BAGUIO-BASED pop-alternative band Cup of Joe held its first-ever solo concert ‘Seatbelts On!’ at the New Frontier Theater last February 9 and 10. 

The two-day sold-out concert marked one of the historic moments for the six-piece band, composed of vocalists Gian Bernardino and Raphaell Ridao, lead guitarist Gabriel Fernandez, bassist Raphael Severino, rhythm guitarist CJ Fernandez, and pianist Vixen Gareza. 

Formed in 2018, the sextet has been making waves in the local music scene, snatching the title as the most streamed music group on Spotify Philippines for the first time in November. 

To celebrate these milestones for Cup of Joe, here’s everything that went down on the second day of the Seatbelts On! concert. 

Opening act

Ilonggo singer-songwriter David la Sol opened the highly-anticipated concert with his singles, ‘Gazebo’ and ‘Kausapin Mo Naman’, which was inspired by his friend who loves talking about zodiac signs in connection with love and life. 

He also performed ‘Magkasalungat’ and an unreleased song, ‘Sa Uulitin,’ and ended with his most popular song, ‘Julyo.’ 

David La Sol is a rising indie pop artist based in Baguio City. His discography often explores heartbreak and self-discovery, combining rock sensibilities with pop tunes. 

Onboarding: The beginning of COJ 

With white clouds hanging above the stage and plane windows in the background, Cup of Joe kicked off their first-ever solo concert with an explosive performance of ‘Mananatili,’ followed by ‘Tataya’ and ‘Sinderela.’ 

A video playback was played on the screen between the performances, showing the band’s formation in November 2018 when they were still in senior high. 

During the band’s ment, Gian and Rapha revealed that the concert title ‘Seatbelts On!’ was the former name of their band. It was Gab (lead guitarist) who suggested replacing it with ‘Cup of Joe,’ a slang term for a cup of coffee, to which everyone agreed without a second thought. 

But more than just being a former band name, naming their concert ‘Seatbelts On!’ is also one way for the group to pay homage to their roots. 

“Dahil nandito kayo, I hope you ride with us as we go back to where it all started,” Rapha said before performing their single ‘Hayaan.’ 

The audience became emotional when the band performed ‘Sagada,’ which they dedicated to their friend who passed away recently. 

Of course, looking back to where it all began would not be nostalgic without the band performing their debut song, ‘Nag-iisang Muli,’ that would introduce them to the world of music. 

Cover songs 

The concert also served as a platform for Cup of Joe to do one thing they had been doing back when they were starting as a band—covering songs.

The band sang an emotional cover of ‘All I Want’ by Kodaline, which they performed before in a benefit concert they organized.

They also performed ‘Your Universe’ by former Rivermaya frontman and OPM icon Rico Blanco. 

Flying and turbulence: The band’s journey 

Like any other plane journey, the band also encountered various turbulences along the way. One of the turbulences they had to overcome was the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In one of the band’s ments, Gian narrated how the band struggled to create music when the strict quarantine protocols were implemented in the country. 

Although the band has been performing in the busy streets of Baguio, none of the members were born and raised in the summer capital. Gian, Rapha, Gab, and CJ are all from Pangasinan, Xen is from Abra, while Sevii hails from Isabela. 

The large distance gap between them during the pandemic made them all frustrated and disappointed as it somehow halted the traction they were gaining at that time. But they tightened their seatbelts and never gave up on their first love—music. 

The band performed ‘Ikaw Pa Rin Ang Pipiliin Ko’ and ‘Bukod Tangi’ as a testament to their perseverance during the turbulence. 

Final descent: Collab and unreleased songs 

After the turbulence, the band entered into a new chapter. Their rising popularity in the music industry allowed them to collaborate with other artists and perform in big music festivals. 

The band performed their new collaboration song ‘Lahat Ng Bukas’ on stage with Keanna Mag, which talks about giving yourself a second chance at love. 

This was followed by the performance of their unreleased song ‘Misteryoso.’ The song tells the story of a person wanting to be the reason behind someone’s smile. 

As part of the promotion of ‘Ikaw Pa Rin Ang Pipiliin Ko’, a film starring Aga Muhlach and Julia Barreto, Cup of Joe also sang a soulful rendition of George Canseco’s ‘Ikaw’, which is one of the theme songs in the film. 

The band’s single ‘Ikaw Pa Rin Ang Pipiliin Ko’ is used as the official soundtrack and title of the film (it was previously called Forgetting Canseco). 

Reaching the destination 

At the latter part of the concert, Cup of Joe thanked their fans, collectively known as Joewahs, for supporting them since day one. They hope to do more music in the future with them. 

The band then performed ‘Patutunguhan’ and ‘Wag Na Lang,’ dedicated to all Joewahs who made their first-ever solo concert possible. 

Cup of Joe ended the second day of their concert by performing their two most popular songs, ‘Tingin’ and ‘Estranghero.’ 

Minutes after the concert concluded, the official X account of UP Fair Saturday posted a cup of coffee emoji on their feed as a hint to the festival’s last remaining artist in the lineup, with fans speculating it to be Cup of Joe. 

The next day, it was confirmed that the band is set to perform at the UP Fair Rev Music Festival this Saturday, February 17.