Last weekend was the best and worst time of the year for Cupid. He must have brought a huge thermos filled up with freshly brewed non-sponsored coffee along the entire time. On another view, Valentine’s day turned into a long weekend. Rather than staying at home in my pajamas and watching rom-com movies with a pint of ice cream, I made plans with friends.
This is my 2nd time to attend a Valentines-themed event at Satchmi, a local shop that caters to music fans (especially vinyl record enthusiasts). Despite the lack of space in the shop to accommodate a crowd more than 40 people, the ambiance seals the deal every time.
(Sugar cookies and stickers from Satchmi)
I arrived with Sam surprisingly early at the venue then got some neat freebies to for being the early birds that we (well, I am) rarely are.
We went back to the shop with Jodie after having dinner and was welcomed by the soothing aura of Over October. For an all-acoustic set, the welcome mat was neatly prepped with a voice I’ve heard before. When they covered The Scientist by Coldplay, that’s when I knew who the vocalist sounded like. Chris Martin. Josh Buizon’s (vocalist) voice is as smooth and heavenly with each weave the rhythm makes as he sings along. They’ll be releasing an EP soon entitled Free, but it ain’t free for anyone!
Baihana went up next and took us by a breeze. Acapella groups that sync into 1 voice with the pitch perfect blending are always a treat to watch or listen to. This is especially when they sing a medley of classic 70s-80s that are definitely in your Thank God It’s Friday playlist on Spotify. Nothing beats jazz on a slow-paced Saturday evening.
Remember Us The Duo? I definitely recalled them in an instant as The Dreamists stepped on the stage, consisting of Dearest,’s Andrew De Pano and Erika Cruz. They started off with No Matter Where You Are by Us The Duo, which is also one of my top favorite soundtracks from The Book Of Life. They also covered Fix You by Coldplay especially for a friend that has passed away. Their song Tightrope has tangled up in my mind, leaving all traces of emotional shards made.
Hannah + Gabi swept all of us off our feet with a tune that would even make a lullaby fall asleep in a millisecond. His sound was calm, serene, and enough silence to distort any trouble with thinking anyone has developed lately. The venue was wrapped around his music so much that even the sound of the coffee machine seemed like it was all part of the great plan for this set. I felt sleepy, but I guess that’s what an entire day out does to you when the clock strikes at 10:30PM.
Besides music, coffee, and great company, Satchmi also offered a promo called Blind Date With A Vinyl. For at least 500 pesos, you get to pick a neatly-wrapped record that only has a short description written about it on the packaging. One of my friends was lucky enough to get an EP/album from Santana. I got a double-disc Genesis album last year and still keep it in my collection.
