Bamboo goes on tour

Bamboo has been named Penshoppe Ambassadors of Music and Style is now in the midst of Penshoppe Higher Learning: The Bamboo Campus Tour. Bamboo performs youth anthems, the band’s hit recordings and cuts from the covers only, We Stand Alone Together in these shows. But this is no ordinary concert tour put together by Penshoppe with Pepsi and Smart. It strives to bring education to a higher, hipper level and features several parts where interested students can learn a lot in cool classrooms and go home with exciting giveaways.

The stint is very much in keeping with the way Bamboo has conducted itself during these past three years. Aside from creating hit songs, and these have come one after the other in an uninterrupted flow, Bamboo has pretty much proven that it intends to keep its artistic integrity intact while maintaining its commercial viability. Despite this success, Bamboo Mañalac on vocals, Nathan Azarcon on bass, Vic Mercado on drums and Ira Cruz on lead guitars have eschewed gimmicky gigs and recordings and have thankfully rejected offers to act in the movies or TV. But something like the Penshoppe gig is right up its alley as role models for the youth.

The Penshoppe Higher Learning: The Bamboo Campus Tour has different sections. In Penshoppe Learning Hubs, students are encouraged to speak their minds. Penshoppe Style 101 with fashion insider Cherrie Pacheco-Uy is where budding fashionistas learn about style. In Makeup and Beauty, Michelle Lim is in charge of teaching the art of looking good. In How to Mix and Spin Class, BBC resident DJ Mike Cons conducts a class on how to mix the right party beats. Runway Romp Workshop is where Club Pen’s Matteo Guidicelli and Dawn Balagot tip on how to walk the ramp with the flair of a professional model.

The tour was launched last July 27 at  University of San Carlos in Cebu. It continues today, Aug. 10, in Baguio City; on Aug. 24, Davao; and Sept. 25, Manila. For details, you can visit www.penshoppe.com or better yet go to the Penshoppe Boutique nearest you. This is an opportunity not only to watch Bamboo, leader of the pack as far as alternative music is concerned nowadays, but learn things that should make young people better equipped for the future.

Bamboo entered the music scene three years ago when former Rivermaya member Mañalac returned from the States to resume his music career. He joined up anew with ex-bandmate Azarcon to form a new group, that eventually became Bamboo. Azarcon  brought in Ira Cruz, formerly of Passage and the rocking Kapatid, who in turn brought in his own bandmate Vic Mercado.

Bamboo struck gold on its first time at bat. The first album As the Music Plays produced the anthemic big seller Noy-Pi. This was followed by Mr. Clay, Masaya and These Days. The album gave the band the MTV Pilipinas award for Best New Artist and Noy-Pi was named Song of the Year. The second album, Light, Peace Love came a year later and was just as successful. This time around the big carrier tune was the now classic Hallelujah. It was followed in the charts by F.U., Much Has Been Said, Truth and Peace Man.

The third release We Stand Alone Together is the all-covers album. Here’s proof that aside from dishing out excellent originals, Bamboo can  expertly mix pop, rock, soul and whatever. It has Probinsyana by Anak Bayan; Traffic’s Feelin’ Alright; So Far Away by Carol King; Eddie Vedder’s Alive; 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon; Prayer for the Dying by Seal; the Metropop finalist Umagang Kay Ganda by Tillie Moreno and Ray-ann Fuentes; and Tatsulok by Buklod.

The additional CD extra has an interesting gimmick. It features Bamboo minus the other band members. The cuts say Minus Ira, Minus Nathan and Minus Vic. This means aspiring band members can practice their rock chops with these songs by pretending to be the guitarist, bassist or drummer of the great Bamboo.