Sacramento, CA – Resounding applause, phone cams recording, and young and young-once spectators coming to the front of the centerstage to altogether dance to the fast beat music rendered by the so-called “The Beatles of Tacloban”, the sensational REO Brothers.
Such could be the simplest way to describe a night of performance of this phenomenal 5-sibling male rock band, which took a leap to fame in the live gig industry following the onslaught of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that pummeled Eastern Visayas on November 8, 2013.
REO, which stands for the initials of their first names, their middle name Evasco and last name Otic, has etched a mark of world-class performance on stage in the Philippines and abroad. Their first names, Reno, Ronjoseph, Raymart, Ralph, and Roy Mark.
More on the Beatles billboard top hits, the REO Brothers are also covering songs of the Bee Gees, the Beach Boys, and Earth, Wind & Fire, among other rock stars.
At the concert on June 4th in this Central Valley town Elk Grove, the REO Brothers did a medley of hit songs of the Beatles, Bee Gees, Queen, and Beach Boys with “My Sharona” hit in the finale.
Front Act
But before they did their non-stop medley from soft rock to pop rock to disco songs, artists who are either Filipinos residing now in the US or of Filipino descent, set the mood.
One last to do an opening act was the 10-year old Karoline Ongjoco, born to Fil-Am parents from Luzon. Prior to introducing the REO Brothers, she captured the admiration of the spectators with her songs, among them ‘Both Sides Now’ and ‘Paraiso.’
Her remarkable performance and impressive stage presence wowed all of those in the concert hall of Consumnes Oaks High School Performing Arts Center.
Karoline’s grandfather, Johnnie Cayanan, informed that the young theater star had performed in a concert in New York as well.
She starred in a musical play in Guys and Dolls Junior of the Musical Mayhem Production based in Elk Grove, California.
Delighted spectators
Karoline’s rendition has effectively set the mood for a night of total satisfaction in music.
Hmong-American Nick Yang, an 18-year old sophomore student at California State University – Sacramento, did not hesitate to watch the REO Brothers concert out of curiosity. He said eventually, though, that he enjoyed the show.
“Overall, it was very nice. At the beginning, because I didn’t know the REO Brothers, I didn’t really find interest in the concert. Most of the songs they played I didn’t know until near the middle-ish,” he said.
He added, “Even though I didn’t know most of it, it was nice to see the audience go up and dance because the community seemed really united.”
Rise from the ravages of ST Yolanda.
Raymart, in vocals and guitar and third among the REO siblings, said in a brief talk with this writer, admitted that having arisen from the travails their family went through when Yolanda struck Tacloban City and the rest of the Eastern Visayas region 10 years ago.
With the help from persons who have connections with venues they can play their genre of 50’s to 70’s music, the REO Brothers started getting encore in their performances in Metro Manila.
Later they were featured in talk shows and ABS CBN’s Christmas special entitled “Kwento ng Pasko – Pag-asa at Pagbangon” (Story of Christmas – Hope and Resurrection) on December 10, 2013 at Araneta Coliseum, but which was aired on December 14–15 and the Pamilyang May K Ok of TV Maria.
Raymart added that they are happy seeing the audience enjoy their performances on stage.
From their Sacramento County appearance, the REO Brothers will fly to other states and to Canada for their next shows, according to the producer of the US-Canada Tour of Tacloban Beatles.
BY: EILEEN NAZARENO-BALLESTEROS
