MANILA, Philippines – The band may have been inactive for about 13 years, but Teeth’s songs have proven to be enduring, if not inescapable, rock anthems. Whether sung at drunken karaoke sessions or performed by some cover band at an alcohol company-sponsored shindig, “Laklak” is instantly recognizable from its tish-tish-tish-tish-tish-tugplak intro alone. And young listeners of the current generation have more likely heard glossy, cleaned-up versions of “Prinsesa” – recorded by some pogi, wannabe pop star – more often than the raw, raunchy-sounding original.
It’s a good thing, then, that Teeth is back, twenty years after “Laklak” first hit the airwaves, making it the perfect time for a comeback on our shores. Indeed, both singer Glenn Jacinto and original bassist Pedz Narvaja have returned to the country since migrating to the US over a decade ago, and have rejoined guitarists Jerome Velasco and Andrew “Dok” Sergio (who both play with Pupil), and drummer Mike Dizon (who currently plays with Sandwich and Pedicab) in the rehearsal room to revisit their band’s seminal tunes in preparation for their much-anticipated reunion show on May 15, 2014 at the Metrotent in Pasig. Fans can expect to hear more than just “Laklak” or “Prinsesa”; they’ll be whipped into a mosh with “Bum Squad” and “Tugtugan Na,” sing along to “Tampo,” “Sorry,” and “Darating,” get sucked into the whirlpool-of-sound guitars of “Time Machine” and “Puwing,” and of course, get (figuratively) lifted into the sky with the timeless “Shooting Star.” Of course, these are just a handful of the songs that the band has recorded over a span of three full-length albums (1995’s Teeth, 1997’s Time Machine, and 1999’s I Was A Teenage Tree) and one EP (1997’s Bum Squad EP), so fans can look forward to experiencing all of their favorite Teeth tracks performed live by no less than the five musicians who had been part of the band’s lineup during its decade-long existence.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or a young Pinoy rock enthusiast who missed out on Teeth’s heyday, you owe it to yourself to be at Metrotent on May 15 and watch Glenn, Jerome, Dok, Pedz, and Mike play all of their classic tunes once more, and join them in celebrating their twentieth anniversary. At the very least, if you’re sick of hearing imperfect (or too perfect) karaoke renditions of “Laklak” or some overproduced version of “Prinsesa,” then you’ll get to hear how both songs are supposed to sound. To paraphrase one of their most memorable tracks, minsan lang ito darating.
The Teeth Reunion will be held on May 15, 2014 at the Metrotent in Metrowalk, Pasig. Gates open at 6:30 PM. Tickets (P1000 for Gold, P650 for Silver) are available through TicketWorld (891 9999) and SM Tickets (470 2222). RSVP on the Facebook event page and log on to Pinoytuner.com for more details and updates.