FOR ONE night, Resorts World Manila is bringing two of the most prominent names in the Philippine rock scene as it presents Ely Buendia and the Itchyworms: Greatest Hits on Feb. 9 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.
“This concert ticks [a lot of items] in our bucket list,” Jazz Nicolas, lead vocalist of Itchyworms said during a press conference on Jan. 14 at Resorts World Manila’s El Calle restaurant in Pasay City.
“It has always been our dream to play Eraserheads songs in a concert, play Eraserheads songs with Ely Buendia in a concert and play in a venue with such good sound like Newport,” he explained.
Eleandre “Ely” Buendia rose to fame as the guitarist and lead vocal of the Eraserheads band which was formed in 1989 while the members were studying in the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
The band originally included Mr. Buendia, Raimund Marasigan (drums), Marcus Adoro (lead guitar) and Buddy Zabala (bass).
Their debut album, Ultraelectromagneticpop!, featured hits like “Pare Ko,” “Toyang,” and “Ligaya.”
The band’s third studio album, Cutterpillow, spawned hits like “Ang Huling El Bimbo,” “Overdrive,” and “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong.”
Mr. Buendia left the band in 2002, but he performed in reunion concerts in 2008 and 2009.
Last year, songs from the Eraserheads catalog were used in a musical called Ang Huling El Bimbo about two friends who get back together after spending 20 years apart. The musical ran for two weeks at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.
The members of Itchyworms — Mr. Nicolas, Jugs Jugueta on rhythm guitar and vocals, Kelvin Yu on bass guitar and Chino Singson on lead guitar — said during the press conference that they had always looked up to the Eraserheads and its former lead vocalist Ely Buendia.
Itchyworms was formed in 1996 and is known for guitar-driven rock with 1960s and 1980s rock sensibilities. Some of its best known songs come from the 2006 album, Noontime Show, which featured “Akin Ka Na Lang” and “Beer.”
It won Album of the Year at the 2006 NU Rock Awards.
In 2016, the Itchyworms song “Di Na Muli” won the top prize at the PhilPop 2016.
In the same year, the band and Mr. Buendia collaborated on the song “Pariwara,” and this was followed by another collaboration in 2017 called “Lutang.”
Ely Buendia and the Itchyworms: Greatest Hits concert will be held on Feb. 9, 8 p.m., at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila in Pasay City. Tickets are available via www.ticketworld.com.ph and at the Resorts World Manila Box Office (908-8000 local 7700). Ticket prices range from P1,300 to P6,000. — Z.B. Chua

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