IN
THE BEGINNING...
How many of us have sat around and fantasized about producing
bands and setting up local gigs? While the majority of people
will be content with dreams, for some they manage to make
it a reality. For Happy Box, like a story or a tale, it
begins with "It all happened in the summer of 1997."
The Philippine alternative pop band The Eraserheads had
just done their first ever US tour in May of '97. And for
two friends Zaldy and Levan, who got a chance to hang around
with them while they were here, the band became friends.
Then Zaldy went to the Philippines for vacation. While there
he once again hung around with the Eheads and the band mentioned
that they wanted to come back to America and perform. When
Zaldy came back home to the US that summer of 97, he told
Levan about his conversation. They were excited about the
idea but clueless as how to go about it. Then in September
of 97 when the Eheads was in New York for the MTV awards,
Levan got a hold of the band at their hotel and the first
thing he heard from them was "Produce us. We wanna play
here in the States again". He told his brother Haro and
that started the ball rolling. After some thinking, financial
calculating and realizing that the Eheads had just won the
MTV awards for international artists, their attitude became
"why not produce them". They talked to the Eheads ex-manager
Earnest who was vacationing in California.They asked for
her advice on how to start, what to do and any legal stuff
that might come up. After some more research, they told
a couple of friends about their plan, who all agreed to
lend a hand. So on October 6, 1997, about six months after
the first Eheads tour "HAPPY BOX" was officially born and
successfully registered with the LA county registrars office.
The name was thought of 10 minutes before arriving at the
office in tribute to the Eheads song "balikbayan box" (off
Sticker Happy album) in which they were forever immortalized
in song "...dumating si Allen, Haro, Maida at Levan".
JUST
US
Technically or legally on paper Haro is Happy Box. But since
their inception Happy Box has always been family and friends.
They have seen volunteers come and go but according to Levan
"Our roster is about 20 people, mostly on stand-by, you
usually just see them go active when we do big productions
like the Eheads. But for smaller local gigs it's just us...
most are here in Los Angeles (we cover LA and Orange County)
and some are in Fresno (who cover Fresno & neighboring
cities)." Independents that they are, they've never had
any major sponsors help them out. When they began they tried
soliciting some but as usual upstarts hardly get breaks.
So they figured "forget it...let's go d.i.y baby". With
conviction they forged ahead and organized the following
shows.
I asked Levan how they find the venues and local Filipino
bands that play at their shows. For bands, he says "through
word of mouth and networking really works too." For venues
it's good old fashion research. At first he tried the Internet
but he has given up on that one. Mostly they check the club
listings of the LA weekly and "Barnard of Gage Street is
actually good at this. He is the one who usually find the
venues."
Putting the shows together have proven to be hard work for
the Happy Box crew. The time and effort they've put in organizing
gigs, even for local bands, is very stressful. There are
always questions, unforeseen problems and hassles that arise.
Three years into producing shows, it's still a lot of stress
for them but they've learned since their first venture.
Some of the lessons were tough but they've managed to pull
through till the next gig.
Does their story end with "Happily ever after"? In a sense
not really because their still going on. But in a way it
also does because they are still around, producing and exposing
local Filipino bands "para sa masa" (for the masses).
by
Lala "Manila Girl" Briones
"Local
Filipino Scene"
ABOUT
US: "D.I.Y", Independent, Corporate-free, "Low or No" budget, "Jologs", Rock & Roll
MISSION
STATEMENT: To serve the pinoy
rock-hungry fil-am jolog community until we sell out, er...at
least 'til we die.
The
HB Crew
Current Line-Up > Active:
Haro DeGuzman - executive producer *
LeVan DeGuzman - assistant, creative, consultant *
Flerida Sapanghila - executive assistant, accountant
Yoghie Aganan-DeGuzman - executive personal assistant
Angely Meneses-DeGuzman - wife to the "schizo"
Billy Sapanghila
Tim Batac
Cristina Sierra
Ali Besin
Jim DeGuzman
Jamaica DeGuzman - official kid
Moooning aka "Moondog" - the new official mascot
Current
Line-Up > Stand-By:
Edwin "Attorney" Chua *
Jun-Jun Chua *
Einar Chua *
Louie Borjal
Katz
Sibug
Andrew
Taruc
Mark Rarang
Waynard
Lakan-Ilaw
Former Volunteers / Members:
Bobie Yap
Janice Maniquis
Russel Tan
Reginald DeGuzman
Barnard Panuga
Albert Vivar
Rey Delmando
Weng Flores
Mike Reyes
Cherry Binuya
Vincent Valbuena
Jay Jamoral * (r.i.p.)
Czara Jane Dela Llana - web / graphic designer
Janina Dela Llana
Bong Emaas
Mike Bernabe - chief security
Lorie Binuya
Lizette Cortez
Lindsey Cortez
Koo-Koh - official HB dog / mascot (r.i.p.)
*
founding members
Happy
Box (San Francisco, CA): 2004
John Dizon
Paul "Idol" Dizon
Happy
Box (Manila, Philippines): 2001-2002
Haro DeGuzman
Julie Pacanas
Edwin Garcia
Gary Alvarado
Volunteers: Lennart Dagos, "Joko" Rodriguez, Isaias
"Junior" Saringan, Jiesan & Austin Saringan
:: Data Box : Complete infos on past events - click here
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