07 Nov 2012
in La Union, Music, Photography, Travel Factor Tags: Aloha Boardsports, Franco, La Union, live music, live performances, photography, Pupil, Razorback, San Juan, surf and music festival, Surf and Music Festival 2012, Travel Factor, Urbandub, Urbiztondo, Wharf Galley Rock Cafe
Having surfed all day til sunset, I was absolutely exhausted! Spy was already playing by the time I got to our room in Sebay, and I desperately needed a nap. I set the alarm to 9pm thinking I wouldn’t miss Razorback and Wolfgang because they wouldn’t play that early BUT they did! I woke up and I could hear Wolfgang playing!
The lineup for this night was DJ Joey Santos and DJ Niki Rojas, Franco, Razorback, Urbandub, Wolfgang, Pupil, Spy and Kalayo (formerly Pinikpikan). I was only getting dressed while Wolfgang was playing and we were having dinner of chicken and pork barbecues and hotdogs outside the concert venue when Kalayo was onstage.
Apparently, Razorback and Wolfgang had to play early because they had to be somewhere else.
I got in just in time for Franco. I’ve missed Franco when he played at Avenue Square in Naga City for last year’s Penafrancia Festival and missed him too at the Roots Rock Reggae gig at Metro Bar last October 17th so I wasn’t going to miss him at this year’s Surf and Music Festival!
FRANCO
Franco, now a solo artist, used to be a band made up of Franco Reyes (Inyo) on vocals and guitars, Gabby Alipe (Urbandub) and Paolo 8 Toleran (Queso) on guitars, Buwi Meneses (Parokya ni Edgar) on bass and JanJan Mendoza (Urbandub) on drums. BUT earlier this year, the band members decided to go separate ways and Franco now goes as a solo artist playing with sessionists during live performances. Read all about the story HERE.
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07 Nov 2012
in La Union, Photography, Surfing, Travel Factor Tags: La Union, San Juan, San Juan Surf Resort, Sea Nymph, surf and music festival, Surf and Music Festival 2012, surfing, Travel Factor, Urbiztondo
Day 3 of the Surf and Music Festival 2012 was spent surfing! My muscles were sore all over and bruises were starting to form on my left knee and here and there on my legs but aside from being there for the music and my friends, I was also there for the surf, so surf I did!
I passed on the drinking til the wee hours of that Saturday morning so I could have enough rest and wake up early with enough energy to actually paddle but I still woke up at 10 AM! Nevertheless, after a cup of coffee and tapsilog I was out in the sun and sea.
No matter how small the waves are, I never go out to surf without an instructor. I’ve learned it the hard way. I was once at Monaliza Point some years back, had a really long ride that brought me near the shore and the corals and rocks, and made the mistake of paddling out in the wrong direction when I was wiped out to the point of drowning. Good thing I had Anthony Valdez as my instructor then so he came out to help me. I haven’t been to the point since then. I’m building up some stamina and some courage for that. Also, there were so many people out during the festival that accidents were almost inevitable and H had broken a board in two the day before. My best friend on this trip was Tinay.
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06 Nov 2012
in La Union, Music, Photography, Travel Factor Tags: Aloha Boardsports, La Union, photography, Sinosikat, surf and music festival, Surf and Music Festival 2012, Taken by Cars, Travel Factor, Tropical Depression, Urbiztondo
I and my friends went to sleep at four in the morning, promising each other to meet up at eleven thirty-two for brunch at Midway Grill in San Fernando, but I woke up at eleven thirty two and decided not to go. I got up, put on my gigantic bee-eyes sunglasses, had coffee, headed over to the Valdezes’ tent and went to surf instead. That’s where I was when they got back, with my lunch of baby back ribs from Midway Grill.
I’m just writing this down because actually, I’ve forgotten what I did all day on this day, and I was wondering why I have no pictures until the concert. 
The line-up for this night was: Kaya Green Band, Indio I, Milagros Dancehall Collective.. and so on and so forth, at least those are the bands that I missed.
Actually, I arrived right in the middle of Milagros Dancehall Collective’s set but I was hungry and was collecting myself, thus, no pictures. I was just standing there, staring, hungry and wide-eyed.
So I started taking photos when Taken by Cars went onstage.
TAKEN BY CARS
Sarah Marco – Vocals
Bryce Zialcita – Guitars
Isa Garcia – Bass/Synths/Vocals
Siopao Chua – Guitars/Synths/Vocals
Bryan Kong – Drums/Synths/Sampler
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05 Nov 2012
in La Union, Music, Photography, Travel Factor Tags: 6CycleMind, Coffeebreak Island, friends, gigs, Imago, La Union, live music, music, Nikon D90, Pedicab, photography, Radioactive Sago Project, San Juan, Sandwich, surf and music festival, Surf and Music Festival 2012, Travel Factor, UpDharmaDown, Urbiztondo, Vitacon .5x wide angle converter
Meet-up was at The Podium’s open parking lot at twelve midnight, so we were all hanging out at Starbucks as early as eleven o’clock. I haven’t been on a trip with my Travel Factor friends in quite a while, the last time we were together was the Tambaron Island trip in Bulalacao, Mindoro last May. (Click here for the blog on that.)
We left the parking lot a little after one in the morning and arrived at Sebay Surf Resort close to nine in the morning. It was a really long trip, especially since I’ve had experience with my surfer friends PJ and Gerard when we’d take Manila-San Juan in three hours, yes, 3 hours, because that’s how fast Gerard (de Sagun) drives! We didn’t mind though because our room was going to be available at noon and we spent the entire morning just hanging out, checking out the beach, the girls, the surf, the breeze, all from the comforts of the restaurant of Sebay.
The last time I was in Urbiztondo for surfing was January 2011, and the last time I went on a decent surfing trip was in Baler, March 2011. I went a number of times to Bagasbas in Camarines Norte while I was based in Naga but I never did get to do any surfing there. I haven’t really surfed in almost two years – so, even though I tried to get ready for surfing a few days before this trip, I took it easy on Day 1. About an hour of riding some white water, and no paddling even. Soo…. lazy.
We spent more time hanging out with friends at San Juan Surf Resort, drinking Pinacoladas from Sunset Buckets (a cousin of the Boracay Bucket). The above photos are from my friend Ayie’s camera. Thanks Ayie!
I spent so much time hanging out with friends that I wasn’t dressed yet by the time Up Dharma Down came onstage. Never mind the bath, we quickly changed into shirts and shorts and headed to the concert area. We weren’t gonna miss Up Dharma Down!
UP DHARMA DOWN
Ean Mayor [drums and loops]
Carlos Tanada [lead guitars]
Armi Millare [keyboards, vocals]
Paul Yap [bass]
Up Dharma Down was the first band to come onstage after DJ David Ardiente‘s set and the crowd was just starting to trickle in.
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05 Oct 2012
in Surfing, Travel Factor Tags: La Union, music, San Juan, SMF, surf and music festival, Surf and Music Festival 2012, surfing, Travel Factor
For more updates, Like the Aloha Boardsports page on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Alohabsports
And the Surf and Music Festival 2012 official website for more information:
http://alohaboardsports.wix.com/surfmusicfestival
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And if you are looking for packages, Travel Factor has it all:
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06 Aug 2012
in Ilocos, Music, Travel Factor Tags: aloha board sports, Aloha Boardsports, arts festival, gigs, Ilocos, Ilocos Norte, music, music festival, Pagudpud, Surf and Music Festival 2012, Travel Factor
And here you go! The Surf and Music Festival 2012 Travel Factor packages are now available for your perusal.
Like the Aloha Boardsports Official Facebook page for more details on the event.
Like the Travel Factor Facebook page for more updates on packages.
Check this page out for more details on the TF packages –> http://beta.travelfactor.org/smf2012/
04 Aug 2012
in Ilocos, Music, Music and Arts, Travel Factor Tags: aloha board sports, Ilocos, Pagudpud, surf and music festival, Surf and Music Festival 2012, Travel Factor
Yes, the title deserved all of those exclamation points, since that was how I went when I saw this poster.
I missed last year’s Surf and Music Festival SO there is no way, no, no, no, no way I’m living without you, no, I meant, missing this this year.
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