In line with summer, Cup of Joe mounts a water festival

Show marks first OPM act to headline at Philippine Sports Stadium

CUP OF JOE, a five-piece Filipino pop rock band from Baguio City, will return to the stage with a unique solo concert titled SANDALI: The Cup of Joe Fest at the Philippine Sports Stadium, on May 23.

Eight years since the band formed, Cup of Joe has cemented their reputation as the definitive Gen Z act in Philippine music. This month, their mega-hit “Multo” became the most-streamed Original Pilipino Music (OPM) song of all time on Spotify, surpassing half a billion streams.

To offer a new experience for its fans (nicknamed “Joewahs”), they have decided to mount a water festival for their fourth major solo concert in the Philippine Sports Stadium — setting a high bar as the first-ever OPM act to headline a show at the massive, open-air venue.

“Inspired siya sa experience namin tuwing lumilibot kami sa bansa, specifically sa mga fiesta sa probinsya na malalayo (It’s inspired by our experiences when we tour the country, specifically at fiestas in faraway provinces),” vocalist Gian Bernardino said at a press conference in Quezon City on April 15.

“We’ve established that when it’s our set, people jump and go wild,” he explained. “Kapag rain shows, sobrang taas ng energy. Magiging masaya, lalo na’t tag-araw na (When we have rain shows, the energy is very high. It will be fun, especially now that it’s summer).”

The Philippine Sports Stadium, with a sprawling capacity of about 25,000 for concerts, also marks a huge milestone for the band, which started out performing in intimate bars and cafés. The show will be directed by Paolo Valenciano, whose vision for it will include “water cannons and fireworks.”

While the seated section is already sold out, splash zone tickets are still available and are recommended by the band for the optimal experience.

“It’s our dream festival from an audience perspective!” Mr. Bernardino said, adding that people should come in “comfortable yet chic summer outfits,” with a change of clothes since they could get wet.

NEW EP
Because the concert is titled SANDALI, fans can also expect an EP of the same name to come out soon beforehand.

“It can be interpreted as sandali as in ‘moment,’ or sandali as in ‘wait,’” said Mr. Bernardino, on the title of the EP and show. “It’s a wordplay between asking the world to wait a bit or to just savor the moment, like getting scared or nervous but doing it anyway.”

Compared to Cup of Joe’s emotionally heavy album Silakbo, the new record will be “much lighter,” according to vocalist Raphaell Ridao.

“Sandali is more high-energy, but also emotional. It still talks about personal experiences but in a more uplifting way,” he said. “Nakaayon siya sa SANDALI Fest na celebratory (It fits with the SANDALI Fest which is celebratory).”

When asked what the vibe of the EP will be like, the band said that they could imagine the songs being used for travel vlogs and videos. Mr. Bernardino teased that one song is about “choosing between two paths.”

As for the concert, fans can expect both new tracks and old songs done with new arrangements. Instead of their usual 45-minute set, the show is slated to last three hours.

Cup of Joe also revealed that there will be guest artists set to perform alongside them, one of which is iconic OPM band Kamikaze.

Tickets to SANDALI: The Cup of Joe Fest at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan are available via SM Tickets and Ticketnet online and outlets nationwide, and range in price from P1,000 to P7,800. — Brontë H. Lacsamana