If I was to select an artist — solo or group — to represent the Philippines, I would reply, “Eraserheads!” in a heartbeat. They were the most prominent band during my years in university, especially since the band members also went to the same uni as I did. And even today when the group is no more, they are still considered the greatest Pinoy band of all time. So when they decided to have a reunion concert last 28th of August, you bet the entire nation was excited. And I was gutted not to be there.
That weekend of the concert and the week that followed, I was on Eraserheads fever. I filled my MP3 player with ALL of their tracks from my music library so I could tap my feet and bob my head on Butterscotch. Well, I always had some of their tracks already there but after that weekend, I copied all.
Of course, I turned to the internet for information and media on the concert. I wasn’t disappointed because YouTube was flooded with videos of the concert. I was more than pleased because I was able to experience (in a way) the atmosphere on that grand day. I even screamed along since that was what recorded the most anyway.
In my surfing for anything and everything Eraserheads, I found 2 things that shows how the band has reached a wider audience and fan base than Filipinos. First is Chris who is a “white boy from Hoboken, NJ” and is a JoePM singer. Chris has his own YouTube channel called akosichristv where he showcases his own covers of tracks of various Filipino artists including Eraserheads. Here he is singing Magasin.
Another ‘white boy’ I discovered who got influenced by Eraserheads is Dave Thorup, owner of a website called Cutterpillow — with a tagline “infested with jello like fishes no melotron wishes.” Sounds familiar? Well, that is actually a line on the song Cutterpillow. I was so fascinated with these that I emailed Dave to ask him where he got the name of his website. True enough, he was inspired after listening to Eraserheads’ album, Cutterpillow. He told me that he is quite impressed with the band and is sad that they are no longer together.
Don’t we all feel the same way.
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Yes, I feel the same way! My first concert date with the husband was at an Eheads gig in LA and poor Ely Buendia was hit with an empty water bottle on the head by a drunk member of the audience. It was the beginning of their end.
I love playing the clips over and over on YouTube and really hope they have another one when Ely is fully recovered.
Read Gang Badoy’s interview of Buddy, Raimund and Marcus in the Inquirer. Very interesting.
Type Eraserheads on http://www.infinitube.net and you will have You Tube videos from the great group without an end…great for background music and watching EraserheadsTV
I enjoyed the videos you shared…are they Filos by any chance?
I love Eraserheads! I hope I can see them play one day though!