Song Lyrics: After All This Time, by The Itchyworms

.:After All This Time:.

Everyone knows how much of a fan I am of The Itchyworms, and how I've opened for them a few times before in the past.

After all these years, this is my only picture with the whole band!

Well, recently, they came out with a new song, and it's called "After All This Time." The first thing you will notice about it is that... it's an English song. Surprise, surprise! They're actually bilingual! Well, just kidding. We've heard "Season Of Smiles" before... heh.

The second thing you'll notice is that apparently, Jazz is handling lead vocal duties for this particular song, and it's awesome!

Anyways, if you've been living under a rock filled with nothing but bad OPM, let's change that right now with their official music video...

Sniff. Something got in my eye.

Doesn't the song just hit the spot? It really hit home for me, considering where I am in my life right now, and it's been nearly four years, when I think about it. Still, what a wonderful song, and I can't help but be reminded of how many songs The Itchyworms have had that never fails to really affect me to my very core. To put it in the vernacular, nakaka-antig ang mga kanta nila.

So. I checked online for lyrics and all that. Guess what? There were none! Since I was willing to keep listening to the song on loop anyways, I decided to take matters into my own hands, so with 

all due credit to Jugs, Kel, Chino, and Jazz, here goes nothing...

After All This Time

by The Itchyworms

Walkin’ away

 From what I felt would never end

Lookin’ okay

 But deep inside, I’m lost in time

It’s never over

What I feel for you won’t die

We’re all getting older

But my heart keeps asking why

Refrain:

‘Cause I’ve thrown away my lucky stars

And my wishes don’t come true

I’ve been lookin’ up to heaven

While I’m cryin’ over you

‘Cause I can’t forget the good times

We’ve had when you were mine

I just wonder if you need me still

After all this time

I just wonder if you need me still

After all this time

You turned away

I called you back, but it’s no use

What can I say?

Now I know I’ve got nothing to lose

Sometimes I still miss you

I just wanted you to know

I can’t be without you

‘Cause my heart never stopped, I just had to give up

Repeat Refrain

Bridge:

I wanna know when you stopped tryin’

You’re part of all that I’ve been through

Were all these years of hopin’ for you just a waste of time?

‘Cause whatever I do

(Whatever I do)

It’s no good without you

(Insert rippin’ guitar solo here!!!)

So I’ve thrown away my lucky stars

‘Cause my wishes don’t come true

(Wishes don’t come true)

I’ve been lookin’ up to heaven

While I’m cryin’ over you

(Cryin’ over you)

‘Cause I can’t forget the good times

We’ve had when you were mine

I just wonder if you need me still

(Wonder if you still need me still)

Wonder if you need me still

After all this time

(After all this time)

After all this time

(Time)

After all this time

(Time)

The 10th Anniversary Retrospective: 2011

.:The 10th Anniversary Retrospective: 2011:.

Yeah, I think this was a better year than 2009 and 2010 combined...

Hmm... 2011. A perfectly good mix of a year, in all honesty. It wasn't overtly amazing (Except for the part where I met Kim Chiuuuuuuu!!!), and there were some clunkers along the way, too, and yeah, losing several friends along the way also proved to not exactly be a great experience, for that matter. Despite that, I think 2011 was a turning point for me because that was when I began to learn how to live my life without My Beloved, assuming that I was never going to see her again.

It was the year where I tried to finally open myself up for life beyond her, but the mistaken notion was that a life beyond her needed someone else to fill the void. Maybe that's where I was wrong: because the attempts I had to fill in that void were pretty regrettable looking back, to say the least. There were very few bright spots, and no, a pretend-relationship via mostly Facebook with Lovey Dovey probably wasn't one of them, nor was the mistake I made sometime October. 

Project 52 in 2011 was all about music. I had a song of the week, reflecting my regular lyrics posts in 2003 or so. This time, I managed to put more impact in doing those music-related posts simply because I had to justify why I was sharing each song in question. This is also why I ended up performing for the Itchyworms several times, including their 15th anniversary show, which has to be one of the biggest highlights of my year as a performer.

The amazing thing, though, is, after January, after CamSur, I discovered that making mistakes isn't such a bad thing anymore. I found out that I had the capability of walking away from mistakes now, and I wasn't going to stick by a mistake until it hurt so much that it was doing far more harm than good to me. I opened and capped off my year with Philo-Sophie, and I realized at that point that I was just being used, much in the same way I allowed myself to be used in 2009 by various people.

2011 was a turning point because I learned better than to let anything bad happening to me stain me permanently. It was when I started seeing how I could turn any lemons my way into lemonade. I also started contributing to Filipino Freethinkers this year.

The low points of 2011 came when Sugarfree disbanded, and AJ Matela passed. And probably the horrible April Fool's day joke bloggers received. The less said about that, the better.

Geekfighting, OGM, these things became part of my life this year all the same. I started opening for Mike Unson, culminating in me being part of Rex Navarette's November show in The Fort. Overall, I was trying so many different things to fill in the void, as I attended the weddings of one of my closest friends, as well as someone I almost got involved with romantically. This is why my first blogpost of the year is also probably the one I'm most proud of having written in 2011: the wedding proposal for no one. And yes, it doesn't matter if in 2012, the first thing I did was contradict myself. When I wrote that post back then, it was really something so true and heartfelt.

Winning a second time in the Philippine Blog Awards wasn't too shabby, either. I must say: 2011 really had a lot of good moments, and it all started when I realized that no matter how much my past still matters to me, I can walk away from it all. 

The sweetest or creepiest gesture I ever received in my life. Let's go with creepy.

And really, that's all there is to it: nine years of blogging in 2011, and I finally learned perhaps the most important lesson of my life: I am resilient. And sometimes, though something may mean the world to me, I need to turn my back on it because what good is holding on to a world going down in flames?

Just Another Magic Monday: The 1thcyworm5!

.:Just Another Magic Monday: The 1thcyworm5!:.

Yes! Yes! This pleases me greatly.

I decided to write and do my JAMM's whenever I feel like it, but yeah, don't expect a religious weekly update from yours truly for now.

Anyways, last Friday, the Itchyworms celebrated their 15th anniversary, and I was invited to be a part of it. To say I was honored would be the understatement of the year.

I've been a huge fan of the Itchyworms ever since their first album came out. Whether it was "Happy Birthday" or "Antipara", I was immediately captivated by their music, seeing as they were a great alternative to the kupaw rockers of their era.

The scene of the crime was in Metro Bar. Jampacked to the rafters with fans, friends, and everyone in between, the Itchyworms went in to play fifteen of their songs, and everyone was just hype the whole night! Special guests abounded, including...

... Marcus Adoro, alumnus of the Eraserheads.

And even...

... the man you least expect standing beside the Straight Edge Comedy Magician, Mr. Pepe Smith himself!

I also ran into Ebe Dancel, Ronnie Dizon, Francis Brew, and Chris of "Ako Si Chris" fame. It was star-studded, and every single person out there definitely raised the sheer energy for the night. Conspicuously missing was Lourd De Veyra, though. We were hoping we'd find him doing the spoken word part of "Freak Out Baby" for old time's sake.

Lemme share my moment onstage, though, as they asked me to perform during their rendition of "Antipara"...

I'm blind! Blind as a bat! How blind is a bat?

The challenge was simple: I was going to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded, but the time limit was the song. If I couldn't solve the cube by the time the song ended, I was going to have to get hit upside the head with one of their guitars, and that put a spring in my step, or fingers, if you will.

It was hilarious, because thanks to my sheer terror, I actually finished the cube a full minute before the song ended. I was so nervous that I was solving the cube significantly faster than I expected to, and I misheard the cue for the song, as I mistook the bridge for the ending, which made me finish well before the final chorus of the song actually played.

Nonetheless, I managed to pull it off just fine, and finally, I got to enjoy the rest of the show. It was, without a doubt, one of the best nights to be a Philippine magician with friends in the music industry. You just never know what crazy stuff you could end up collaborating on.

In this picture: two Kels!

It was a great night, and capping it off with some Mr. Kebab immediately afterwards was just icing on the cake, albeit I was very annoyed they didn't have Ox Brain again.

Here's hoping to find myself performing with the bad boys of Pogi rock again in the near future! Congratulations, Jugs, Jazz, Kelvin, and Chino! You guys are just the best!

Geekfighting + Itchyworms, Oh My!

.:Monday Night: A Very Special Geekfight!:.

No ifs, ands, ors, but a lot of butts...

Last Monday, my team, the Explorers of Uranus, came together to deliver Classic Geekfight in lieu of Paolo, who was enjoying himself in Bangkok since it was, after all, a long weekend. A total of six teams showed up, and after eight rounds of non-stop action plus a special round filled with butt-related stuff that Lolita Complex actually managed to win, it was Waado that was victorious, having also won back-to-back Geekfights much in the same way that the Explorers did.

I'm mighty happy about how well-received my Fighting Game round was, by the way, and much gratitude to my comedian friends like Richie, Noel, GB, Raffy, Chino, and Jeps for making it to B-Side to take part in the Geekfight, even if they heckled the Hades out of me, and made a running joke out of West Sudan.

We are such professionals...

Needless to say, everyone from the Explorers was overjoyed at how successful our first foray into running a Geekfight was, and we actually hope to do it again, as we discussed amongst ourselves over a late but well-deserved dinner at Sinangag Express.

We will do this again soon. Rest assured.

.:Tuesday Night: A Decade Of Little Monsters Under Your Bed:.

It's peering into your soul.

Tuesday night was punctuated by an awesome night spent in 70's Bistro, as I caught the Itchyworms as they played their first major label album in its entirety, which made me realize how awesome their English songs actually are, despite the fact that their next two albums were almost exclusively in Filipino.

It was really an awesome time all around, and I even saw some Japanese fans of the 'Worms, which took me by surprise because they didn't seem to even so much as know a single Filipino word, yet they took to the music like bees to honey. I should've tried striking up conversation with them after the show, but alas, they left too soon.

This was a great night of music, not to mention everyone was laughing their heads off when Moymoy Palaboy took the stage for a bit. That was epic as well.

It's a bit amusing for me to note that despite having known the band for about two years or so already, I still have yet to have a picture with all four of Jugs, Chino, Jazz, and Kel. I think I should remedy that soon.

Here's to the 10th Anniversary of "Noontime Show" in 2016! I'm counting on you guys!

Itchyworms + Mike Unson = Double Route!!!

.:The Itchyworms Wedding Of The Year Video Launch!:.

Sorry, the video isn't officially out yet...

The Itchyworms launched their new music video for "Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal" last Monday, and they spared no expense to let people know about it, including having a full press release for it. I found it hilarious that I had to be referred to as "Magikel" to avoid being confused with Kel Yu, the band's bassist...

Feeling sikat ang lola niyo!

That being said, I was very honored at the prospect of opening for the Itchyworms, since everyone knows they're my favorite band, and I'm a huge fan of their music. I got to Route 196 that night ahead of everybody with my brother, just so I could set up properly.

That night was filled with awesome performers and regret over the fact that my camera phone sucks. I would've wanted to have pictures taken with Philia and Tanya Markova, but noooo, the chance never presented itself. Still, at least I finally got to talk to the awesome people from Tanya Markova, who I am really impressed with.

When it was my turn to hit the stage, I performed some of my favorite routines that night, and managed to prove that despite the fact that Route 196 is known as a haven for bands, there was room for topnotch comic mentalism and magic that night there.

Bondage. Always a killer.


What did I say about bondage again?


Being a magician has its perks.


I was pretty starstruck, yo.

While performing, I was pretty amused to find out that the lady for my infamous rope routine turned out to be the lovely wife of none other than Ako Si Chris, the YouTube sensation, founder of JoePM. He's pure American, but just totally loves to sing OPM tunes, and has developed quite a following over the years because of his musical talent and earnestness.

After the opening acts got the crowd pumped and ready, came the main event, as we were treated to a masterful music video featuring the Itchyworms and several guest stars, under the direction of Mr. King Palisoc. Everyone was marking out like crazy as the video was funny but charming at the same time, and I was definitely impressed by the way everything came together.

We loved the video so much that we demanded to see it twice, shortly after the Worms finished doing an awesome, awesome live set for everyone. They thankfully obliged us, and after the whole thing, we managed to stay on and have a lot of interesting conversations before heading out.

Although... I did totally find it awesome that I had these shirts to show for that night.

That'd look good on the bedroom floor of a groupie. Oh, wait. That works for bands, not magicians.

By the way, if you want to see the music video, type in: MYX REQUEST Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal send to 2366! I'd be happy to see that video go all the way to number 1!


.:TNT Night!:.

Within 24 hours, I ended up right back in Route 196 again, this time performing with Tetas and the Tw**, Mistress, Lee Grane, and of course, Mike Unson. This was a pretty awesome night, because a lot of the people here have never seen me before, and it was an opportunity to really turn some heads.

I opened the show, and did very well, pretty much keeping the people in the audience plain stupefied over the whole thing. Mike Unson does his set, and then we were taken to a pretty awesome musical journey that included the ending theme of Voltes V.

This was quite a run, really. Performing on hallowed ground like Route 196, to me, is quite an achievement.

Much thanks to Katt Torres and to Mike Unson for having me last night!

A True Honor : Open Gigs This Coming Week

.:The Wedding Of The Century!:.

It's been a long while since I've seen the boys of Itchyworms, but they asked me to open for them tomorrow night for their music video launch, so Hades, yeah, I'm definitely going to open for them on Monday night.

It's happening in Route 196 tomorrow night, around 9PM, and as I promised to them I'm gonna be there, you can rest assured that it's going to be an awesome time all around for everyone involved.

Magic, music, and a whole lot more. What else can you ask for, right?

.:Two In A Row!:.

The very next night, I'm gonna be there in Route 196 again, this time to host as well as open for the one and only Mike Unson as he does his own brand of standup comedy, sure to delight and excite the people in Route.

Quite unexpected, really, especially since just next-door, Tomato Kick will be having its open mic night mostly with GB, Ryan, and the rest of the gang from the Comedy Cartel, but hey, the more comedy to go around, the better, I always say.

Couple that with the fact that on Saturday, I'm going to perform with Mike again in Capone's. It's going to be a very great time to be a fan of comedy, magic, and music, no questions asked. After all, last Friday, we had a great time with everyone who came to watch the awesome show featuring LC Reklamo, Karen of General Luna, Arianne dela Cruz, Penguin, yours truly, and Mike Unson. You can expect more zaniness this coming Saturday night, 10PM, in Capone's.

Backblogging But It's Worth It!

.:DK Hilarity:.

All things considered, this week has been a watershed week for the Disenchanted Kingdom, from gaining about three thousand or more viewers on the website to Marf’s very interesting disappearing act for most of the past week, there are a lot of things inquiring minds would like to know.

Couple that with finally getting a chance to do some comedy again after a month-long layoff by doing open mic in Tomato Kick, and you can tell that things are nothing short of insanely building up to better things for the wacky crew.

Of course, last Thursday was filled with amusing craziness, too, because while on air, the gang decided to hype up the lie that I actually had some crazy nude photos of certain celebrities like Angel Locsin or Ellen Adarna or Kim Chiu and even those of a couple of friends of mine who shall remain unnamed in my new iPad. I played along, and when we uploaded the pictures on the DK website, well, here's what they saw...

Too hot to handle, apparently.

.:Itching For Some Itchyworms:.

And then there was darkness, like five seconds afterwards…

About a week ago, I actually caught a pretty fun show in 70’s Bistro with the Itchyworms. It was a great time to catch up with my favourite band, as they performed some of their best hits, besting even an untimely power outage with excellent music and showmanship.

Talking to them after the show was even more amusing, what with this particular person who insisted on singing us a song or two and then promptly shying away afterwards. True, she probably wasn’t all there and everything, but that doesn’t stop it from being quite strange to me. I also finally got to meet the great Dong Abay during the same night, so there’s that, too.

The night was just fun overall, but what really made it was the fact that after the whole thing, Kel (As in the band member, not yours truly.) told me the next day that he got jealous because I stole the Jazz and Kel duo from underneath his nose. That’s what I get for having the same nickname. LOL.

That's okay, though. Seeing as how I was applying in JAM 88.3 before, the fact that Kel is on that station means I'm not gonna end up in JAM anytime soon, since they already have their own Kel. He gets JAM, I get Jazz.

Project 52 (17/52): Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

.:Project 52 (17/52): Landslide – Fleetwood Mac:.

I like Fleetwood Mac’s music a lot, and I have to say, this is among my favourites from them. Landslide tells a very heartbreaking tale of how it feels to build your world around someone only to see all of it come crashing down.

I don’t really know what else to say beyond that, really. I’ve been on the receiving end of it all a lot, building your future around someone, only to realize you have nothing once that someone is gone. It’s not easy to find yourself all over again when everything is said and done.

Fleetwood Mac is a group of legendary proportions, having been in existence for over four decades already, and simply churning out hit after hit after hit. It’s pretty funny that I didn’t even know the title or the artist of this particular song until about a year ago, when I asked Jazz Nicolas of Itchyworms fame what that really cool-sounding song was that he covered during one set in 70’s Bistro. From then on, I just learned to reappreciate all the great music from Fleetwood Mac, because those songs are practically legion.

This song wins my personal award for “best song I had to hum for years before I so much as knew the title.” I never knew the song’s lyrics, never knew the song’s title, so I just had to hum it, and only when I hummed it to Jazz did I actually find out what the song actually was.

Project 52 (4/52): Antipara - The Itchyworms

.:Project 52 (4/52): Antipara – The Itchyworms:.

Let me tell you a not-really-a secret about myself: I am a huge fan of the OPM scene, especially when it comes to bands. And in my list, the Itchyworms is easily among my favourite groups.

During a time where music was all about heavy riffs, near-growing vocals, and incredibly serious lyrics, the Itchyworms came in as everything the popular scene wasn’t: insanely radio-friendly, harmonizing voices, playful lyrics, and even a whimsical air to their musicality. Despite that, they definitely found quite a following because these four guys were simply great musicians who loved doing what they do, and it showed in their craft.

I know Itchyworms personally and have even had the honor of opening for them during one of their gigs in the past. It was quite an experience, and truth be told, I’m a big fan of a lot of their songs, especially “Love Team” mainly because the music video featured Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson. I think overall, I really love their style and the way their songs can tackle pretty much any topic but at no point does it ever get too heavy. There’s always a whimsical air to their music that keeps it light and breezy no matter what the subject matter is, and it’s the perfect mix between being dramatic and being fun-loving.

This song in particular was one of their earlier hits, and one of my personal favourites, simply because it really has that kind of riff to it that just makes you think it’s such an upbeat song – until you begin to listen to the lyrics. And that’s when it sets in just what kind of lyrical masters the ‘Worms really are, as they weave a very intriguing tale of a person who’s already so blind to the world, yet still refuses to wear glasses of any sort. Obviously very metaphorical, kind of the opposite of ignorance is bliss, saying that when the pain is there but you’re too blind to it, you may as well open your eyes, because behind those glasses, those tears aren’t going to be nearly as easy to see.

It seems the past two weeks has been about blindness and refusing to see what’s plainly there to see. I guess it can’t be helped, considering how the past few weeks have exactly been how it’s been for me. Truth be told, I have this feeling that perhaps, burning certain bridges has been the smartest thing I have ever done in years. After being an emotional punching bag, after being badmouthed behind my back, after everything that has been said and done, this was one time I don’t quite think I’ve ever been able to forgive, and I just kept looking the other way while hurt after hurt has been piled on.

But I’m getting too deep into this, and it’s not really a good idea to associate one of my favourite songs with a lousy two-bit excuse for a “friend”. The Itchyworms have always been reliable for good music and great times, so you can be sure that over the year, there will definitely be more of the same for these guys, to say the least.