Pure Session, Tuesday nights live

It’s a few minutes before the band begins to play live. On stage Fred taps his percussion, a few minor sound checks. He’s jammed with the Pure Session band last Tuesday night here at Atong Kamalig and tonight he’s doing it the second time. Up there he shares a hearty laugh with the members of the band, Alan Manalon on drums, Franber Candia on electric guitar, Philip Domen on vocals. They look almost ready to begin.

The gang (from left): Howard, Rodney, Jane, Alex,
Marton, Lillian, Nanie, Hedi, and Marietta

I'm sitting between Fred Block's hubby Hedi and Marietta Schwartz, very good friends of mine, and we too are having a good time at our table. To my left, Marietta is telling me her hubby Howard, both living in Atmosphere, is singing later, and I anticipate. Among their circle, he's known to be the 'karaoke king'. I ask Marietta if she isn't singing tonight. "Next Tuesday," she says, laughing, and adds quite re-assuringly, "I need more practice," as she plays a game on her touch phone.

Fred on percussion

At 8:30 P.M. the band plays their first performance, "Tequila Sunrise" and we merrily sing the lyrics to the song. The restaurant is reasonably packed, and most drop by to get a good dose of the kind-of-laidback feel after a Tuesday's work, over beer and vodkas, or rum, and of course a few comfort food served for the night. But most go there to revel at the band's good singing. Besides, it's a beautiful night, clear skies, no dreadful signs of rain, perfect for some tunes of Seals and Croft, a swag of The Eagles, or the effervescent James Taylor.

Franber on electric guitar

It's almost two years now that Pure Session has established themselves as a good solid band at Kamalig. To the usual frequenter at the restaubar, the band's name might as well have been a word-of-mouth. And why not? Anyone who's been there would surely get jaw-dropped at Franber's slick rendition of "Hotel California"'s instrumental part (imagine that nerve-tugging electric guitar playing?). Everyone in the house goes "oohs" when he suddenly strums the guitar with his teeth.

After the band's first set, I steal a few minutes of Alan's time and ask him more about the band. He tells me about the original band's name "Kinaiyahan" (roughly translated as 'nature') and recalls their first-year gig at Amlan, an-hour drive away from Dumaguete, at some restaubar called Triple 8. 

Alan on the drum set

"But coming here to Dumaguete, we had to change our name," Alan says. "One of the members thought it sounded too ethnic. We wanted our name to sound cool this time."

I ask him about rehearsals. To this he laughs and tells me, "We don't. We just text each other the song line-up and that's it. Every gig we do here always comes as a surprise to all of us. We'd go there on stage and just play. That's Pure Session."

Philip, acoustic guitar and lead vocal

And as with all bands, I take considerable interest at Pure Session's lead vocal, Philip. On first glance off stage, he looks a bit shy with strangers. Asked about how long the band has been playing in Kamalig, he tells me, "Over a year." Like how long, I ask him again, wanting to get the exact sum. I did ask Alan about this and but he said, grinning, "Ask Philip. He knows it better than the rest of us do." Philip pauses for a while, and says more firmly now, "Over a year."


But once on air, he just simply transforms into this ballsy guy who can sing behind the microphone. I especially like how he sings "Summer Breeze" with Alan's second voice backing him up.

I look at my watch. 9:45 P.M. Hedi notices this and asks, "Aren't you going to be late for work?" 

"Why don't you just skip work tonight?" Marietta suggests, jokingly, which does sound really tempting.

Howard Schwartz singing "Act Naturally"

My work begins at 10 P.M., and I'd rather not go into the details about this. Anyway, I tell them I'll report to work late, it's OK. Besides, I haven't seen Howard sing yet. "So I'm still staying," I tell them.

Second set begins and the restaubar continues to be packed with people. When Howard's turn finally comes, everybody goes hooting for the karaoke king while he gives his all-out sweaty funky rendition of "Act Naturally" with his hasty scribbled lyrics in hand and Marietta captures all of this in her hand-held digi camera, this passing moment of pure delight.