BLEACHERS BREW EST. MAY 2006

Someone asked me how my blog and newspaper column came to be titled "Bleachers Brew". It's like this, it's an amalgam of sorts of two things: The bleachers area in the stadium/arena where I used to sit when I would watch baseball, football, and basketball games and Miles Davis' great jazz album Bitches Brew. That's how it got culled together. I originally planned on calling it "The View from the Big Chair" that is a nod to Tears For Fear's second album, Songs from the Big Chair. So there.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Who knew that Halikinu Radio could be so much fun?

When I first listened to Halikinu Radio several years ago, I tried to get Ateneo Team B on the show. Little did I know that soon after that I’d get invited onto the show as a host.

It has been two years since I joined Halikinu Radio and I’ve not missed a single episode. Doing a one-hour radio talk show is more fun than I expected. I used to listen to late night radio talk shows in the US and I always thought that next to sitting by the windowsill of my apartment writing (about my adventures Stateside, scripts for comic books I bring with me to Manhattan the following day to stalk Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, and poetry) it made the nights so far away seem less lonelier or at times seem a little more romantic.

As a youngster, I used to hang out at 99.5 RT (and for a while at KIIS-FM) where I’d briefly sub for a cousin of mine (who worked as a part-time jock) when he’d take a cigarette break or have some late night dinner.

At Halikinu Radio, I’ve been a proponent of guesting teams outside the Ateneo men’s basketball team. Thankfully, the producers are of the same mind and quite enthusiastic about the idea to the point we've gone beyond the walls of Loyola Heights to other campuses. For the blue side, we’ve been able to invite members of the taekwondo, football, volleyball teams as well as a few others. As for other squads, this year we were able to bring on board the NU Bulldogs and now my co-hosts and producers got a first hand look at the team that I've constantly written about and are my second fave team next to the Blue Eagles. We almost had the Adamson Falcons but that was the day when traffic was so horrendous that by the time coach Leo Austria arrived, the show was over by 10 minutes. We invited the DLSU Green Archers but that hit some snags (maybe next year) although we did have some La Sallian alums in media making an appearance last year. The reason why we tried to invite other teams was to give people a different perspective on other squads. We truly hope that you liked that.

There were episodes that were simply fun from beginning to end and others were we wish we had more time because we had one guest after another. But a one-hour show talking about Ateneo sports peppered with witticisms and good oldkalokohan with your friends is really a great experience. Plus we made a lot of new friends!

Last night, we wrapped up the season with one of the best episodes of the season. We had team manager Paolo Trillo and first assistant Sandy Arespacochaga as guests and their insights and anecdotes were revealing, funny, and well, the perfect way to cap the season. We had 45 minutes of talk time and we could have gone on for another hour or so but we had to wrap it up because there was another show after us.

Until next season, I’d just like to say thanks to Ralph and Trina for brining me on board. My co-hosts Evee and Chuck along with our missing comrades Mhel Garrido, Martin David, and Portia Silva. NU Station Manager Cris Hermosisima, a fellow brother in blue and white who is really supportive. NU jocks Pontri and Cyrus for helping out. And Mexicali for buttering me up. Hahaha!

‘Til the next…. OBF!!!

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