How I became an Eraserheads fan

I started receiving my own money when I was 12. It was from a monthly stipend I had during my four school years studying in a science high school.

At that young age, I learned how to appropriate where my money goes, which was mostly spent on breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, I also had my set of indulgences: a pint of ice cream on a weekend (which I would finish in just one sitting), books, and music records.Among these three, the most influental was music.

Anyway, to give you a backgrounder, my musical tastes between the ages 2 to 12 evolved from Batibot’s “Alin Ang Naiba”, to Manilyn Reynes’ and Sheryl Cruz’s repertoire (remember Mr. Disco and Mr. Dreamboy?), to the kundimans, broadway musicals, and classical music (thanks to my piano and voice teachers).

Then, one uneventful morning at school, my classmate, Charmaine, came up to me and told me about this song she heard called “Ligaya”. She was raving about it. Kanami daw. Naturally, I got curious, so, that weekend, I bought my first ever pinoy band album.

That album was called “ultraelectromagneticpop” by a then ’emerging-into-the-mainstream’ band named the Eraserheads. During that time, I think I bought it (cassette) for 150 pesos (or was it 100?). It quickly became my favorite. Playing it over and over in my dormitory room until I had memorized each song.

The following year, I got CiRcuS (my fave). Then, Cutterpillow in 1995. This was the last Eraserheads album I bought during my teen years. (Ten years later, I bought the “ultraelectromagneticjam” album, which was some kind of an early tribute. It wasn’t the same.)

This unassuming band rocked my world when I was 13 and I remained a fan years after. Their songs gave me one of the best memories of my life.This is the reason why I still have “Ligaya” in my current playlist.

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Years after disbanding, the Eraserheads will hold a “one night only” reunion concert on August 30, 2008. I wanted to go but I can’t. Aaah! I want to cry!