Bands are making a comeback at Wright Park Hotel (WPH).
In a time when acoustic sets overpower full-band acts, WPH General Manager Ompong Palma found a way to bring back the joy of a live performance to an appreciative audience.
On the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, local band The Chapter’s Inbound, led by Ja Jha Toledo and Hans Christian Anongos on vocals, with Charles Eric Toledo on cello, Jessica Ladines-Mirandilla on piano, Edgar Ian Mariano on violin, and Vernon Mirandilla on drums—took the intimate crowd on an Original Pilipino Music (OPM) journey, bringing back memories of love, family, and country at the WPH Riders Hall.
Aptly themed for the June 12 revelry, the lineup of songs was paced to span three 45-minute sets. It started with 1970s classics, including Cinderella’s “Bato sa Buhangin” (originally sung by Yolly Samson), Freddie Aguilar’s “Anak,” Celeste Legaspi’s “Mamang Sorbetero,” Florante’s “Handog,” and Hotdog’s signature anthem, “Manila.” The selection took the multi-generational crowd down memory lane while educating the younger audience members on the backbone of OPM. The Independence Day sets promised to celebrate the holiday weekend through the melodies generations have grown up with—a musical journey of pride, nostalgia, and joy.
The second set featured a mix of classics, including tracks from the APO Hiking Society, Sharon Cuneta’s “Pangako,” Gino Padilla’s “Gusto Kita,” Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera’s “Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin,” Kuh Ledesma’s “I Think I’m in Love,” Ariel Rivera’s “Minsan Ka Lang Iibigan,” and Lani Misalucha’s “Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin.”
Every month, Riders Hall transforms into a space dedicated to local musicians and an intimate crowd of fifty. Admission is P1,499, which includes a curated set of appetizers, cocktail drink tickets, and complimentary parking., making the newest player in the hotel and restaurant industry, create a niche for itself.
The final set featured a tear-jerker from SB19, “MaPa,” which moved the gathering to tears, the homage to parents was made complete as photos of the band members with their families flashed on screen. This transitioned into South Border’s “Kahit Kailan,” Smokey Mountain’s “Paraiso,” and tracks from Neocolors, True Faith, and Sitti, before closing with Lea Salonga’s “Tagumpay Nating Lahat,” Nica del Rosario’s “Rosas,” and “Umagang Kay Ganda” by Ray-An Fuentes and Tillie Moreno.
Included in the ticket price is a carefully thought-out menu by Chef Eric Coronacion, designed to make guests smile with its witty plays on traditional Pinoy classics. It starts with the “Binalot mo Ako, Kaldereta Burrito,” a traditional tomato slow-braised beef, shredded and paired with seasoned rice, carrots, and bell peppers, folded in a neat pita wrap and drizzled with an addictive house garlic sauce.
The “Di na Niluto, Paco Shrimp Salad” is a Vietnamese roll-inspired combination of the Cordillera favorite paco (fern) with shrimps, lettuce, cilantro, and carrots wrapped in rice paper, paired with a sweet and savory vinegar dip. The “Wala na bang pang Sisig?” is a play on the favorite happy-hour appetizer of pork, liver, and chilies, served atop a slice of French bread.
A surprise for the night was the “Adobo Buchi-kik,” bringing a plot twist to the traditional sweet dessert by filling glutinous rice flour with a home-staple adobo mixture. Rolled in an array of black and white sesame seeds, it provided a crunchy bite to an all-time favorite. Dessert was dubbed “Mamang Sorbetero, Turon ala Mode,” turning the street-side snack of bananas wrapped in a crispy Pinoy crepe and topped with ice cream into a nostalgic sweet treat.
Featured drinks for the night included a non-alcoholic gulaman, joining the bandwagon of local cravings, alongside classic gin-mixed cocktails, bottled craft beers, apple cider, and piña coladas.
Last month, Palma officially opened WPH’s Riders Hall as a venue for local artists to perform, highlighting the excellence of Baguio talent.
“We have decided to make this room, the Riders Hall, the home for singers and musicians of Baguio City,” Palma said. “We know some of them; they go to events as the entertainment to fill a program. Here, that is totally different. They are the event. They are the show. They are the stars.”
The initial salvo featured Baguio crooner Jeff Coronado performing Broadway musical covers alongside Jessica Ladines-Mirandilla on piano and vocals, Nestor Abellera and Edgar Ian Mariano on violin, and Eric Toledo on cello. Coronado made the night extra special by sharing his musical journey and a medical struggle that almost cost him his voice, making his comeback on stage both a triumph and a signal for full-band live acts to commence.
Palma has created a space for an intimate monthly gathering at the WPH, making music and local musicians shine in the spotlight anew. And rightly so, it’s about time. By Maria Elena Catajan
