Memories of a 20-year Sandwich

MANILA, Philippines – You could say that my first personal encounter with the band Sandwich involved sandwiches – hamburgers from a fastfood joint, to be exact.

One of my classmates in college asked me if I wanted to earn a little extra by helping out at some event. It wasn’t a rock concert as I’d hoped, but a DJ mixing championship. I agreed to work as a production assistant for a day, nevertheless.

My favorite part of the job was welcoming the artists when they arrived and giving them food. There were quite a few acts slated to perform, and one of them was Sandwich.

I didn’t even get to enjoy the band’s short set, though; I was busy giving away sandwiches.

About a week after the event, I was surprised to find Sandwich’s road manager on campus with one of the students. He told me the production I worked for was horrible, and I agreed. One burger per starving artist was simply unacceptable. The burger wasn’t even good.

The good thing was, the road manager helped me get an internship at NU107, a radio station I avidly listened to.

That same year, while I was working as an NU107 intern, “Butterfly Carnival” won Song of the Year at the NU107 Rock Awards. Grip Stand Throw bagged the Album the Year award, while Sandwich was named Best New Artist.

Old school memories

If you’ve listened to Sandwich long enough, you were probably one of those who raised their fists in jubilation when the band won the above-mentioned awards.

You’ve heard of The Aga Muhlach Experience— Diego Castillo, Myrene Academia and Mike Dizon’s band before Eraserheads drummer Raimund Marasigan joined them to form Sandwich. You would remember that original vocalist Marc Abaya was still in college when he joined the band, and over time, soon had quite his share of screaming female fans.

You’ve chased them in bars like Mayrics, “where all the great bands are born,” according to a radio plug; at NU107 or UP Fair events; and seen them play even in unlikely places like Gotham, a Goth-inspired bar in Malate.

Years before you saw them Play For Serve in Saguijo, you’ve spent weekend nights to watch them live in Mayrics for Sunday Grabe Sunday, where bands such as Twisted Halo, Monsterbot, Pin-Up Girls, Huh, and Makiling Ensemble shared the stage.

You’ve bought or borrowed cassettes and CDs of their albums. You know what a 4-track recorder is, and that the title of Sandwich’s sophomore release is 4-Track Mind. You might have fallen in love with the song “Hairpin” the first time you listened to it.

Hearing “Jetlag,” “Two Trick Pony” and “Masilungan” got you excited.

You wrote the band name stylized, as <S>andwich at least once. You probably have that blue sticker with <S> printed on it.

You were saddened to learn that Marc Abaya was leaving, but eager to discover how the band would hold up with Raimund on the mic and Chicosci’s Mong Alcaraz playing guitar.

The band’s direction inevitably changed when Raimund became the frontman. Smash hits such as “Sugod” and “Betamax” were released, and Sandwich’s fan base expanded to include the masses. There was a different flavor to Sandwich, and people loved it.

Going on 20

Twenty years ago, Spotify, YouTube, and Facebook were non-existent and the easiest way to discover music was by listening to the radio. If you wanted to see or meet your favorite bands, you actually had to watch their gigs.

The alternative rock scene was on exploding, and major record labels were fighting over local talent.

The term “indie” was sparsely used—“underground” was the widely-accepted term for unsigned bands. Playing cassette tapes was normal and CDs were still cool. Music magazines were still very much in business.

The local music scene has changed drastically, and Sandwich has survived it all. Over the years, the band has released 8 studio albums, played possibly more than a thousand shows, and wowed millions of fans here and abroad.

Unlike that bland-tasting hamburger I offered the band members on that first meeting, a Sandwich gig still feels fresh and exciting— something that leaves you feeling satisfied afterwards.

Sandwich will be celebrating its 20th year in the music scene with an anniversary show.

Dubbed as Under the Glow of the Satellite, the concert will be held on April 13 at the Metrotent Convention Center in Pasig City.

It should be a feast for the senses— one that will let us experience what a 20-year-old Sandwich sounds like. – Rappler.com