Remembering The Eheads and Praying For Ely

A little weird...

I haven't been able to turn on my DVD player for weeks or even months (since i transferred in a new unit) because of workload. Even with newly borrowed Miami Vice DVDisk, Larry Bird VCD and the staple Godfather Series sitting atop the sub-woofer, I didn't load any.

For no apparent reason at all, I had the craving to watch and listen to one while I am it, doing my work. During our family reunion, I received a bootleg copy of Eraserheads DVD with not-so-DVD-quality content in it. That's the disk that took away the DVD dust.

My cousin gave me this Eheads gift after I gave to him one classic VHS tape of a porn-flick, "The World Luckiest Man," that stars Jon Dough. Well it's a separate story altogether.

Little did I know that sometime around that period, Ely Buendia, Eraserheads’ front man was at risk.

The DVD copy was murky in all aspect, the sound, the crowd, the video quality, etc. It doesn't help that the Eheads, mainly, Ely Buendia isn't that much adept doing live. He is a studio guy or so I believe. He is known to crack at times during live performances. Well, that's mainly the reason why Eheads clicked, they were/are ordinary musikeros, people, me and you were able to associate with them, their songs and their struggles.

It doesn’t help Part 2... That the act was at a Philippine Basketball Association event and it was far from a rock/pop crowd that rockers need to have that live act vibe. The set includes Overdrive, Minsan, Alapaap, Torpedo, Huwag Mo Ng Itanong and Ang Huling El Bimbo. If I am not mistaken, the gig was an opening act for a PBA opening night sometime mid 90s. Of course, Ely and the band wasn't expecting a mosh-pit but rather a crowd waiting for then-hot Sonny Jaworski. And so, a customary sarcastic "thank you, thank you po" after each song from Ely were heard. Back then (maybe 'til now), he addressed a lame crowd with sarcastic “thank you, thank you po” line. I was able to catch the Eraserheads live 2 times. I remember quite well, one was at Kampo at QC and one at Ermita. He did the “thank you, thank you po” routine at Ermita.

I remember, one time, having heard the news that the Banana Type EP was out, we even rode PUJ and grabbed a copy, I believe tape was pegged at around 90 pesos then. I remember, I waited hours just to get the Fruitcake cassette album on the day it was released. CD wasn’t popular still that time. I remember, marking down the day that Eheads will have a live set where they will sing 4 to 5 songs at NU-107 radio station. I remember, giving up precious hundred bucks just to get a copy of official but shortlived Eheads magazine, Pillbox. Twice! I still have the copy 'til now. I remember composing songs myself, a la Eraserheads and engaging my cousins to a music-game called “strum-off”. Where, you get to have a chance to play and sing your own songs ‘til you don’t have anything to play (this game usually ended 3am or later).

After saying that I AM NOT, I guess I am an Eraserheads' fan.

Those were the days (college) when pocket was thin and watching a live gig of Eheads took some preparation. I don’t even have a nice tee to wear so I borrowed one yellow Giordano Classic shirt for that Kampo gig. At the end of that night, 50% of Eheads signed that shirt. Ely and Marcus signed. Buddy seems to be aloof so I hesitated to ask and Raymund was a little unpredictable so I guess I backed off. I wonder where the hell that shirt is, it could fetch good at eBay.

Being young and seeing Ely for the first time in that Kampo gig, I asked for a hand shake. Man! Ely came straight out of the CR. He was (un)fresh from peeing, when he shook my hands. I hope he washed. During the handshake, he said "Wag nyo ko kakalimutan sa darating na eleksyon".

Well, It's all-over the news that Ely Buendia suffered a heart attack. Having undergone operation and needing one again, undoubtedly, it's a serious one. There is a reason why Intensive Care Unit is named ‘intensive care unit’. The guy needs a prayer and some. And why not? Saying a little prayer for a man, who somehow, influenced me and whole bunch of kids is just right.

My sister is pregnant and about ready to give birth. She's booked at Asian Hospital. When I visit her there in a few days I just hope and pray Ely is out of the place, resting and on the comeback trail outside the hospital. On the comeback trail, in life and not necessarily in music.

More than the music, more than us, hoping for a Eraserheads possible reunion in years time, it’s Ely Buendia’s life that is important. So c’mon pray for the guy who sometime ago wrote one, two, three and more songs. Songs para sa masa.