`
Including surprise jams with Gabby Claudio, Nonong Pedero, and Richard Merk.
Wonderful surprises marked the recent live performance of the band Groovy Beats at the full-packed Red Rhino in Mandaluyong.
For starters, the show — which the band’s founder, Lenny Jesus, said in an interview with BusinessMirror would focus on “music of the 1960s and other oldies” — opened with something identified with the ’70s, “Beginnings” (though the song was part of Chicago’s debut album released in 1969).
Somehow it was a hint for the crowd to expect the unexpected. The audience itself was a source of delight. Philip Medalla, recently retired Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor and De Jesus’ colleague in the Erap administration, came with wife Pinky and sat with Richard Merk — who was later heard candidly asking the former government official about the economy.
De Jesus’ other friends from government, business, the academe, and music turned out in full force, aside from two of her sons, Ping (a lawyer) with wife Annelle, and Icon (a teacher) with spouse Kat.
This is the same Kat (Tiquia-de Jesus) who was an awesome factor that helped expand the band’s repertoire. She drew loud applause in several standards duets with Groovy Beats guest singer Boy Camara in 1934’s “The Very Thought of You” and 1954’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”
Those tunes might have rewound to the pre-rock ’n’ roll era, but nobody was heard complaining because the band was composed of a tight unit of seasoned professionals. De Jesus on rhythm guitar (she switched to bass on a few numbers) was ably guided by Benjie Santos on drums, Nap Apolinario (bass), Roy Marinduque (guitar), and Carlo Gaa (keyboards).
They could play virtually anything — even while the majority of the tracks on their setlist allowed frontman Boy Mendez to cover The Beatles’ “Got to Get You into My Life,” Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” and Bachmann Turner Overdrive’s “Taking Care of Business” as preludes to his Mick Jagger impressions via the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” and “Under My Thumb.”
Yet another amazing turn was ex-government official Gabby Claudio going onstage to play bass and sing another Beatles song, “If I Needed Someone” and The Buckinghams’ “Don’t You Care.”
The spontaneous vibe went on as the crowd persuaded Nonong Pedero to jam with Camara on an early Beatles hit, “All My Loving,” followed by others in the audience, before Merk took the mic and roused everyone to sing with him on two more Beatles classics, “Blackbird” and “Get Back.”
Everybody had fun, and so Red Rhino management decided there should be a repeat on April 1. Will there be more surprises? Your guess is as good as mine. All photos by Pocholo Concepcion
Image credits: Pocholo Concepcion
Input your search keywords and press Enter.
link