The original members of Filipino pop rock band Side A will reunite for an online benefit concert this month.
The long-running band, which was founded in 1985, are mainstays in the country’s established OPM scene. Its line-up of recent years has been composed of newer musicians alongside the band’s founding keyboardist Naldy Gonzalez.
The January 30 concert ‘Calesa: Side A Redux’, will see Naldy reunite with his former bandmates: brother Rodel Gonzalez (lead vocals and saxophone), Mar Dizon (drums), Joey Benin (bass), Pido Lalimarmo (guitar), and Kelly Badon (guitar).
The two-hour concert will premiere on Saturday, January 30. There are two screenings: one set for 11.30am and the other for 9.30pm. Early bird tickets (P1,000) to both are available now from KTX.ph, while general admission tickets (P1,200) go on sale January 12. Find tickets for the morning show and nighttime show here.
“We want to bring back the old songs that we used to play at Calesa plus more,” Rodel said, in a report by ABS-CBN. “We’re excited for this virtual concert since we’re like kids again enjoying what we love to do, create songs and play together.”
Calesa: Side A Redux will benefit charities sponsored by Ateneo de Manila University Batch ’88, which has already raised P3 million for Alpabasa, PJPS, Tanging Yaman Foundation, Inc., JesuitAid, and the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines.
The original iteration of Side A had previously announced plans to re-record their 1989 debut album, now titled ‘Side A Redux: First Album’, funded by fans via Patreon.
In a news segment by CNN Philippines, Rodel, Naldy, and Pido shared plans for the concert, before riffing off the chorus of their song ‘Forevermore’ with reporter Pia Hontiveros towards the end. Watch it below.