What prompted the Inquirer front-page story (“Madonna in Manila…,” May 17) was a self-styled publicist’s overzealous claim, “Amin si Madonna… sa Jan. 16 and 17 (2016) sa MOA Arena…”
Upon checking by Inquirer sources, it turned out that the aforementioned dates at MOA were just reserved by a talent buyer/promoter but with no confirmed performing artist.
The sources added that there are, indeed, negotiations for a Madonna concert, but the venue is the Philippine Arena.
Madonna, who’s set to go on a North American/European/UK tour in support of her latest album “Rebel Heart,” has moved some dates to January 2016. She is also expected to announce an Asian leg of the tour, including a Manila date, said one of the Inquirer sources.
Ronan Keating and the boys are back
Twenty years ago, the Irish pop group Boyzone was formed following the success of British boy band Take That.
Composed of members Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, and Shane Lynch, Boyzone went on to have nine no. 1 Irish hit singles, six no. 1 UK hit singles, five no. 1 albums and 25 million records sold worldwide as of 2013.
The group broke up in 2000 but reunited in 2007; after Gately’s passing in 2009, Boyzone continued touring and recording.
The good thing about Boyzone, aside from having proven its ability to write its own songs (“Key to My Life,” “So Good,” “Picture of You”), is its choice of covers—“Working My Way Back To You,” “Father and Son,” “Words,” and “Baby Can I Hold You,” among others.
In fact, its 2014 album, “From Dublin to Detroit,” is a 12-track, all-covers record of Motown and other soul classics which includes Boyzone’s version of “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” (Jimmy Ruffin, 1966); “The Tracks of My Tears” (The Miracles, 1965); “This Old Heart of Mine” (Isley Brothers, 1966); and “Just My Imagination” (The Temptations, 1971).
It would be interesting to watch Boyzone live, after its boy band phase. Its Manila concert is on May 26 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Log on to ticketnet.com.ph; tel. 911-5555
My Bro’s ‘sisig’
A few years ago, lawyer and My Bro’s Mustache owner Boy Vinzon told us that he would be temporarily closing down his club to renovate it.
The good news is, My Bro’s Mustache has reopened on its original site at the corner of Scout Tuason and Scout Madriñan, Quezon City.
On a Monday night, actually the club’s soft opening, we caught Noel Cabangon playing James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Eraserheads classics, while Vinzon went table-hopping to greet friends.
A few weeks later we were back to sample some of the food; the sisig was yummy, a perfect companion to ice-cold San Miguel Pale Pilsen.
My Bro’s Mustache, Scout Tuason cor. Scout Madriñan, QC; tel. nos. 710-9387, 0920-2128607, 0917-8908934
Deedee Espina, Diyosa Espina
No air-con but lots of good dance music
Speaking of sisig, another place that whips up a delectable version of this Pinoy pulutan is Nomixx—a modest resto-bar on Visayas Avenue, also in QC.
On our first visit a few weeks ago, we found out that Nomixx has no air-conditioning but has lots of good dance records, as in vinyl.
There were three DJs that night: a guy named Optional, and two friends of ours, Jimmy Jam and George Frederick. Optional’s set brightened our mood: Seawind (“Whatcha Doin”); Janet Jackson (“When I Think of You”); Kathy Troccoli (“Everything Changes”); Alton McClain & Destiny (“Must Be Love”); The Emotions (“Best of My Love”)—goading us to try out the sisig to go with Pale Pilsen.
Jimmy Jam of WLS fame and now with Retro 105 FM got us even more excited with his playlist: Deee-Lite (“Groove Is in the Heart”); Eddie Grant (“Electric Avenue”); Chaka Khan (“I Feel For You”); Ready for the World (“Oh Sheila”); and Power Station (“Some Like It Hot”). But for a moment it was befuddling to hear “White Horse,” a tune we had associated with go-go dancers in Malate bars in the 1980s; when we looked at Jimmy Jam he was grinning like crazy, but before we could complain he had segued to Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.”
Nomixx, 10 Visayas Ave. QC; tel. 4562240, 0949-3746867
JC Buendia as DJ
And still on the subject of QC nightspots, one place we frequent on Saturdays is Poppins on Scout Madriñan. The place is cozy with a friendly ambiance; it serves tasty beef salpicao, which we always order to go with red wine.
On our latest visit there was a wine festival hosted by Barefoot Wine from California. Its Cabernet Sauvignon line livened up our conversation with friends, Dr. Noel Jusay Lacsamana, his med school batchmate Wing Inductivo, and Poppins co-owner JC Buendia—the fashion designer who also plays DJ when he feels like it.
Poppins, G/F, Po Bldg., Sct. Madriñan, QC; tel. 3325797, 0926-9563307
