Pinoy grunge band Teeth excited to perform in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — Of the two gigs that Filipino grunge band Teeth can recall performing in Cebu, a particular 1996 concert where they shared the stage with Rivermaya at the Cebu City Sports Center remains the most memorable.

Bassist Pedz Narvaja shared during an interview with The FREEMAN that he has video footage of that concert. He said he felt nostalgic watching it, particularly because there were no cellphones sticking out from the mosh pit.

Lead vocalist Glenn Jacinto, who has been based in the United States since the band went on hiatus in 2003, said he is more than excited to return to Cebu — even with a different atmosphere where the band can now expect to see smartphones at their concerts. Also part of the band are guitarists Jerome Velasco and Dok Sergio, as well as drummer Mike Dizon.

Formed in 1993, Teeth’s Cebu stop on September 11 at The Social Park Avenue in Mango Square, Cebu City, is part of its nationwide 33th anniversary reunion tour, which also includes Manila on Sept. 5, Davao on Sept. 12 and Tagum City on Sept. 13.

Opening for the band at their Cebu show are local bands Smooth Friction and Happy Days, as well as Filipino, Singapore-based band System 32.

Although 33 is not a milestone number, Teeth saw that its Singapore concert on Aug. 30 presented a perfect opportunity to extend their reunion concert to the 1Philippines. It also serves as a celebration of 31 years since the release of its self-titled debut album in 1995, which included the band’s biggest hits “Prinsesa” and “Laklak.”

Hailed as a generational drinking anthem, “Laklak” became embroiled in controversy after then-Senator Tito Sotto accused the song of promoting drug use. Sotto, who served in the 9th and 10th Congresses during the controversy, also called for the banning of several songs, including “Laklak,” Eraserheads’ “Alapaap” and Yano’s “Iskolar ng Bayan,” in an anti-drug campaign.

“If you actually understood the lyrics, it’s actually telling people not to drink too much alcohol,” said Jacinto, who looked back at the controversy as “good publicity” for the band despite the misunderstanding.

"Back in the '70s, the term 'laklak' meant to gulp on cough syrup. So they kind of equated it to drugs," said Dizon.

“We didn’t mean to offend,” he continued, explaining that he wrote the song’s lyrics after Jacinto created the riffs and presented his idea to the band during a rehearsal. “It’s an honest narration of how everyone in the Philippines saw drinking as a rite of passage. You see that through TV commercials and billboards at that time where drinking beer was a way to relax, and many Filipinos related to it.”

Narvaja added, “It was funny looking back because age restrictions weren’t heavily enforced. We would go to a store to buy two bottles of Pilsen beer at the age of 15. Now, the age limit is much stricter.”

Dizon reflected on how drinking culture has changed since then, remarking that the younger generation’s “laklak” is now coffee and sophisticated alcoholic beverages like tequila and soju.

“It’s a different drinking culture back then. We came from the ‘tagay generation’ when everyday is a good day to drink beer,” Dizon said.

“Medyo disciplined sa inuman ako ngayon,” Jacinto added. “I live a healthy lifestyle, so I am ready to tour and give my best in our shows. It’s unbelievable to this day that we are performing as a complete band — now much healthier.”

Most of the members of the band were childhood friends, dating back to when they were neighbors in BF Homes Parañaque and attended the same elementary and high school.

September is a special month for them to hold their reunion tour because it was the month they had their first gig three decades ago. It was a debut party for a friend who asked Jacinto if he could play at her 18th birthday party. He then asked Narvaja, Velasco and Dizon if they could jam with him onstage.

“It was filled with teenagers,” recalled Jacinto, to which Velasco humorously added, “There were also elderly people who thought we were too noisy.”

Jacinto recalled performing as a rock band during their prime as the “wild wild west,” when food, technical and even security riders — the requirements and provisions requested by performers from event organizers — were little to nonexistent back then. The band even recalled feeling tense while performing at a gig organized by the Philippine National Police, where their rebellious songs seemed at odds with the nature of the event.

Teeth released three studio albums to date: “Teeth” in 1995, “Time Machine” in 1997 and “I Was a Teenage Tree” in 1999, as well as the 1997 EP “Bum Squad.” The band went on hiatus in 2003 after releasing its compilation album “Dogs Can Fly — The Best of Teeth.”

Jacinto relocated to Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood for four years before pivoting to the health care industry. He still occasionally performs when he has the time. Even while based in America, he still longs for his home country. He said, “I always want to stay in the Philippines. But after a while, I need to go back to the States because this is where my life is now. But who knows, I might retire in the Philippines one day.”

Much like Jacinto, Narvaja also moved to the United States, albeit much earlier, relocating with his family in 1997. Sergio later took over as the band’s bassist.

Meanwhile, Dizon co-founded Sandwich with Eraserheads drummer Raimund Marasigan and later became a member of Pedicab. Velasco and Sergio also became involved with The Mongols and its successor, Pupil, while the two were also members of the dream-pop/electronica band Daydream Cycle.

The band reunited in 2014 for a show at the Metro Tent in Pasig and went on to perform more reunion shows the following year. “It’s a big blessing for us at our age that we still get to do what we love, especially now that we are complete,” said Narvaja. “We are happy and excited to have our gigs where we share our same love of music.”

The band said it has recorded new songs, though there are no solid plans yet whether to release these. They may discuss the possibility further when Jacinto returns to the country for the reunion tour this year.

New music or not, the band is grateful for the support from longtime fans as well as a new generation of listeners.

With Backspacer Records, the band reissued its debut album on vinyl, which quickly sold out after only 500 records were pressed. The band plans to press more vinyl records in the future for fans who were not able to purchase a copy.
 
Dizon said of the debut album, which was also remastered to match today’s standards, “It feels like a new experience, especially for the newer generation of fans because owning a physical record is different. With the remastering, it has a different feel of the sound and dimension, it’s much deeper.”
 
Jacinto added, “There’s a market of collectors of vinyl records who want to get a copy of our album. Even our fans in the States are asking us if we are pressing new ones soon.”
 
What sustains their longevity, the members said, is their “raw and honest” songwriting, as well as their shared love of music that began when they were growing up that continues to bring them together onstage.
 
“We may not be super talented, but together as one band, people move to our sound,” said Jacinto. “I may have my solo stuff, but it’s just different when we are together.”

Tickets for Teeth’s 33rd anniversary reunion show in Cebu at The Social Park Avenue in Mango Square, Cebu City, are priced at ?850 for General Admission, ?1,350 for Gold and ?2,500 for VIP. Tickets are available for purchase at theteethcebu.event.net. The Cebu concert is presented by JML Heavy Equipment Sales Inc., Project Events Cebu and The Tribe Production. — (FREEMAN)