Boyce Avenue: PH the place to be if not home in Florida on V-Day

Boyce Avenue will end its Philippine tour at Araneta Coliseum
tomorrow.

As a tour-driven music act, members of the pop band Boyce Avenue are usually on the road, away from their loved ones come Valentine’s Day. But if there’s one place—besides home in Florida—where they don’t mind spending that special occasion, it would be the Philippines.

“We miss a lot of Valentine’s Days. But for us, it’s really special, because we feel like the Philippines has become a place where we want to be if we can’t be back home for Valentine’s,” bassist Daniel Manzano related at a press conference for their recent four-city Philippine tour, which was mounted by Wilbros Live.

“Fortunately, our families are supportive and appreciate the fact that we get to travel the world and, at the same time, do what we really love. We just find a different day to celebrate,” added Daniel who, together with his two brothers, Alejandro and Fabian, comprise the group. “Anyway, there’s video calling and you can send gifts from afar.” But while touring is an indispensable part of their career, the three musicians try their best not to let it consume their lives.

“We travel often, but we also spend a lot of quality time with our love ones—it’s important to have balance. After we shoot our music videos, we go out to play gigs,” Alejandro said of his siblings, who achieved popularity through the unique and viral covers of classic and contemporary hits they upload online.

“And then, after a long, tiring tour, we recharge by being with our family. I think the fact that we spend quality time at home makes up for the draining nature of touring,” he added. Boyce Avenue, which made stops in Pangasinan, Cebu and Davao last week, will end their tour on Feb. 16 at Araneta Coliseum. The American trio’s concert will likewise feature two of today’s most streamed local acts, December Avenue and I Belong to the Zoo (call 8911-5555).

The band first performed in the country back in 2009 and has since done eight more shows. “We go where the fans are. That’s something we see through the comments and the views our videos get. We didn’t know what to expect when we first visited here 11 years ago. We have been coming back ever since, and it has been nothing but love,” Alejandro said. “Still, there’s always something new. This is our first time doing a show in Pangasinan. It’s great to see a new city and experience a different culture.”

Where do they attribute their continued success in the Philippines? Consistency, they said, is one of the reasons. Whether they’re doing a cover or performing one of their originals, they make sure that they always give it their own flair.

“We constantly evolve as artists. But at the root of it, it’s about the emotions, the lyrics, the melodies. And so, every time we come here, we bring all those things with us,” Alejandro said. “We want the audience to sing along to covers of classics and our originals.”

“I believe it also helps that you guys listen to everything; your taste in music is diverse and that’s great. And that means you can appreciate many of the songs we do,” Fabian added.

Another thing Boyce Avenue share with the Filipino fans is love for romance. “We’re hopeless romantics. I believe that’s why we connect so well with this country. We’re drawn to love songs and love stories. And maybe a lot of people here also grew up that way,” Alejandro surmised. “I think that’s why you love acoustic music, because it puts the lyrics and melody at the forefront.”

Meanwhile, asked to give an advice to the hopeless romantics who are still in search for “the one,” Alejandro said being true to one’s self always pays off—that and being patient. “You have to listen to your own heart, because many people will have opinions on who you should or shouldn’t be with,” he said. “You will find the right person on your own time … Be patient and don’t feel the need to rush into anything just because you see that other people seem to already have found that special someone.”