BAGUIO-BASED band Cup of Joe took their fans to different heights of emotions through their first-ever concert “Seatbelts On.”

The young pop/alternative band—composed of Gian Bernardino, Raphaell Ridao, Gabriel Fernandez, CJ Fernandez, Raphael Severino, and Xen Gareza—recently capped off their musical event held on February 9 and 10 at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, Quezon City.

Cup of Joe has been known not only for their soothing songs but also for the stories behind the meaningful lyrics. Even the concert title, which probably left some fans or Joewahs puzzled, has its own backstory.

But why is the concert titled “Seatbelts On,” along with a plane concept?

In an exclusive interview with republicasia before Saturday’s concert, Gian revealed that “Seatbelts On” was actually the band’s first name before they debuted as Cup of Joe in the local music scene.

This is because Cup of Joe wanted to dedicate their concert to their many “firsts,” said the vocalist.

“For the past years, we’ve been traveling around the Philippines through gigs and other guestings and performances. And then, once we had the opportunity to have our first major solo concert, since this is the first, we want to give a tribute to our firsts,” Gian explained.

The singer also shared that the band decided to incorporate the airplane concept in their first major event because it symbolized how the band moved from place to place to perform.

“In-incorporate namin yung plane concept kasi in every gig sinasabi rin namin, ‘Next stop: Pampanga’ ganon. We wanted it to be not just travel through places but travel through time,” added Gian.

Cup of Joe has achieved many firsts in their music career since they entered the local music industry with their debut song “Nag-Iisang Muli” in 2019. This includes their first extended play (EP) “Patutunguhan” and their first recognition as the most streamed Filipino music group on Spotify Philippines.

Looking back on their music journey, Raphaell, or Rapha to Joewahs, said a lot had changed about Cup of Joe including the way they presented themselves to the public, as well as their music.

“It changed kasi as we grow, syempre, the other things that we’re connected with, they grow with us,” the vocalist said.

While change is constant in life, there are two things that remained constant in the band—their love and passion for music.

“It is what keeps us going and helps us get through difficult times kaya we’re just happy na we get to change or grow as a band,” said Rapha.

He continued, “Ang ganda ng support system na ‘yon. It encourages you to become a better version of yourself.”

The members’ love and passion for music have indeed propelled them to be the artists they are today, with over four million monthly listeners according to their bio on Spotify.

Day 2 concert highlights

Such milestones and experiences geared the young band to take their music career to the next level by holding their first major solo concert.

The second day of “Seatbelts On” had Ilonggo singer-songwriter David la Sol performing as an opening act.

Cup of Joe then rocked the New Frontier Theater stage with an explosive performance of their 2022 single “Mananatili,” followed by their 2023 song “Tataya.”

The concert took Joewahs on a trip down memory lane as a video playback was flashed on the LED screen, narrating how Cup of Joe was formed as an OPM band.

The fans then rode a rollercoaster ride of emotions when the band performed their hit songs “Sinderela” and “Sagada.” They also added their unfeigned rendition of Kodaline’s “All I Want.”

Cup of Joe once again reminded Joewahs that each of them was exceptional, with their single “Bukod-Tangi.” Fans jammed to the song while waving their mobile phones with their flashlights on in different colors.

They also took the opportunity to promote the movie top-billed by Julia Barretto and Aga Muhlach titled “Ikaw Pa Rin Ang Pipiliin Ko.”

Cup of Joe performed on stage “Ikaw,” which was written by Filipino composer George Canseco. They also sang the song during their cameo in the film.

The band’s surprises for Joewahs continued as Cup of Joe invited onstage Keanna Mag to perform their new collaboration song “Lahat Ng Bukas.” Released on February 9 under Viva Records, the single is about giving oneself a second chance in love.

This was followed by another performance of Cup of Joe’s unreleased song called “Misteryoso.” It talks about being the reason behind the “mysterious smile” of a certain person.

But it wasn’t only the band that prepared surprises during the “Seatbelts On” concert.

Joewahs also had a fan project where they held up posters that read, “Kayo pa rin ang patutunguhan,” as Cup of Joe sang “Patutunguhan.”

Of course, the concert wouldn’t end without the band singing crowd favorites “Tingin” and “Estranghero.”

Cup of Joe capped off their two-day musical event by thanking their fans who have been supporting them and their music since they started. The band said that there were a lot of things that they have yet to accomplish, but they promised to bring Joewahs along their journey to reach greater heights in the music industry.

Proud fans

It was indeed a magical and unforgettable night for Cup of Joe and their fans, making the latter feel nothing but proud of what the band had accomplished.

“It’s super overwhelming, at the same time, sobrang proud po sa kanila kasi ever since 2021, I’m stanning them,” Cheinwen Algara, 21, told republicasia.

“Nakakaproud na ganito na sila, yung narrating nila parang dati small gigs pa lang na hindi mo mapuntahan kasi locals [sila] sa Baguio, tapos ngayon nandito na sila, marami na silang gig within Metro, tapos ngayon first-ever concert na talagang nilaban,” she added.

22-year-old Joewah Abigail Ramiro, meanwhile, shared that seeing her idols perform in their first solo concert gave her fulfillment as a fan.

“It’s very fulfilling for me because they’re actually one of my inspirations as a local artist. Since I’m in a band, they’re one of the bands I look up to because they’re unique, they represent, I guess, the generation that we are in right now, and they also give me, let’s say, the strength to express myself as musician lalo na ngayon na sometimes musician in the Philippines are like may standard na sinusunod yung ibang tao,” she said.

Ramiro added that the band’s uniqueness is what pushes her to present her true self as an artist.

For Rosh Pindao, 23, Cup of Joe has already made an impact on the young generation with their meaningful songs.

“Sobrang fulfilling na they get to have their first-ever concert, and the fact na ang dami nilang fans as we can see, ang daming nagtatangkilik sa music nila,” she said.

Pindao stressed that Cup of Joe deserved to get such huge recognition from the public as she believes that they are among the young artists who contribute to the popularity of Original Pilipino Music (OPM).

The three fans congratulated Cup of Joe for their successful two-day concert. They hoped that the band would prosper in the music scene with more performances and music that would inspire many people in the future.