The secret behind Boyce Avenue’s 14-year love affair with Pinoy fans

In February 2020, the American pop band Boyce Avenue visited the Philippines for the 10th time for their customary series of Valentine concerts.

News about the impending spread of COVID-19 was just starting to gain traction, and experts had yet to fully realize the severity of its potential impact. The following month, the world went into lockdown.

So while their scheduled shows pushed through, little did they—or anyone else—know that those would be some of the last live music events artists and fans alike would get to experience in the next two years.

"As we were about to make our way there, our parents sent us these heavy duty masks that our dad uses when he's painting … We thought they were crazy. We packed them in our bags and didn't even have to use them. But all of a sudden, we went straight to quarantine. The whole world felt different," bassist Daniel Manzano told the Inquirer in an online interview.

That's why Daniel and his brother bandmates—lead vocalist Alejandro Manzano and guitarist Fabian Manzano—couldn't be more grateful that they managed to squeeze in those shows, before the live music scene ground to a halt. "We spent the rest of that year just feeling thankful for our Philippine shows, because those were the last ones we did before the pandemic," Daniel said.

"If that tour was scheduled a month later, we would have been forced to pull the plug on it," Alejandro pointed out. "It worked out purely because of timing."

Tradition lives on

But now that things are more or less back to normal, Boyce Avenue's Valentine "tradition" lives on. Mounted by Wilbros Live, the band's upcoming Philippine tour will have them taking the stage anew at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 11. They will then proceed to the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City on Feb. 12; and then to SMX Convention Center in Davao City on Feb. 14. Visit www.tickenet.com.ph.

"There's this level of gratitude among everyone who made it through to the other side. So now, it feels amazing that we're flying there again this February. The tradition is back," Alejandro said. "And it's going to be very special."

As a tour-driven act, the lack of live shows amid the pandemic was a considerable blow for the group. But it gave the brothers the rare opportunity to spend more time with their extended families. They also focused on creating online content, which wasn't much of an adjustment for the band. After all, they blew up online around 2008, thanks to their viral covers and original songs on YouTube.

"Touring, for us, is the highlight of what we do. And aside from the fans, what makes it even more special is that we get to have our families on the road with us. It was good to have the time to spend with them," Alejandro said.

"We also made more content for YouTube. It was nice to be able to focus on that … We have that flexibility. And in that regard, we do feel blessed," he added.

Opening for Boyce Avenue are Filipino acts Adie, Nobita and The Juans. "We were able to check out their music. We're excited to see them. They're all doing some cool stuff and we know they're up and coming," Daniel related. "One of the things we love about touring is that we get to see all these talented artists."

Cultural similarities

The Florida-based trio has been visiting the Philippines since 2009. But still, their fans can't get enough of the group's acoustic covers and romantic, guitar-driven songs and continue to flock to their shows. "Filipino fans don't seem to get tired of us. It has been 14 years," Alejandro said. "As long as Filipinos believe in love, I think they will believe in Boyce Avenue."

Asked what they think makes their music resonate with Filipino listeners, the three artists—who are of Puerto Rican descent—surmised that it may have something to do with cultural similarities. "Even our last names are similar, which I think goes back to our history with Spain," Alejandro said. "But also, the fans and the people we have worked with there have a sense of humor that's similar to ours."

But it all boils down, he added, to the love of love songs. Like many Filipinos, the brothers grew up listening to romantic ballads their parents used to play. "Filipinos seem to really love acoustic, emotional music. They know the lyrics and the sentiments of the songs. We see that when we perform songs that have a love message or theme," Alejandro said.

"And that's what we also grew up listening to. We would later on fall in love with rock music. But when we were very young, we would go on road trips as a family. And they would always play love songs—Motown, Lionel Richie and the like," he related. "That may be one of the main reasons we developed a deep bond and connection with Filipinos for many years."