“They’re the biggest music act in the country!”

The proclamation refers to the all-male band Cup of Joe and we’re wondering now how the fans of SB19 and BINI are taking it.

Both P-pop bands are believed to be the leading music acts in the country. Even the likes of Martin Nievera (long referred to as “Concert King”) and Gary Valenciano reportedly acknowledge the ascendancy of both bands in the country’s music industry.

The proclamation above is a reaction to PEP.ph showbiz journo Jojo Gabinete’s personal report to a music industry executive that Cup of Joe fans began flocking at the Araneta Coliseum as early as 3 p.m. on Friday (10 October) even as the band’s concert Stardust was previously announced to kick off at 8 p.m. yet.

The fans were not there that early so they can buy tickets for the show for that Friday night. It’s actually a three-night concert and tickets for all three nights were reportedly sold out long before the concert schedule. The concert was initially announced to be only a two-night event but fans pleaded to the concert producers, Viva Communications, to add a third night. And the producers did. (Something similar happened in a Cup of Joe concert there in February this year: one night became two).

The declaration above about the stature of Cup of Joe in the industry was reportedly uttered by Viva Communications president, Vincent del Rosario, when Gabinete told him about his discovery that Cup of Joe fans were swarming around the Big Dome as early as 3 p.m.

Avid fans of wildly famous pop bands are known to react fiercely to statements and reports about their idols being implied as playing second or third fiddle to this or that group.

Another perhaps acceptable proof that Cup of Joe is the top band now is their single “Multo” emerging as the first Asian song in Billboard Global 200 chart, and this happened in April this year. (Take note, though, that SB19 and BINI have their own feats on Billboard.)

Producers of pop band concerts in huge venues like the Philippine Arena, Araneta Coliseum, Mall of Asia Arena most likely earn billions of pesos from ticket sales, sponsorships, and merchandising rights at the venues. Ticket prices now can go as high as P18K per. No general admission tickets are priced lower than P1,000. The greedy tax money-stealing contractors, politicians and government officials should be encouraged to turn decent and respectable by investing on those concerts and stage productions.

Stage rules

We hasten to stress here that the Cup of Joe concerts and similar sold-out entertainment events were planned and held before the string of calamities invaded the country. It’s a fact, though, that for the past few years, the Metro Manila live entertainment circuit (concerts and musicals) has become more profitable than the movie house circuit. The country’s film industry, though, is kept alive and profitable by the streaming companies — with a little help, perhaps, from the string of annual film festivals held in the last quarter of the year. (Even Viva Communications is now getting into stage play production via an adaptation of its iconic film, Bagets. The stage play runs in January next year).

Entertainment has always been essential in people’s lives, believe it or not. (The ancient Greeks started the habit of getting out of the house and sitting in amphitheaters for comedies and tragedies!) Corruption isn’t — though it has been the source of evil wealth of some families, including the religious ones who attend fellowships and devotions in their worship venues.

Some militant or scholarly organizations may want to look into how much money our corrupt citizens contribute to their churches. Would religious leaders turn down donations from the likes of the Discayas and the legislators, as well as government officials, who collect their share of the loot from the conscience-less contractors? (Yes, the Discayas always look glamorous and smooth-skinned but they most likely have no conscience at all, only a consciousness for extravagance and bragging!)

Meanwhile, we’re excited to find out if the movie house-going public would make a hit out of Everyone Knows Every Juan, the second directorial film of award-winning actress Alessandra de Rossi. It’s opening in theaters nationwide on 22 October. It stars Gina Alajar, Joel Torre, Edu Manzano, Ronnie Lazaro, Ruby Ruiz, JM de Guzman, Angeli Bayani, and Kelvin Miranda. It’s a family drama comedy, with GMA Network’s Rico Gutierrez as technical director and Carlo Catu as scriptwriter.

Viva Films produced Everyone Knows Every Juan.