SUMMER THEATER WORKSHOPS

The Living Room Studios launches its Summer Theater Workshops with courses and Children's and Teen Theater, Basic and Advanced Acting. For more details, click here.

Just below the veranda...

... is our vegetable garden in which tomato and lettuce seeds are currently germinating.

Our first homestay guests

Thank you so much, Jade and family for being such wonderful guests not only of The Living Room but of Baguio.

We're jammin'

It was, in fact, one of the scenarios we thought of when we first checked out the space upstairs - this would be a great place to have some friends and fellow artists over for an afternoon of, say, a blue jam session. We had our first one last Saturday.

A couple of guitar and one bass amps, and we were good to go. It was nice and easy, first to arrive was Mark Ventura, or Doc Mark as we call him, a true blues aficionado, father of guitarist Ethan Andrew Ventura, lugging a guitar case. No, he didn't play, he was there to just take it all in - the guitar was for sale, and our son, Leon Karlos Altomonte, had his eyes on it.

Ian Paolo Acosta, coming from his successful EP launch, "Palaboy," held at our place last June 14, plugged in first and warmed things up with Ethan. Leon was soon all over that white guitar playing rhythm to Ian's riffs.

We wished we had a drum set - perhaps a few more sound proofing efforts so as not to disturb the neighbors that much. (Should be ok though, we don't complain whenever they go into one of those videoke concerts with feelings on Friday nights).

Karl Wilcockson (Tumbleweeds) arrived with his enviable gear. He performed three pieces that he prepared just for this get-together. It was great to see both established musicians and budding ones get together for an afternoon of interaction - which was done both at the jamming area with their guitars and at the tables over ice tea and beer.

Ric Maniquis, also fresh from a jam-packed performance at The Living Room, arrived a little late (he came from an exhibit opening at the Maryknoll Sanctuary, which according to him is a must see... and we will visit that exhibit hopefully today).

Manong Nelson Alabanza, civil engineer in the truest sense, a Living Room regular, and despite nursing a cold, came for a cup of coffee.

Mike Maximo sang Pride and Joy to his heart's delight, his son watching intently at the next table.  

We ended the day with Steamroller... and we all thought, yeah, let's do this again soon...

Ric Maniquis' stories

Every available seat was taken, but listening to the music from the veranda through a picture window was still a wonderful experience. It was an honor and a pleasure for us to feature The Music & Imagery of Ric Maniquis last Saturday, June 28, 2014.

Maniquis' stories, told through songs and images, were heart-warming and inspiring. The audience composed of budding teen-aged and professional, established photographers, friends in the Baguio community with some traveling all the way from Manila to be there for Ric, and artist's mother was all eyes and ears as Maniquis seamlessly segued from a Sting to a Beatles cover while a selection of his photographs played on a projector screen that served as the perfect backdrop to the performance which was made even more colorful with the help of guest artists guitarist Ethan Andrew Ventura and saxophonist Jonnie Abubo.

Ric Maniquis' photographs will remain on exhibit at The Living Room until July 19, 2014.

What's cooking?

While we try to fill up our weekends with exclusive performances, presentations and other art-related events, we are also excited to just have guests over for a good cup of Coffee or a steaming bowl of Hungarian Goulash.

Our Weekend Cafe opens, well, on weekends this July. 

Business Unusual in July at The Living Room (Baguio)

A couple of artist talks, an open jam session and exclusive performances are among the events lined up for the month of July at The Living Room.

We open the month with Open Amp, a blues open jam session, on July 5 at 4pm.

The Living Room's Weekend Cafe also opens its doors from 10am-7pm.

For inquiries, email us at thelivingroom.baguio@gmail.com or text/call mobile 09993892563.