Feature: Sandwich and Hilera
Reliving the Punk Era
at Mabuhay Gardens: A Tribute to the Mab
On the occasion of BAP’s opening of its upcoming exhibition Bruce Conner: Out of Body, Bellas Artes Projects (BAP) will organize an Art Weekend experience, at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan. This will include a concert with Sandwich and Hilera, inspired by San Francisco’s legendary punk lounge, Mabuhay Gardens, on Saturday, March 3 at 10pm.
Sandwich is comprised of lead vocalist raimund marasigan, guitarists diego castillo and mong alcaraz, bassist myrene academia and drummer mike dizon.
Hilera's music style was influenced by The Beatles and The Stray Cats, extracting elements of punk, blues & rockabilly to create the the high-powered sound audiences revel in.
The celebrated band has been awarded the Nu107 Rock Awards thrice, as well as the 2007 Ifm Pinoy Music Awards in addition to multiple nominations for the 23rd Awit Awards, the Nu107 Rock Awards in a myriad of titles, and the Myx Music Awards.
art weekend's mabuhay gardens
On Saturday, March 3 at 10PM, Mabuhay Gardens will feature the bands, Sandwich and Hilera. Mabuhay Gardens or “Fab Mab” as it was called, was a Filipino supper club in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood during the late 1970s. This restaurant became an unlikely incubator for the local free-wheeling metal and punk rock scene, orchestrated by its late Filipino owner Ness Aquino, who invited a list of notorious Punk bands including Devo, Negative Trend, The Mutants, Crime, UXA, The Avengers, among many others. This venue galvanized a community of angst-ridden and rebellious adolescents and quickly became an important touring stop for punk bands beyond the San Francisco Bay Area. Mabuhay Gardens closed in 1986.
In 1978, Bruce Conner frequented Mabuhay Gardens and began taking documentation of the scene. He was known to immerse himself into the scene as he focused on his subjects, approaching his work like a combat photographer. His photos were published in the Punk Magazine Search and Destroy. The “Fab Mab” deepened Conner’s fascination with punk culture, which he translated into his photography. Conner’s action photography created a rare opportunity for spectators to experience the raw, coarse punk milieu. He provided a different lens of the counterculture, silencing the raucous background and enabling the audience to interact with Mabuhay Gardens visually. The excitement surrounding Conner’s photography is his ability to convey a strong sense of the punk environment. Behind the images lies a countercultural architecture, which consists of compelling subjects, authenticity, and a close-knit community. The concert is inspired by the 1970s cultural revolution and angst-driven energy that Conner captured.
To attend, please email us at info@bellasartesprojects.org and we will connect you with the reservation department of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.
The band kicked off in 1998, when like-minded music devotees came together. Their coming together tale is one we have heard many times before, they were already in the music industry and they decided to make music for the sheer pleasure derived from creating sound. Their humble beginnings existed as a monthly Sunday production night at Mayric’s. The record label released the first album on a lark, one of their singles took off and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, the band has released eight albums and have performed for a decade worldwide, in countries ranging from New York to Hong Kong. Sandwich have been recipients of numerous awards such as NU107 Rock Awards, MTV Asian Awards, MYX Music Awards, and Awit Awards and have never ceased to execute energetic performances. A generation of Pinoy music fans have grown up on “Butterfly Carnival” and “Sugod” and the generations to come recognize the imprint the band has left on the contemporary music scene.
“The world is moving forward, the future is exciting and unexpected, and there’s always more music to hear and make and play. Those old punks are still in there, carrying their heroes with them as they go in search for new musical adventures together.”
Hilera is composed of Chris Padilla on vocals, Bobby Padilla on drums, and Buddy Zabala on bass.
In February 2004, band mates Chris Padillla & Ivan Garcia decided to form their own 3-piece band. After struggling to find a drummer, Padilla decided to settle with his brother Bobby (who was only playing drums for two months). “Hilera” was officially formed in December 2004, while simultaneously working on Bobby’s drumming skills. The band joined the “Neskafe Soundskool Battle of the Bands” in 2005. The competition saw the young band winning the top spot and they eventually signed a recording contract with EMI Philippines. Since then, the band has been very active and has been nominated in various award shows such as the NU Rocks, Awards, Myx Music Awards, IFM Pinoy Music Awards, SOP (Pasiklaband) & other local giving bodies.
Hilera, Courtesy of Soupstar Entertainment.
Hilera, Courtesy of RJ Villanueva.