Years after closing during the pandemic, night bars are coming back to life as independent artists and bands return to the music scene.
“I think the music that has to be at the core of an act. They have a lot to share [about] their craft. And everything is driven by that. The desire to connect and to share their craft,” Abrogar, who was under indie production SYQL, said.
With the return of Jack Daniel’s On Stage this year, the brand sought to revitalize the music scene through performances by indie artists.
Gabriel Fajardo, the brand’s marketing manager, said the initiative provides a space for both artists and audiences to reconnect and rebuild the community.
“We’re coming from the pandemic, we’re rebuilding the community, [and] we’re rebuilding everything like the bars,” Fajardo said.
“Now that the market’s open, we want them to have that really good experience with music [and] with the bands,” he added.
According to Fajardo, the brand helped indie artists to reach new audiences, offering “unique experiences” they missed during pandemic lockdowns.
The second phase of Jack Daniel’s On Stage, called “Road to Indiefest,” continued the program’s mission of giving Filipino independent artists a spotlight.
Out of 35 acts nominated during last year’s “Jack Daniel’s On Stage: Playlist Live,” 20 were selected to perform in shows organized by the brand.
The lineup
The 20 indie artists and bands set to perform in the Prod Nights, Mixtape, Soundcheck, and Session shows are:
- Alyson
- Ang Bagong Luto Ni Enriquez
- August Wahh
- Cheeky Things
- Dayaw
- Fables
- Halina
- K+
- Mi Mi
- Minaw
- Naiv
- Nanay Mo
- Novocrane
- Peej
- Pinkmen
- Spacedog Spacecat
- The Revisors
- Ultraviolet
- Uncle Bob’s Funky Seven Club
- Ysanygo
Prod Nights, running from September 2025 to March 2026, would feature 23 sponsored shows organized by the program’s indie production partners, including Doc Def Productions, Funky Beat Entertainment, GNN, Locked Down Entertainment, Otelik Presents, SYQL, The Flying Lugaw, and Red Ninja Productions. Each team will manage the indie artists performing in their respective shows.
The Mixtape, set for November 15 and December 13, will showcase collaborative performances, pairing the 20 indie artists to perform joint tracks.
Meanwhile, audiences will help decide which artists advance in the program through three interactive voting events in Soundcheck, scheduled from January to March next year.
During the same period, the artists will also have the opportunity to showcase their songs through Jam 88.3’s online live sessions under the program Session.
