Written By: Gabriel Wayne Zurita
ARTIST’S STRUGGLES. Zild Benitez (right) is seen in an interview meeting with Gabriel Zurita (left). Photo captured by Gabriel Zurita.
The local music industry business has had to say farewell to important performance venues that couldn't withstand the epidemic, despite their popularity. B-Side takes stock of what it's been like for local and independent musicians to cooperate and perform in a socially distant environment as the government moves to loosen restrictions.
After 15 years of existence, the landmark Metro Manila music venue Route 196 has announced its closure. On Sunday (August 23), the beloved bar and venue on Kapitunan Avenue in Quezon City, which has been home to many emerging bands, posted a farewell message on Facebook, claiming it was "at the end of the road."
Before the epidemic, major musicians like the OPM band "IV of Spades" and others from the surrounding scene played here.
Although the venue had declared on March 16 that it will close due to the lockdown of the Philippines National Capital Region due to COVID-19, Route 196 did not mention a particular explanation for its permanent closure in its statement. The pub began offering online meal delivery in June.
"We may be walking in a different direction for the time being, but we wanted to make sure you had something to always remind you of our crazy ride together, the things we learned, the noise we made, the rules we broke, and the friends we made along the way," Route 196 said statement.
Since lockdowns began in the Philippines, the ongoing epidemic has posed a financial problem for musicians, performers, artists, and their crew. The epidemic prepared musicians to play on a more regular basis.
Artists have little choice but to accept lower ratings on their performances when their concerts are rated lower. This also helps each other's businesses.
Daniel Zildjian Garon Benitez (born April 23, 1997) is a Filipino artist, producer, and singer-songwriter who goes by the moniker Zild. He presently serves as IV of Spades' lead vocalist, pianist/keyboardist, synth player, and bassist.
At the same time and day as the Ryan Racela interview, I've been given the opportunity to speak with the one and only Zild Benitez and ask him about his amazing musical journey this pandemic.
Being in this pandemic, he claims, has given him a lot of new things to do, such as releasing music on his own and producing it himself. He also claims that recording at his home has given him a lot to do. He recorded two albums throughout the pandemic; nevertheless, due to the constraints of concerts during the pandemic, his visibility is limited.
At-person concerts in venues such as music halls are now permitted under Alert Level 1. Concerts are now legal, according to Happee Sy-Go of Pulp Live World, which promotes and arranges many K-pop concerts and fan events in the Philippines.
As a result, Zild's 'Live at the Garden' performance will be his second of the year. It comes after SHNTI, Half/Figurd, Polar Lows, Hey June, and Formerly Maryknoll performed at his 'Huminga' anniversary event on April 23. His sophomore album, which was named one of NME's top 25 Asian albums of 2021, is now available on CD via The Grey Market Records.
“It's been a long epidemic year, but there's always light at the end of the tunnel, and I can see it now. We're back, and let's go back to normal.” - Zild Benitez
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