Remember those hazy ‘80s films featuring mustachioed tito gangs trying to pick brawls in billiard places? Last weekend, those iconic matinee idol action films made a comeback through Scout’s annual year-end event. Scout Bilyaran Hits had free-flowing beer, intense rounds of billiards, 80’s song covers blaring in the background and, for the coup de grace, the slightest hint of bar smog. Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you love drama), no brawls were had. We partied in our ugly Christmas sweaters during last year’s Scout Socials; this year, we decided to take off our holiday fits and put on our inner tito instead.
We had a pool party (billiards, not swimming) with our family and friends on Dec. 7 at A-Cue-Stick Billiards and Restobar in Makati from 7 p.m. ‘til 1 a.m. We didn’t bother keeping scoreboards or giving out medals but who needs any of that when we had unlimited beer and cheese sticks? Not our inner tito. If our Scout fam and friends’ IG stories weren’t enough deets to satisfy your curiosity on the haziest 80’s year-ender everywhere’s how our the night looked like through our lens.
The sign outside the venue said it all—we are here to light up this billiard house. In both manners of speaking. The pool tables were a mix of billiard pros and people who couldn’t tell solids from stripes—which wasn’t a problem. If anything, trying to learn the game on the spot was a pretty good way to break the ice (filing this under Scout workshop ideas, thank you). For a sport that has gotten one too many matinee idols shot on film, we were pretty chill.
On one hand we held billiard sticks, and on the other we held our beer. Aside from the booze, we brought in several acts for some hype bilyaran beats; the first one was hiphop act Jia Meneses who made us all huddle in the middle. With Jia’s spins, who wouldn’t? And the party was just getting started.
The next one was Shnti, who brought the house down with her fire rapping skills. Suddenly we were all buzzed and breakdancing.. Wild, tito and free.
The final act was R&B duo Jigo Virina and Mariamaria whose set made our fam and friends bop their heads and sway their hips (and sing along to the chill beats of “Ghosting”). Those who weren’t on the dance floor were busy snacking on our unlimited serving of cheese sticks, posing for barkada photos at the Scout wall and checking out our merch booth.
When midnight started to creep in, we found ourselves in a solid dance circle, moving to the groove of every track in our official Scout Bilyaran Hits playlist. From “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” to “Under Pressure,” we all chanted, shouted and laughed, intoxicated with booze and 80’s dance music.
2019 was an eventful year for Scout in all aspects, and we consider ourselves lucky to have a solid, undeniably remarkable community. Just like what our associate editor Rye Antonio told the crowd in the middle of the party, we’re hella excited for what we’ll bring to the table in 2020. All we need you to do is sit down, chill out, and maybe play some pool. ‘Til our next crazy encounter, friends.
Photography by Kiara Gabriel