Music and tourism converge in ‘Campfire Sessions’

Typecast

DINADIAWAN, AURORA—The beach was the stage. The lights, a pair of cauldrons on which firewood burned and crackled. The audience, just a hundred or so people, huddled on mats as they imbibed the music that at times seemed to meld with the intermittent crashing of waves on the shore.

It was the third edition of “Campfire Sessions,” a series of outdoor gigs by Filipino alternative rock band Typecast, which recaptures the sense of intimacy of live music that all too often gets lost amid the noise of today’s technology and social media itch.

More than a musical event, “Campfire” is seen by the band’s bassist, Chi Resurreccion, as a means of exposing the campers to some of the Philippines’ lesser known scenic places.

“It’s a musical excursion, if you will!” he said, adding that various activities or side trips are usually organized for the campers, so they could better explore the locales.

“This is the kind of show we have been wanting to do—one that marries music and tourism,” said Chi, who sees to it that the venues he and his partner May Valentino choose are not too commercialized.

By taking the fans away from the bustle of the city and bringing them closer to nature, the music, unwittingly, becomes the singular focus once again. True enough, throughout Typecast’s fervent two-hour set, nary a hoisted phone or camera was in sight. The audience sang, cheered, laughed. Maybe some of them cried, too. Then, they sang some more.

“At bars, there are lots of distractions, and the music can become secondary. But when you’re somewhere relatively more isolated, you listen. The show goes beyond entertainment and becomes an experience,” added Chi who, together with May, mounts the sessions through their company, Green Turismo.

“Campfire” was conceptualized almost by accident. Chi and his bandmates, lead vocalist Steve Badiola, drummer Sep Roño and guitarist Pakoy Fletchero, had always wanted to go on a vacation in Sagada in Mountain Province. And while Chi was planning the trip in 2016, an idea crossed his mind: “Why not make our visit more memorable and invite people to come over for a small gig?”

The idea seemed farfetched at first. But the response from Typecast’s fanbase was overwhelming. Before long, the band found itself at the St. Joseph Resthouse, performing for people gathered around a bonfire on a cold April night.

“Somehow, we managed to pull it off,” Chi said of the gig, which was recorded in one take by Tower of Doom Music and, later on, released as a live album on Spotify.

Later that year, “Campfire” was held at the Crystal Beach Resort in San Narciso, Zambales.

This summer, the band and its fans hopped on vans and trooped to the country’s Pacific side, here at the La Sunshine Beach Resort.
“Our songs get what we call the ‘campfire treatment,’ which sounds softer,” Steve related.
The quartet, which originated from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, dished out a 16-song set, including “Boston Drama,” “Reverend’s Daughter,” “The Last Time,” a fanciful ukulele rendition of “February,” “Kono Yakusoku” and “Will You Ever Learn?”—arguably the group’s biggest hit—which elicited the night’s most resounding sing-along.

While the performances didn’t have the usual punk-packed punch and frenetic energy that helped Typecast become one of the most beloved underground acts of the 2000s, the band’s stripped-down delivery of its songs allowed fans to fully appreciate the earnest melodies, and made up for a listening experience that felt more achingly raw.