Route 70: The road to nostalgia

Isn’t it ironic that despite the advancements in music technology these days, today’s breed of songwriters seems to pale in comparison to those of generations past?

Maybe their creative wells have indeed run dry, or maybe there’s just something in yesteryear’s music that lures even the younger generations. It’s a tried-and-tested formula for longevity, even among today’s local singers. Ran out of new songs? Heck, dig up your attic, dust off those old vinyls and savor those crisp hi-fidelity pops and crackles emanating from your vintage turntables.

Like wine, music gets better with age, and an ample dose could leave one drunk with nostalgia.

It’s that same exhilarating "high" that inspired a group of veteran band players to relive their glory days and play the same songs they grew up with. Now carving their own niche in the retro-dominated music scene, Route 70 vows to steer nostalgia buffs towards another road less traveled.

"Retro is not just about disco or the Beatles," explains Route 70 guitarist and co-founder Butch Elizalde. "There’s a vast reservoir of classic hits out there that people are dying to hear."

Dingdong Eduque, vocalist and composer/arranger couldn’t agree more. "When Butch and the other guys came up to me about starting the band, one of the come-ons was that we could play the songs that the other bands don’t play, like I have yet to hear anyone else play Leroy Hudson’s It’s Different, or other songs like City of Angels, Love’s Theme, or Ashes to Ashes."

"The ’70s was the era of make-love, anti-war sentiment," he adds. "The lyrics then were all about love. And it’s not surprising that most of today’s music actually borrows heavily from that era."

If Dingdong’s name rings a bell, it’s because he composed some of Side A’s earlier monster hits, such as Hold On, Set You Free and Forever Stay. His other songs have been interpreted by Janno Gibbs, Nonoy Zuñiga and the Parliament Syndicate, among others.

Dingdong was also a former member of the Manila Band during the ’80s. "You could say that we were the Side A during those years," he quips. "In fact, most of Side A’s members used to watch and jam with us then." But now, the tables have turned.

Butch, on the other hand, was the guitarist of the original Music and Magic (Kuh Ledesma’s band) and has since formed other groups. He is also a top-rate session player. A blues guitarist at heart, Butch leans heavily into such Strat-wielding guitarists as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jimi Hendrix.

Second vocalist Toots Almazan was a mainstay of the original Family Birth Control Band while Kearney Lising, the lone female member, used to be a frontliner for the Mulatto Band.

Route 70’s other members are Benzon Ang on drums, Dante Remigio on bass, Danny Favis on keyboards, and a horn section composed of Danny Romasanta on trumpet and Oscar Hernandez on trombone.

Theirs is a formidable ensemble that can dish out anything from heartfelt ballads to funk-flavored Motown grooves. I was fortunate enough to catch their gig at the Intercon’s Le Boulevardier recently and was instantly transfixed by their set opener: a faithfully-accurate rendition of Barry White’s Love’s Theme. What soon followed was a melange of ’70s hits that would definitely make Austin Powers scream, "yeah, baby yeah!!!" "Shaggadelic" would be an understatement. You could swear you were sporting an Afro and bell-bottoms to boot!

"We’re not very ‘rock,’ neither are we too deep in ’60s music. We’re definitely not into the Beatles thing," clarifies Dingdong. "My biggest influences were Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson... a lot of Motown. Another big one who just disappeared was Dennis Lambert (Of All The Things)."

"We also do a lot of ’70s dance music," Dingdong adds, "but we can’t do the Bee Gees! (laughs) We obviously have too much hormones for that kind of thing!"

With a wealth of musical knowledge and experience derived from decades of playing, Route 70’s members are more than qualified to offer sage advice to fledgling musicians. "Just be yourself," muses Butch. "Actually, in this business, you learn everyday. It’s like studying medicine."

Given their quirks, band players can also be extremely opinionated about their repertoire. But, as these guys have learned, compromising sometimes works to their advantage. "You know, compromising isn’t that bad a word. Like, there are some songs that I originally didn’t like, but eventually, after listening to them, they sort of ‘grow on you,’" Dingdong adds.

Barely six months since their inception, Route 70 hasn’t looked that far ahead into the future. "Our short-term plan would be be just to play and enjoy the music," Butch asserts. "Maybe a small-scale concert in the near future. But we’re not rushing. Things are just starting to fall in place now. I didn’t even think we’d sound this way when we were just starting out."

This September, Route 70 plays Mondays and Saturdays at the Intercon and Fridays at Banda Forest.