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MAN ON THE SIDE

Wanderland announces Wanderband winners, partial 2017 lineup


 

It’s hard to believe that the Wanderland Music Festival is celebrating its fifth edition next year. When it was first held in 2013, it responded to the clamor for an honest-to-goodness large-scale local indie music festival in the vein of Australia’s (and Singapore’s) Laneway, Hong Kong’s Clockenflapp, and yes, even the US’s Coachella.

Through the years, Wanderland has had some truly exciting and gut-busting performances from acts I thought we’d never see here in Manila; from The Temper Trap and Neon Trees, The Drums and Architecture in Helsinki, to RAC, Kid Cudi and Bon Iver.

It was on the Wanderland stage also that we got to see lesser known but no less talented artists, including Paper Kites, Lucy Rose (who’s making a return visit to Manila this month), San Cisco and Panama.

But the best part of Wanderland for me was organizers’ decision to put local artists on the bill side by side with the big international acts, which they have done since the begining. It’s a pretty big deal as I’ve always believed it was a subtle message that Pinoy musicians are at the same caliber talent-wise as anyone else.

Which brings us to this year’s Wanderband competition, or the music festival’s search for an upstart, relatively unknown band that will have their name up on the poster and will get to play in front of the Wanderland crowd. That’s a major ego boost for anyone, but doubly so for an band or artist just starting out in their music career.

According to Stephanie Uy, president of Karpos Multimedia, which produces Wanderland, over 50 bands applied for that much-coveted spot this year. The number was whittled down to 10 through online votes and then further down to just five bands. The big finals night happened at the Globe Live stage in BGC last Friday, where only one band would earn the right to perform at Wanderland.

But organizers pulled a surprise on everyone when they announced that not one but three of the bands won a ticket to the Wanderland stage. The grand winner was Lola Amour, who won over the judges with their smooth, 70s R&B-tinged indie pop.

 

 

The other two who booked a trip to Wanderland were funk-soul group Banna Harbera, and Australia-based jazz-pop act Mickey Sulit.

 

 

The awarding of the Wanderband winners came right after the announcement of four new acts in the Wanderland 2017 lineup. These were American instrumental rock stars Explosions in the Sky, British electronic duo HONNE, and Pinoy acts Reese Lansangan and Tom’s Story.

 

 

The four join the previously announced Wanderland 2017 artists LANY, Woodlock, Gab and John of Urbandub, and UpDharmaDown, who are returning to the Wanderland stage after first playing at the inaugural edition in 2013.

Uy says they will announce eight more acts in the coming days to complete the 16-artist lineup for Wanderland 2017. As always, fans, including me, are wringing our hands and holding our breaths that our favorite bands will make it to the lineup. (Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing A Silent Film, Bleachers, Vinyl Pinups, Smallpools, and Dresses).

In the meantime, we’re constantly updating our Spotify playlists with the music of the announced acts to get ready for next year’s big Wanderland party. See you guys there. — BM, GMA News

Paul John Caña is a magazine writer and live music geek. Check out his blog manontheotherside.blogspot.com. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.

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