up dharma down stripped

i barely slept. i went home around 5 am this morning. i was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling and still savoring the night that was.

i didn't really mind if i went to the gig alone. it became a habbit since most of the time everyone's busy to join me, which is perfectly fine. i went to megamall first to eat dinner, window shop for PSP games (which was sooooo expensive!) and to buy my gift for ean. i bought him neil gaiman's neverwhere.

first stop: 70's bistro.

from ortigas, i rode the mrt going to gma-kamuning station, then a jeepney going to v luna and another going to anonas. i've passed by 70's bistro for years, but last night was the first time i really went in and watch. there were a couple of people waiting outside when i arrived.

it was only 9:45, and the show will start at 10. i bought the ticket and went in for a while. i lingered outside most of the time before the performance. the show started around 10:15. swissy opened the show and sang a couple of feel good songs with her guitar...

swissy is another artist to watch out for from terno recordings. and i mean she really is. she has great original compositions. her voice and the way she plays the guitar almost had me fooled that jewel or the singer of sixpence none the richer was the one singing amidst us. after her, up dharma down was next. i handed my gift to ean before their set. he was surprised that i bought him a gift. i just said it's for missing their friday gig :) i missed watching up dharma down. they played "the world is our playground..." first which was a great song to start the night.

i didn't stay for paramita's set. i left after dharma's set and head to saguijo.

last night was a lot of firsts. that was my first time in saguijo. i realized that it was only three to four blocks away from our office.

the night was a real treat not just for me but for other true blooded up dharma down fan because it was the video launch for their new video Hiwaga and the first time they performed stripped down version of their songs.

carlos with an acoustic guitar , paul with his bass, armi with her piano and ean with his smooth beats done from his high tech gadget and snare drum, everybody was in awe and was under the band's spell. all i did was close my eyes and listen to armi's voice minus the edgier drum beats and synths i was used to. this was breaking the cycle, as armi described it. armi shared that they only had five to six hours of practice for that set. they ended around 3am.

i decided to stay in saguijo for a while to breathe and absorb everything that had happened that night. paul and ean offered me a ride 'til the taxi bay area in pasong tamo and waited 'til i got my ride going to crossing.

i cannot say that the night was perfect. but it was something that will stay with me for a long time. i wonder when will they play such a set again?