PORT ANGELES — Musical ambassadors of Filipino culture, The Filharmonic, are bringing their self-described retro ’90s sound to Port Angeles next week with a performance at Peninsula College.
The group — an a cappella boy band consisting of six Filipino-Americans based in Los Angles — gained notoriety as a finalist in the fourth season of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and also in the film “Pitch Perfect 2,” a music comedy released in 2015 by Universal Pictures.
The band includes vocalists VJ Rosales, Joe Caigoy, Trace Gaynor and Barry Fortgang, vocal bass Jules Cruz and beat boxer Niko Del Rey. Their music style is self-described as an “urbanesque hip-hop sound with ’90s nostalgia.”
“We are all Filipino, so it just comes naturally to represent our culture, and I really believe that Asian-American culture in general is just not represented enough,” Rosales said over the phone this week during a joint interview with Caigoy.
“I think it is important for us as The Filharmonic to represent Asian-Americans, especially in music.”
While some mainstream Americans might be confused by Filipino culture, especially the popularity of balut — a developing duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in its shell — The Filharmonic aims to show such customs are nothing to sniff at and can be downright enjoyable, Caigoy said.
“I think a lot of people see a lot of weird things — or they are unfamiliar with a lot of things — and sometimes it freaks people out,” he said.
“I think we just want to show people that a lot of this stuff is normal. It is fun.”
During their stint on “The Sing-Off,” The Filharmonic came in fourth place out of 10 competing acts.
Following the conclusion of their time on the show, The Filharmonic participated in the first Sing-Off National Tour — sharing the stage with Linkin Park, The Black Eyed Peas and Pentatonix.
They have since continued touring and have now released their debut album, “MotownFillie.”
The group currently is in the midst of their national “Get Up & Go Tour,” with March performances at venues in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, South Dakota and three stops in western Washington.
“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to bring such a high caliber group to PC,” said Kennady Whitehead, Peninsula College Associated Student Council vice-president of programming.
“The Filharmonic is the biggest group that the Peninsula Associated Student Council have had the chance to host. We are expecting this show to be a complete sellout.”
Peninsula College is “very fortunate to land a stop on this tour,” said Rick Ross, the college’s associate dean for student life.
“Hats off to Kennady and her programming team for making this happen. What a great opportunity for this community’s aspiring young vocal artists, and music fans of all ages, to see a world-class a capella group in such a small venue.”
Tickets
The Filharmonic will take the stage at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Little Theater, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Whitehead encourages participants to secure tickets as soon as possible because only 100 tickets will be available to the community, with the remaining 152 tickets reserved for Peninsula College students.
Tickets for the general public are available online at www.bookaneer.pencol.edu, under the “Merchandise” tab, and are $20 for adults and $15 for youths 17 and younger.
Tickets for college students are available at the Associated Student Council office in the Pirate Union Building. The show is underwritten by the council, allowing for free admission to current students.
For more information, contact Whitehead at 360-417-6432.
Amped up
The Filharmonic thrives on the excitement of their audience, Caigoy said.
“I just really enjoy the energy that they give to us,” he said.
“We do a lot of [music] videos, and those are fun . . . but when you are in front of a live audience and they are just screaming and cheering,” that is something the whole group enjoys “and are so passionate about.”
“It is just such a great feeling that we get to travel and do it for so many people,” he said.
The most memorable performance wasn’t on national TV, but when The Filharmonic visited the Philippines, Rosales said.
“We were finally able to go as a group for the very first time,” he said.
“And, actually for me, it was my very first time in the Philippines.”
The local welcome was huge, Rosales said, adding the Filipinos they met were very supportive “of what we do and what we bring to the table. It was just great to see everyone and meet everyone there.”
For more information about The Filharmonic, visit www.thefilharmonic.com.
