For any creative wanting to find connection and community, it can be a pretty daunting task. Add location, limited venues, and the usual barriers of getting people in a space together, and it becomes even harder to make something stick.
But sometimes all it takes is a few people who care enough to start.
Our friends over at weekdaze have made their mark at their homebase of Los Baños, Laguna, and we’ve been hearing the noise that they’ve been making since 2023.
During our trip to Laguna last year, we caught up with tim, one of the people behind weekdaze, to talk about how everything came together – and why Elbi might just be one of the most exciting places for emerging creatives right now.
weekdaze’s activities revolve around three main things: flea markets, shirts, and live music.
At first glance it might sound simple, but together they form something bigger than the sum of their parts. The community markets give creatives a physical space to show what they’ve been making. The shirts become wearable markers of the scene. And the gigs – most notably their Save Me Elbi series – bring everyone under the same roof.
If you’ve been paying attention to the scene down south, chances are you’ve heard about Save Me Elbi already.
tim’s story starts in a way that feels familiar to anyone who’s spent time around Elbi. Before weekdaze became what it is now, he was working at a local café in town, meeting people day by day.
Bands looking for places to play. Artists looking for spaces to show their work. Creatives wanting to connect with others who were doing the same thing. According to tim, it all unfolded in a blur – one introduction leading to another until a small yet tight-knit network began forming.
What followed was the realization that maybe Elbi didn’t need to wait for a trip to Manila to make their mark; maybe home is where the magic’s at.
A tighter community brings out more passion, and results in more energy. We asked tim on what a Save Me Elbi gig feels like, and he gave us this:
“Parang pwede ko sabihin yung mga nakikita ko lagi parang Oasis na gig. Napaka-biblical, napaka-magical, at napaka-immaculate.”
And while the comparison might sound wild, anyone who’s attended knows exactly what he means. The energy at these shows feels different – loud in a way that only happens when a room is filled with people who actually know each other. And with the hunger from the Elbi audience when it comes to the demand for live music, every edition of Save Me Elbi is a special time to be there live.
Of course, the gigs occasionally bring bigger names down to Los Baños, like SOS, ONE CLICK STRAIGHT, and Hey June!, but the real heart of the series lies in its role as a platform for local artists trying to find their footing.
Sometimes the impact is simple but meaningful, like sharing the same lineup with the aforementioned artists to people sharing clips of the performances over on social media. Those small things end up going a long way.
Some standouts as per tim would be Amukin, Lynde, and Kolaris as acts to look out for when visiting the local scene.
“Ang daming local artist na hindi nabibigyan ng platform. Napaka-importante kasi sa amin na majority nung lineup talaga ay local. Pag sinabi ko local hindi naman yung taga-LB lang, pwede yung taga-malalapit na lugar.”
Rather than having specific niches for their crowd, they are generally more diverse due to the nature of acts figuring out their own styles and identities. It also serves as a way for not just the Laguna crowd but even the fans from Batangas and Cavite to get a chance to watch their favorite acts live without even traveling to Manila.
Part of that momentum comes from the artists themselves. When people outside Laguna wear weekdaze merch, repost gig clips, or shout out the community online, the ripple effect travels far beyond Elbi.
Despite the location, the circumstances, and all the usual headaches that come with organizing these types of events outside the city, weekdaze continues to punch above its weight. Compared to Metro Manila, where both conventional and unconventional venues can be booked at almost any moment, Los Baños has its own set of restrictions.
At times, it almost feels like operations are under a spell.
But as weekdaze keeps moving and proving, if there’s a will, there’s always a way. Cultivating a community isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do, as credibility and name recognition takes time to build. The mission however remains the same: to give artists a platform and to give people in the area a sense of belonging.
weekdaze simply tries to create a space where that process feels less difficult. Because even with the challenges, the noise from Elbi has already reached ears beyond Los Baños, and it doesn’t sound like it’s turning down anytime soon.
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