Tavern on the Square: Rebirth of a legend

Who would have thought that a cramped basement parking lot would have served as the breeding ground for an entire legion of pop superstars?

From 1982-86, only one place earned the distinction of being a rightful haven for both audience and artist, and set a precedent that would soon become the benchmark in Makati’s then-burgeoning live concert circuit.

The legacy

Tavern on the Square was all these and more.

It was where the then-wiry, curly-haired Gary Valenciano floored everyone with his jazz-tinged vocal acrobatics and bone-defying dance routines. It was where a homely Regine Velasquez — barely out of her teens — amazed music impressarios with her sheer lung power. So powerful was her voice then that stagehands were advised, "Please remove her mike! She doesn’t need one!"

It was where the then newly-formed Rage Band’s onstage histrionics earned them the rightful title of ‘the finest exponents of glam rock’ — replete with Marissa Buñag’s death-defying leaps and cartwheels and Juan Miguel Salvador’s frenzied piano-playing.

Even then, iconic diva Kuh Ledesma’s regular gigs with the Music & Magic were a feast for the senses. So were the other house bands which included the Opera Band, the Powerplay, Cicada, and the Covergirls. Zsa Zsa Padilla also paid her dues then as a solo performer.

Those were magical nights at the Tavern then — a rare blend of old World charm and intimacy, sumptuous cuisine, and spellbinding musical virtuosity.

But not even the Tavern was spared from the wrath of the 1986 EDSA revolution and its politico-economic repercussions. With a heavy heart, the owners then decided to close shop.

The rebirth

It was 17 years later when the directors of the old Tavern – whose friends have long been egging them to reopen — decided to pick up from where they left off. With the echoes of a not-too-bygone era still ringing in their ears, the group buckled down to work and successfully reopened the new Tavern on the Square last Sept. 26, 2002 – this time at the second level of the new and swank Greenbelt 3 complex in Makati City.

Adopting a more minimalist, West Hollywood design scheme, the new Tavern bears no hint of its predecessor’s panache. Completely refurbished with state-of-the-art concert-type lighting consoles and an even jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring sound system, the venue bears no immediate tell-tale signs of its rich legacy — an interesting hodgepodge of heartwarming tales that remain deeply etched in the minds and hearts of the people who knew the place intimately.

The early years

The original Tavern started out from a simple idea — ‘to create a place for artists, by artists.’

"We took the hotel bar out of the hotel and placed it in a basement somewhere in Makati," narrates Chit Juan, one of Tavern’s directors.

"In 1982, me and my friends — Sandra Chavez, Evelyn Lee, Lena Lubi and Rose Alberto — who were then managing most of the big name artists, broached the idea of a place where they could really pamper their artists," she continues. Although their bands then had regular gigs in the plush hotels, being the managers, they felt that the venues then didn’t really look after the interests of their performers that much."

With their minds locked in on their common goal, the group hunted feverishly for their dream venue. The search ended when they chanced upon a vacant basement cum parking lot at LPL Towers — a condominium along Legaspi St. which was a stone’s throw away from the old Greenbelt area (now Greenbelt 1).

"We said, ‘Let’s call it a tavern — Tavern on the Green, or Tavern on the Square," Chit recounts."

Within the next six to eight months, the group left no stone unturned in creating their masterpiece. In keeping with their vision of elegance, no details were left to chance.

As Chit recalls, "Twenty years ago, people wanted the panache of a hotel. That’s why everything — down to the coaster to the stirrer — we designed to make our customers feel that they were in a hotel bar."

The original Tavern’s French-Morrocan interiors were ably executed by designer Grace Reyes. The all-familiar, blue Tavern on the Square script logo was the brainchild of Inquirer art director Lynett Villariba.

With a floor area of 700 square meters, the old Tavern could seat 300 on any given night. "It had an unusually low ceiling," Chit chuckles, "which Gary could easily reach with a jump."

The Tavern ‘family’

Being experienced artist managers, Tavern’s directors didn’t have any problems booking talents. And since they handled virtually Manila’s crème de la crème, word spread like wildfire throughout the music grapevine, and it wasn’t too long before a regular queue of would-be performers became a familiar sight in the area.

Their artist roster was virtually a who’s who in the local music clique. Kuh Ledesma with the Music and Magic; the Cicada Band (with Randy Santiago and Babic Flores); Jo Ramos with the Powerplay Band; the Opera Band; the Rage Band; Gary V; Zsa Zsa Padilla; Regine; Richard Merk and mom Annie Brazil; the Cover Girls; John Lesaca; White Flight and even the FM Band (whose original members subsequently formed Side A).

Among Tavern’s more memorable foreign acts were David Benoit; Wanda Walden (jazz singer/sister of famed session drummer Narada Michael Walden); jazz violinist Noel Pointer and US-based Filipino jazz great Bobby Enriquez.

An even-stronger bond developed among the musicians, who were always hanging around the place looking for gigs. "There were many those days," Chit points out. "All you had to do was ask around."

Most of today’s top session musicians were regular faces at the Tavern. The late jazz guitar virtuoso/arranger Menchu Apostol (‘Papa Chumen’ to most); Boy Palacio; Paul Candelaria; drummers Mar Dizon, Jun Regalado and Ernie Severino; Brecker-influenced saxman Tots Tolentino; keyboardists Joey Quirino and Ehlmir Saison; the Faustino brothers Tek, Mon and Tats, and many other countless virtuosos.

Here’s trivia for you: Did you know that MTB-host Willy Revillame paid his dues as a session drummer there? Bassist Caloy Balcells also gigged with one of the house bands before he went on to join The Dawn.

True to their commitment towards ‘pampering’ their artists, the Tavern directors set yet another precedent in the industry. As Rage Band’s Juan Miguel Salvador shares, "Tavern did a lot in upgrading the musicians’ pay scale." Chit adds, "During that time, we’d pay the bands around P1,500-1,800 per night. Band members then used to get P90-150, in addition to free meals and drinks."

Coming full circle

It was Girlie Rodis who was instrumental in revving up the interest of the old Tavern gang. The highly-respected PR wiz/talent manager heads Talentworks Asia — an affiliate of the Ayala group of companies. "In one of their meetings, they offered Girlie a slot in the then-newly-constructed Greenbelt 3 complex, and she told them, "Hey, how about reopening the Tavern? I can talk to the owners," Chit reminisces.

"And so, Sandra called us. That was February 2002," she says. "And I go, ‘What?! At our age?!’ But it wasn’t long before we gathered all the directors, with Girlie and Wyngard Tracy, who was one of our close friends and consultants from the old Tavern days."

Raring to regain Tavern’s past glory, the group envisioned nothing but the best for their new ‘baby.’ They enlisted veteran light and sound engineer Rene Cruz, whose masterwork never ceases to amaze Tavern’s performers. Architect Johnny Francisco made ample use of the 400 square meter venue — laying down his Zen-like West Hollywood theme with particular attention to the acoustics.

"We have a seating capacity of 250 now," Chit shares. "But we’ve added a semi-private area people can reserve for birthdays or corporate functions, which can seat 70. There’s also an open air area at the back."

The new Tavern also boasts of a more consumer-friendly menu. "After the first six months, we took note of what people wanted," adds the F&B wiz, "That means, after drinking, people want fried rice, tapa, chorizo and egg — so we gave them that, in addition to our usual fare of traditional favorites."

The changing times have not diluted the Tavern directors’ keen musical acumen.

"We try to give our audience an eclectic mix — some pop, rock and R&B, but nothing too radical," Chit quips. Their June calendar features such bands as Freestyle (Mondays), 604 (Tuesdays), Side A (Wednesdays), A’Petite (Thursdays), Rated R (Fridays), and Real Groove (Saturdays).

Looking ahead

In retrospect, Chit, as well as the rest of the Tavern gang — happy as they are with reliving the glory of the past — are ready to move on, succinctly stating, "Let’s keep what’s nice of the old and throw out the not-so-relevant."

"Of course, we have this reputation to live up to," Chit confesses, "but we all agreed that we should leave the past behind and just continue doing what we enjoyed doing before. We still swear by our original idea — Tavern on the Square is a place for artists, by artists. It’s a place where new talents are constantly being discovered, pampered and treated like family."

Out of the old basement, into the heart of Makati’s bustling entertainment district, the new Tavern continues to make history as it dishes out entertainment fare that’s anything but square.