Top standup comedian Willie Nepomuceno held his election spoof “PangGulo ng Pilipinas” on Saturday night, April 30, to a sold-out crowd at the Music Museum.

 

A crew from the British Broadcasting Corporation was said to have flown in to cover the show. The Cable News Network and Reuters were also there.

 

Willie told us that tickets to the show had run out a week prior, prompting him to consider extending it for one more night—despite the daunting production expense because he’s also bankrolling it.

 

“PangGulo ng Pilipinas”—featuring Willie’s satirical impressions of presidential candidates Jejomar Binay, Rodrigo Duterte, Grace Poe, Mar Roxas and Miriam Defensor-Santiago—will have a repeat on May 6 at the Music Museum.

 

Call tel. nos. 7210635, 7216726

 

 

Ichiba Public Market

 

A few weeks ago we spent two nights checking out a new restaurant and watching a gig at Resorts World Manila (RWM).

 

Sitting at the site of the defunct Republiq on the second level of Newport Mall is the newly opened Ichiba Japanese Market, which recreates a cozy version of Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market and Osaka’s Kuromon Ichiba. Its menu is likewise inspired by the seafood markets of Kyushu and Hokkaido.

 

Aside from the typical Japanese fare—salmon and tuna sashimi, ebi tempura, yakitori, soba and udon—that we never tire of ordering, Ichiba has a live seafood market where sea bass, alimasag, tiger lobsters, swahe, among others, can be cooked according to your preference. They’re priced a bit higher than in the usual “paluto” places in the city, but then Ichiba’s bright and lively ambiance makes it all worth it.

 

To complete the experience, there’s a bar that serves ice-cold Asahi beer and a few Japanese whiskies.

 

 

Newport Theater

 

Meanwhile, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Arnel Pineda held court with his all-Pinoy sidemen for a one-night gig with live streaming.

 

It’s always a thrill, of course, watching Arnel even without Journey because this gives him the chance to cover all the classic rock stuff that he became known for during the 1980s and ’90s here and in Hong Kong.

 

What’s new is that he also sang several original songs.

 

But the show’s overblown audio levels caused a bit of discomfort. Nonetheless Arnel lifted everyone’s spirits with the last three songs of the night: “Whole Lotta Love,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”

 

 

Bar 360

 

At the ground floor of RWM’s gaming area is Bar 360, which is open 24 hours and showcases some of the country’s best singers and bands as well as up-and-coming acts.

 

Rachelle Ann Go, Nyoy Volante, Bituin Escalante, Jaya, Freestyle, True Faith and The Dawn are just a few of those who have played on the Bar 360 stage.

 

But what the crowd can look forward to every week is Bar 360’s resident band, Mitoy Yonting and the Draybers. Mitoy, of course, is no stranger to local pop and rock music fans especially after he became the first grand winner of “The Voice of the Philippines.”

 

As far as vocal power and flexibility are concerned, Mitoy and Arnel are peers.

 

Resorts World Manila, Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay; tel. no. 9088888.