If your musical tastes are a mix of folk, rock, reggae, soul, jazz and even Latin, you’d be glad to see Jason Mraz in concert on Nov. 27 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The American singer-songwriter is on tour to support “Yes!”—his fifth studio album, recently released, a collaboration with the all-women indie folk-rock quartet Raining Jane, composed of Mai Bloomfield, Becky Gebhardt, Chaska Potter and Mona Tavakoli.
The women are also Mraz’s backup band on the tour, including the Manila stop.
Mraz, born in Virginia, United States, of Czech descent, is an engaging performer whose previous three shows in Manila were all well-attended.
There’s one compelling reason it’s best to buy tickets early for this new gig—they’re considerably affordable (P6,125 each for the front rows; P845 for general admission), which means they might run out sooner than you think.
The Smart Araneta-based Ticketnet has started selling tickets since Sept. 25.
What could happen in the next few weeks is that a bulk of the prime-seat tickets would be bought by scalpers, who are financed by unscrupulous individuals, or block buyers who want to make money, sometimes in collusion with concert promoters themselves (more on this issue in a future story).
The most telling sign is that when you call Ticketnet (tel. 9115555) to inquire about tickets, the staff would say that some sections have been “reserved.” In such a situation, the “reserved” tickets might already be in the hands of scalpers and block buyers.
Old world vibe
In the past few weeks we’ve been looking for new nightspots with good ambiance, nice music and reasonably priced drinks. We found three— Historia, Jet 7 and Jay-J’s.
Historia Boutique Bar and Restaurant (5 Sgt. Esguerra Ave., Quezon City; tel. 3766520) has an old world vibe, with its Spanish-period home interiors with vintage knickknacks.
The main area is like a spacious living room with comfortable chairs and big tables. A courtyard has been converted into a bar with an elevated DJ’s booth—where we chanced upon former Viva Hot Babe Jennifer Lee spinning dance records, with our cousin Ronnie Orallo who’s a resident club jock.
Historia also features live acts, most recently Pepe Smith and Maria Cafra.
What’s most enticing is that the place serves ice-cold San Miguel Pale Pilsen for only P45.
Joey G in the house
Jet 7 Bistro (Timog Ave. cor. Scout Ybardolaza, Quezon City; tel. 4166707) has an elegant look, its interiors painted red with low-hanging lamps on each table.
It has a full menu—breakfast, lunch, dinner, the works including an entrée named Blackened Salmon (P425) which we had with beer on our first visit.
When we went back last Monday night, Side A frontman Joey Generoso was on the last few songs of his set with pianist Benjie Pating. We heard mostly Side A material, although the most remarkable thing about Generoso was that he could still hit the high notes.
Which prompted our companion to say, “Maayos si Joey pag hindi lasing.” After the gig we saw him holding a glass of what looked like hard drinks. “Jack Daniel’s,” said a Jet 7 staffer. “Masarap,” said Generoso.
Another act, a band called Composed, played that night; its repertoire included hits by Peter Cetera, Christopher Cross, Dianne Reeves and a wonderful note-for-note version of Ambrosia’s “Biggest Part of Me.”
This group would be appreciated in hotel lounges.
Crispy ‘tadyang’
Jay-J’s Inasal Restaurant has 14 branches (jayjs-inasal.com), and the one we’ve been frequenting is at 121 Kalayaan Ave., Quezon City (tel. 9901148) because it serves crispy tadyang ng baka (P295), never mind that its live acoustic performers suck.
The thing is, Jay-J’s could be the best place to be after midnight in QC’s Kalayaan-Matalino area; just remind the waiters to serve your beers ice-cold (San Miguel Pale Pilsen and Light, P90).