12 Stone Music Fest

Underneath the lights. Teddy Corpuz of Rocksteddy. 

Even the rains can't stop good music and this was very much evident during the first leg of the 12 Stone Music Fest which was held in Eastwood City last June 1, 2013. 

There has always been much talk and debate as to whether OPM (Original Pinoy Music) is dead or alive and with our continued appreciation for foreign acts, OPM will always have their guard up and it will always be a challenge when it comes to sales but with people behind 12 Stone Music still present and doing their part to promote Original Pinoy Music, OPM does stand a chance. 

12 Stone Inc. is a record label and independent talent management with the passion to bring Original Pinoy Music to a bigger stage and to a wider audience. The 12 Stone Music Fest is a celebration of music and the talent of genuine artists and musicians under the 12 Stone Inc. label and in my opinion it really was a music fest which started even before 6PM and ended well past 12MN. There were lots of great and talented bands, musicians and artists who performed. Not only was it a celebration of music but it was also a celebration of firsts as albums and videos were launched as well. Fans also got to meet and greet their favorite artists! :) 

Lovely Margo Midwinter - hosting the event. 

Perky Wasted - coz' I'm a conyoow from Ateneooow 

The event started out by featuring fresh acts and one of them really stuck to me and this was Perky Wasted - check out their Facebook page here. I loved their energy on stage and it really looked like they were having a lot of fun while they were performing.

I just loved their song 'Conyo from Ateneo' which poked fun at the traditionally stereotyped and probably misunderstood conyo. 

Julz Savard of Save Me Hollywood signing autographs for fans. 

Promising Act. Ruth Legaspi

One of the promising acts that we saw was Ruth Legaspi, she was lovely to watch as she played the keyboards and sang her heart out. She had wonderful control of her voice and she was a bit reminiscent of Amy Lee. 

Young Wild and Free - Absolute Play. 

Proving that it's never too early to start in music, Absolute Play has taken music and has put their own spin in it. You can find out more about them in their Facebook Page by clicking here. 

Julz Savard of Save Me Hollywood getting her rocker chick on. 

And then Save Me Hollywood came up the stage....

If you have been following the blog, or following me on Twitter you would know that I AM A BIG FAN of Save Me Hollywood. Ever since I saw their video 'Reckless' I was sold. I blogged about them in my list of buzz-worthy OPM artists (blog post here) last March and now they have their debut album 'Your Story to Tell' out (album review soon) and they will be performing in Singapore for the Baybeats Festival, representing the Philippines on June 28 and they will be opening for a number of foreign acts for Bazooka Rocks II on August 25. You can check out their Facebook page here for more updates. 

POWER STANCE - Kenneth Aranza of Save Me Hollywood. 

Save Me Hollywood also launched their newest music video 'High' before their performance. I always love how they feature local locations for the videos, in this particular one - the Katipunan LRT station and your local Mercury drug store. The song 'High' is also one of my favorite songs from their album. The video has a cute twist in the end - which you just have to see for yourself. You can check out their video for High here. 

Watching Save Me Hollywood perform live, you know that they belong on the stage, Julz was the epitome of a true rock princess. She was also engaging the crowd, talking to them, asking them questions, having them sing along and it was a lot of fun. 

Strumming along. Aaron Corvera of Save Me Hollywood. 

I was really happy to finally catch Save Me Hollywood perform live, they don't only sound good on recorded tracks but they are also amazing to watch live. Julz has so much energy on stage, dancing, kicking, jumping, sitting, lying down she reminds me of a particular orange-red-head I love so much ;) 

Intense. Melvin Macatiag of Save Me Hollywood.  

Multi-Awarded and Established Artist Barbie Almalbis. 

Barbie Almalbis. Phew. Need I say more? Well her slew of awards is already a mouthful and she a certified established musician in her own right. She has been making music since 1995 and her talent cannot be denied. 

It is indeed a blessing that she is still making and sharing her music even when she has her own family. Motherhood has certainly not dulled her skills on the guitar and perhaps it has even enhanced it more as she wowed the crowd with her sweet voice and mean guitar skills. 

She has a new album out 'Goodbye My Shadow'. For more updates on Barbie Almalbis you can like her Facebook page here. 

The Darling of the crowd - Kitchie Nadal. 

After a few years of taking a break from the music scene, Kitchie Nadal is back and she is bringing a lot with her. 

You have to check out the video of her new song MALAYA here. She also sang this live and it showcases her vocal chops in a different way from her sweet ballads.

Not only is Kitchie Nadal out with a new song and a new album (which is also entitled 'Malaya') but she has an upcoming movie as well. 'The Muses' which is a CineFilipino 2013 Finalist, check out the trailer below. 

Kitchie is so beautiful to watch on stage, she's smiling while singing and playing the guitar and you just know that she is in her element. She also looked absolutely stunning in a green mini dress over black stockings. Absolutely classy. :) 

For more updates on Kitchie Nadal you can like her Facebook page here. 

Event host - Dj Migs of Jam 88.3 asking the crowd some questions. 

You can also buy albums and other band merchandise during the show. Albums are only for P200.00 (What?!?!) Yup! You got that right and you should really get a copy and support OPM. What's great is that you don't only get to buy an album and take home great music but you can also have them signed by your favorite artist. You can even meet and greet them! :) 

Featured artists. 

CDs, Posters, Shirts being sold. 

A cute little girl getting a good start in music. She was rocking to the songs of Rocksteddy. 

The show was closed by the energetic and fun Rocksteddy. They also have a new album out - Instadramatico. 

I love it when I see kids at shows since they get exposed to real good music we can proudly call our own. Case in point the cute girl rocking out to Rocksteddy in the photo above. They get to realize that music is not all about Justin Bieber and One Direction. 

Don't cry if you missed the show in Eastwood since this is just the first leg of 12 Stone Music Fest. You can still catch them (ALL OF THEM) on June 7, 2013 at the Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo at 5PM and June 9, 2013 at Venicce Piazza, McKinley Hill  at 7PM. So you get to see a great show, support OPM by getting copies of their albums and you can even meet and greet them! :) 

For more updates on 12 Stone Music Inc and their artists you can like their Facebook page here and you can also follow them on Twitter @twelvestoneinc  

For MORE PHOTOS of the 12 STONE MUSIC FEST Check out our Facebook page here!