A great night at the (Music) Museum

I had no idea what would happen when I said yes to a friend's invite to check out a show at the Music Museum last week.

The performers were virtually unknown to me: Rachel Gabreza, Kier King, and Lily — though the last one sounded familiar, as in Callalily.

I heard shrieking voices upon reaching the first door to the Museum's concert hall, which had a full-house audience.

Onstage was Gabreza, who was belting out a difficult number. Her high-pitched vocals reminded of a young Charice Pempengco, with hints of Aegis.

As I belatedly found out, Gabreza was a quarterfinalist at Tawag ng Tanghalan season 1 in 2016. Though she didn't advance to the finals, destiny has been kind, since Gabreza has been active as a performing artist — with a horde of screaming fans.

King, meanwhile, had joined Popstar Kids, Bet ng Bayan, and other singing competitions — including Idol Philippines. If Gabreza is a birit queen, King is her male counterpart — a young artist who can hit the high notes of the ballads he sang at the show.

Lily, it turned out, is a band, incidentally the new name of the old Callalily (my hunch was right). The story goes that Callalily front man Kean Cipriano took the band's name with him when he quit the group.

Thus, Lily, whose lineup features vocalist Joshua Bulot — who was chosen after a series of nationwide auditions. He was formerly with the trio JBK which joined The X Factor UK in 2017.

Completing Lily's personnel are original drummer and chief songwriter Lem Belaro, bassist Aaron Ricafrente, guitarist Nathan Reyes, and original guitarist Alden Acosta — who left Callalily in 2010 and is now back.

Acosta was red-hot as he coaxed the most exciting riffs and licks I've heard in recent years.

Bulot moved and sang like a rock star. He exuded confidence and rendered Lily's old and new repertoire with flying colors.

Gabreza, Kier, and Lily, by the way, are signed to the same management, Lx2 Entertaiment. The concert was like a coming-out party for the artists. The fans were ecstatic.
I had a great night at the Museum.