-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-it-that-makes-you-sad” cliche single. The rare consoling buildup takes you to a train ride of melancholy thoughts about moving forward and what-ifs. Though it comes across as musically mild in general, It didn’t take a facile look at the struggle and the art of letting go.
4. Pasalubong (feat. Moira Dela Torre)
Lyrics in Line: ”Kapalaran ka ba o’ pangarap lang.”
I know every Kaliwanag will agree that this feels like a Pagtingin sequel.
This duet picks the question of love confession. And it summarizes the conundrum in 6 short words: “malay natin, pareho lang tayong natatakot?.” The gaping emotion gets us singing along even if it’s hard to do so and not shed a tear, as Moira’s soft-melancholic vocals just perfectly match the lumbering lyrics. An easy masterpiece straight through the heart.
5. Magpahinga – Ben&Ben
Lyrics in Line: “Hindi ‘rin kasalanang magpahinga.”
A timely song everyone must hear. It’s emotional enough without context but it’s a fitting tribute to the frontliners who have been caught up in this dire situation, the parents who continuously provide, to those who are weary and heavily burdened, and to anyone who’s fighting a silent battle. If you’re tired of fending off your demons, this song is here to remind us that it’s ok to rest, cry, breathe to pray, and take it one day at a time. It’s OKAY to rest. Magpahinga!
6. Lunod (Feat. Zild and Juan Karlos)
Lyrics in Line: “Sisisirin hanggang makarating ka, Sa ginhawang itinadhana.”
Lunod is an unadulterated art. This 6th track in the second album is a treasure. It’s gonna be a timeless piece of music that undoubtedly will stand hair on end for generations. Inspired by COVID-19 experience and a drowning incident, listening to this song truly captured the dreading struggle of just wanting to give up whenever you’re pressed with more than what you can carry…
Its distinctive and diverse musical direction leaves your jaw-dropping in awe, unnoticed. The perfect match of JK’s brute lines and Zild’s oratorically subdued releases explores the theme of detachment and darkness and is perhaps most effective simply because it’s them who sang the parts. This, combined with Miguel’s gut-wrenching high-tone crescendo at the end is just as hunting as enigmatic to hear. A song capable of stopping time, it tingles from beginning to end.
7. Sabel (Feat. KZ Tandingan)
Lyrics in Line: “Hindi katahimikan ang magliligtas sa’yo. Ang tanging kailangan ay marinig ang boses mo.
Despite having the most instruments in a band, the Nuggets upped their A-game in Sabel… by singing Acapella. The message of encouragement, self-love and validation is clearly delivered in a peaceful harmonic chorus .. KZ’s vocal prowess stands out during her solos and just profoundly blends in the whole song. Kudos for placing the song mid-album as it worked so well as a “filler” if you’re listening to it chronologically. Sabel will be your breath of fresh air from 2 angsty singles that come before and after it: (Lunod and Kapangyarihan).
8. Kapangyarihan (Feat. SB19)
Lyrics in Line: “Magwawagi and katotohanan. Ang kadiliman ay ibabagask. Nagsislbi ka dapat.”
How do you know if a song has an impact on society? If it steers opinion and creates discourse towards the people. This single just did that since its release and it keeps going. Kapangyarihan’s downright political advocacy of calling out social injustice and abuse of power is a scream you can’t just ignore. Coupled with bars that spit fire, SB19 rap parts add more grit
to the album’s most compelling and courageous track. This hunting poignant collaboration roars the Philippines’ unending journey of political demise. An elegy of the highest order that certainly will echo through generations.
9. Sugat (Ben&Ben Feat. Munimuni)
Lyrics in Line: “‘Di Ikaw ang iyong nakaraan.”
The first line alone is already a soothing welcome, so much more when I realized that it was Toni who sang the part. Truly proves how amazing this band could be for not limiting a Nugget’s participation. This mellow track offers comfort to a hurting soul, courage to confront an unyielding past, and a gift of hope to mend the weary present. Such a battle cry masterpiece for the need of healing. This. Is. The Adulting Lullabye.
John’s alluring flute-solo gets you high in the zone and It’s as intense as the highly regarded lyrical depth reconciling your whole being with peace and warmth. Then there’s Adj Jiao, despite the high note, just gently talks us through the chorus part with brilliant tenderness it’s all but impossible not to bawl. There’s no doubt, Sugat is a piece of music that brings everything into perspective. A miracle of life against the conflict of the past. It is the personification of an ideal lesson when riding a bicycle: To keep our balance we must keep moving forward. Legit!
10. Upuan – Ben&Ben
Lyrics in Line: “Hindi inaasahang mahulog sa kaibigan.”
We all have that High School experience of awkward love stories where your greatest hope is for your secret feelings to be reciprocated right? Yeah, This song is a time-machine ride to those moments. Conveyed in lively participation of every instrument, this feel-good song with the universal theme of falling for the unexpected person (a friend of course) will leave you hopeful until you find yourself rewriting your coming of age love story. It’s an LSS-worthy break from reality.
11. Ilang Tulog Na Lang – Ben&Ben
Lyrics in Line: “Mga Diwa Natin ay Hindi na Mawawalay”
I have to admit, Toni has always been my bias 1/9. And hearing her getting more time on the mic is surprisingly enchanting. The calming melody, the meaningful lyrics, and her wholesome voice perfectly compliment the tranquil anthem. This track gives you a sense of fulfillment and makes you appreciate what truly matters in life: To love and be loved. It has a Bibingka vibe except it’s not a Christmas song. But I kid you not when I say this will become a tear-jerker tying-the-knot lullaby sooner or later. So move over Maybe the Night, The Band got you a pair to reign the wedding scene.
12. Kayumanggi – Ben&Ben
Lyrics in Line: “Pagkapanganak hanggang sa paghimlay. Yakapin ang kulay.”
Every Filipino should listen to this song at least once in their lifetime. This overwhelmingly simple track with a soothing “Bandoria” feels in the background reminds me of Filipino Classic musicality. An apex modern Kundiman about embracing your roots. Cloaked with a lyrically sublime overtone of patriotism, you’ll be ashamed for not feeling proud of your kin after hearing this piece.
The melody will lift your spirit of self-worth and nationalism. It’s a must-find jewel masterfully crafted. You can clearly hear an ensemble of peace in this which lingers a perpetual sense of gratification that’ll leave you in awe or better yet asleep. There’s no better track that can conclude the album as splendid as Kayumanggi.
In general, the best way to make the most of the music in this album is to listen to it chronologically.
That concludes my two cents Pebble House Volume 1. Appreciate you reading this far.
Are you also excited for their comeback? I mean, let us know how eager you are in the comments.
Meanwhile, let’s continue supporting Ben&Ben by following their official accounts:
Ingat lagi, Kahiwaga!
Harinaway may pumipili sayo, araw-araw. Kung wala man, Piliin mo parin ay ikaw. Sabaok!
Featured image: commissioned arts by: @Rheanne_arts and picture of my tats inked by @Yuki Kato.
