The name doesn’t do the band justice. It sounds banal, corny even, whatever reason they might offer for it.
Thankfully, it’s a far cry from the actual music.
We caught up with young posters Cup Of Joe at Viva Cafe on the first night of their two sold-out gigs there and we were quite impressed.
No, they didn’t reinvent the wheel. Their sound bears hallmarks of sounds gone by, from 80s pop to 70s prog. Heck, we even heard traces of good old R & B, jazz and country in the mix.
It could’ve easily gone south but, no. They made the amalgamation sound fresh, reinvigorating.
It helps that they’re good at writing hook-laden choruses, too.
That the band performs each tune as if their life depended on it, adds to the mesmerizing magic they conjure.
Indeed, as led by colorful vocalists Gian Bernardino and Raphaell Ridao, the group, which also includes keyboardist Xen Gareza, lead guitarist Gab Fernandez, bassist Sevii Severino, guitarist CJ Fernandez and an unnamed drummer – is quite the live presence.
They rocked Viva Cafe that night, getting their fans, mostly young girls collectively called Jowables, damn wet.
Well, probably. We’re only basing our assumption on their wild, woolly reaction to the boy’s performance..
It wouldn’t be far-fetched to believe Cup of Joe is on their way to becoming the next great big thing in OPM.
Why not? They’ve got the tunes, the looks, the loyal following.
Get to know Cup of Joe via their first-ever EP dubbed “Patutunguhan.” It collects fan favorite “Estranghero,” the anthemic, slightly new-wavish “Mananatili,” the rousing “Tataya,” along with their collab with Janine Teñoso titled “Tingin,” plus two new songs in “Patutunguhan” and “Wag Na Lang.”
