“Rambutan!”

Out of context, this just sounds like we’re naming one of our favorite fruits. During the University of the Philippines (UP) Music Circle or UPMC’s 26th Anniversary gig, however, there were about a dozen calls for this exotic fruit as they called out people to pick a “random prize” from a bag – which, we suspect, was just full of rambutan.

Held at Mow’s Bar in Quezon City, the prom-themed gig – complete with multi-colored balloons and streamers – was truly an intimate celebration of an organization whose passion for music flows beyond the underground dive bar. It had every bit of the vibe of a student-organized gig – imperfect, but full of laughs and a palpable sense of community that had us feeling like we were intruding on a family celebration. While we didn’t quite get the inside jokes – we’re still asking ourselves if the rambutan fruits were one of them – it was still a nice event to be a part of. Not to bare our age, but college events really do "hit different" when you’re knee-deep in adulting.

Beyond the nostalgia, turned up a notch courtesy of the guests decked in Junior High prom regalia, the event highlights were the performances from the organization’s current members and alumni.

Stef Aranas, a UPMC alumna, kicked off the event with a strong performance. With her fierce vocals, rapping skills, and magnetic presence, Stef got everyone in the mood to party and dance. One of her bops, “QC Gurlz,” is the perfect summer anthem for us North girlies: “Anginit-init naman dito sa QC. Tuloy ang rampa, ‘di kami magpapapigil (It’s so hot here in QC. We’re still going to strut outside, no one can stop us).”

But her ultra-baddie set didn’t end there as she performed another empowering song – “Cvnty,” that brought the energy in the room to a whole other level. With provocative lyrics and fire beats, this song (a rising hit, we’re calling it!) had everyone grooving alongside Stef who – can we just emphasize – was also killing it on stage with her moves while she was singing? Talk about Filipina power!

Next up was “VENUS,” a band whose pair of lead singers serenaded the audience with their silky vocals. Their soulful rendition of Chloe x Halle’s “Don’t Make It Harder on Me” was mesmerizing to witness. While not their own, the vocalists took charge of the song like it was – and with lyrics such as this: “Why did we stop bein’ together now? Oh, I just remembered how many girls you had. So you need to stop bein’ so nice to me ‘cause a part of me has moved on,” the crowd was straight-up vibing. Sing it, girlfriends!

They also had the crowd jamming to their version of the Bee Gees’ classic, “How Deep Is Your Love.” Everyone sang the iconic song at the top of their lungs - how could we forget that we were surrounded by musicians? There was, once again, that sense of powerful bond – like they were in a team rehearsal, and we just happened to be in the same room. Still, who doesn’t love to jam out to Bee Gees? We didn’t sing though – it would completely derail the whole "being-in-tune" and "can-actually-sing" thing they had going on.

“Bird Dens” took the stage next. Bird Dens is the solo moniker of Howard Luistro, known for being a part of “Oh, Flamingo!,” “Sour Cheeks,” and “The Etiquettes.” He continued the chill vibe that VENUS brought to the table and played his original songs: “Show Up,” “Willing,” and “On a Loop.”

“Show Up” in particular, took us to the soothing ambiance of relaxing cafes – sipping coffee, chill beats. Upon listening closely, however, the song paints a sad picture: “Late at night, when the air is cold, will you visit me? Waiting for the time to go and paint you in my dreams. Hours in, I could never know if you’ll ever show up.” It’s all too real – maybe we should grab another bottle of Red Horse?

Two of the three vocalists of the next band – “The Crinkles” – were wearing UP’s iconic Sablay, a sash worn by graduates from the university. That same day, the university held their 113th commencement exercises – hence the outfits. Congratulations!

With heads held high, the energetic band flipped the room’s vibe with their take on the upbeat song, “Kailangan Ko Ng (I Need)…” by jikamarie, followed by an emotionally-charged cover of NIKI’s “Take a Chance With Me.” But the emotional rollercoaster wasn’t through as the band had everyone in the room jamming to The Cranberries’ “Linger.” The highlight of their set, however, was their rock version of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” – we are in love with how they genre-flipped this viral hit!

“Arkyalina” then kept that rock vibe going with a screamo-centric, techno song that had everyone’s hearts pumping as they headbanged to the beat. Other highlights of his performance were his original songs, “readmymind” and “Gaze (By Your Side).” Grabbing the mic, arkyalina dove into the crowd who were just as pumped as he belted out.

Emo band “Warpten” captured the audience’s attention by beginning with their short (but still a banger) original song, “I’m Conscious.” Clad in barong, the vocalist started out mellow with the song’s only stanza: “Nice to meet you. When you told me I could move, it made me think that you were me. I tried to turn water into wine. I swear I never meant to take your life.”

They also performed their other original songs, such as “Grazed By Death” and “Sunday.” P.S., check out the former song’s lyric video on their YouTube Channel. We love the early 2000s karaoke video aesthetic – what’s the karaoke code for this song?

Even though our Tita bodies were incredibly tired as the Sunday evening event came to an end, we found fulfillment in the fact that the upcoming generation of musicians has so much to offer. After UPMC’s anniversary gig, dubbed “No Way Are We 26,” we’ll be keeping our eyes on these bands and artists – we can already see ourselves watching their concerts in the near future!

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