Top 10 Most Unforgettable Confessions of a Partyphile Moments

If you don’t already know, Confessions of a Partyphile, my radio show, is ending this Wednesday. It has been a glorious four-year ride on the show but times are changing and I have to do something for myself. To celebrate the end of a wonderful era in my personal and professional career, I’m counting down the most unforgettable moments on the show. Here they are:

10.) The first-ever Confessions of a Partyphile show: How can I forget? I thought about the segments for weeks and weeks and it was finally time to execute it. I came up with some segments that I still use until the last day of my radio show like the DRINK OF THE WEEK and EVENT UPDATES. I had a very limited play list as party music was just on its way to going mainstream. I remember the first show included Don’t Stop the Music by Rihanna and Insomnia by Craig David. Yes, it’s been that long.

9.) I got a message from an African-American New Yorker: I know this doesn’t seem very grand, but an African-America New Yorker dropped me a message on Facebook telling me that he had been staying in the Philippines for a couple of weeks and he religiously listened to Confessions of a Partyphile for two reasons: 1.) His girlfriend was a huge fan and 2.) My show reminded him of home. According to him, Confessions of a Partyphile sounded like it was right out of New York radio. It was a very proud and humbling moment for me because it gave me the sense that I was doing something right. That Confessions of a Partyphile actually measured up to international standards.

8.) Steve Midnight saying bye bye: I was on the air with Steve Midnight for over two years and there is no doubt that he was the best on-air partner I had ad he became such a dear friend. His departure changed the whole dynamic of the show and really felt like half of Confessions of a Partyphile left with him. In the end, I truly believe that th show was as much his as it was mine.

7.) Debuting Make It Better: It was Alessandra de Rossi’s first single off her first album. We debuted the song before anyone else in Philippine radio; and it was extra special because Alessandra is a good friend and the type of music she made was not very radio-friendly. I felt like having the opportunity to play a song that is not very radio-friendly was a big deal in advancing her musical career as well as introducing a new genre of music to the local audience. Plus, Alex took time out of her busy schedule to tune in the whole time.

6.) Having Chef Bautista on the show: Chef Bautista was a guest chef for Marco Polo Davao’s French food festival. His usual clientele included some of the 100 richest people in the Philippines and he got his culinary education in Le Cordon Bleu; arguably the finest culinary school in the world. And because I am me, I asked him to share pulutan recipes. I just find it funny how I had such an amazing and cultured chef on the show and the only thing I asked him for was the simplest pulutan recipe he had that went well with beer.

5.)

4.) Having Chef Sharwin Tee on the show: Chef Sharwin Tee is the host of Lifestyle Network’s Curiosity Got the Chef. Because I am a fan of the show, the network, the chef, and food in general, it was a really thrilling experience to have Chef Sharwin on the show, sharing his recipes and culinary-know-how with our listeners.

3.) Drink of the Week: Bastard Series: The Bastard series is a five-drink menu that includes a starter (Gin Fizz), The three bastard drinks ( Suffering Bastard, Dying Bastard, Dead Bastard), and a closing drink (Bastard in Heaven). This five-set cocktail menu is the most lethal drink combo you can ever consume. It is set that only a special breed actually make it to the fourth drink. We gave the recipe out on the air, and I had the most overwhelming response from the listeners who wanted to get the recipe. Consequently, my blog post which contained the recipe for the Bastard Series became one of the most popular ones on my blog.

2.) Having 2,000 Online Listeners: This made me realize that people actually listened to my show. There was an episode of Confessions of a Partyphile where we actually reached 2,000. During that episode, we started with about 800 listeners, and by the time we ended we had more than 2,000. Once we ended the show, the number of online listeners gradually decreased to 500. What made it special is the fact that they actually listened and partied with me for the duration of the show; and that told me that people were actually responding to the show.

1.) Debuting Happiness by Alexis Jordan: Happiness by Alexis Jordan was released on September 7, 2010. We started playing it on the show the same day it came out, September 8 in the Philippines. Everybody loved the song, and it started to pick up. They started playing it in Manila clubs six months after, and I even heard it played in a club in Dumaguete a year after. I’ve always felt like Confessions of a Partyphile helped bring the song in the forefront, or we just got really lucky to be the first to debut a song that would become an instant dancefloor classic.

Saying Goodbye to Confessions of a Partyphile (The Radio Show)

I started Confessions of a Partyphile on October 2008. At face value, Confessions of a Partyphile seemed like any other radio show. It had a host, music was played, and there were assigned segments and topics for the night. But in many ways, Confessions of a Partyphile was the first of its kind.

It was the first locally-produced radio talk show that played purely party music; it was the first radio show that promoted partying as a way of life, and it was the first locally-produced radio show to have regular events.

When I started this radio show, it came as a surprise. Mostly because I was very new to the industry, and the opportunity to be given a chance to start a special show was reserved for more seasoned of DJs. I do not know what Miss Joey, our station manager, saw in me at that time, but I am most grateful that she gave me this platform to promote what I believe in.

When Confessions of a Partyphile started, people thought it was controversial. To be promoting drinking and partying in mass media was something that did not sit well with everybody. However, the true reason why I started Confessions of a Partyphile, the newspaper column—blog—and radio show four years ago, was to educate young partyphiles on the Dos and Donts of partying. The truth is, the party scene, or PARTYLANDIA as I call it, can change you. A young partyphile could see some bad behaviour and feel like it is appreciated in the party scene and mimic it. I put it upon myself to be the voice of reason, telling these partyphiles that you can have fun without throwing away your values.

Thus, aside from talking about good alcohol, how to cure a hangover, or how to dress for a party; I also talked about party etiquette, and setting limitations. Contrary to popular belief, this was not a show that capitalized on gimmicks, hoopla, and controversy. I just said what I thought people needed to hear; to know; and to feel.

So, I think it is only fitting that I end the show on its fourth year. In a sense, you, my dear listener, have graduated from Partyphile College. In many ways, I have given everything I know about the partyphile lifestyle, there isn’t much more to be exhausted from the unfortunately very limited brain space I have for useful information. So I think that I have achieved what I have set out to do. I have imparted my knowledge, I have entertained, I have informed, and I have become part of many people’s lives.

You, my dear listener, have let me into your life. You had made me part of your Wednesday habit. Whether you listen to me by accident or whether you tune in religiously, the fact that you have shared with me an on-going conversation about the partyphile lifestyle is a lot to be thankful for.

I am leaving the show to move on to other things, but I would like you to know that you have made this booth my home. And no matter where life takes me, it will always ring true, that there is no place like home. There is no place like Mix FM. There is no place like Confessions of a Partyphile.

I’d like to thank Ms Joey for all the understanding and the opportunity to do what I want and need to do and for allowing me to grow under her mentorship. For making all the ads for my events, for the friendship, all the tips, and gossip, and the moments we shared by your office door. More importantly, Ms Joey always told me about things to look out for, and people to stay away from, because she is genuinely concerned about how I do inside and outside the booth.

I thank Jack Savage for being like an older brother to everyone in the station and for giving me the best party songs in Davao and for allowing me to debut the freshest party songs, other radio shows haven’t even heard of. I know it must have been added work for him to actually look for songs to fill my show with, but it was all worth it in the end. People always tell me that I play great music on my show, but I take no credit for it. It is all Jack Savage’s work.

To Sonny B who had always made me feel like I could be good at DJing; that I was doing something right. His opinion meant much to me, and the fact that his opinion of me was always positive lets me know that somebody who is an industry institution sees something in the work that I do.

To all my co-DJs past and present, thank you very much. To Alexy and Lee: who would have thought I would last four years as a DJ? To Gab who has grown soo much as a Dj and as a person. To Raven and Trip who are doing soo well compared to when they started out. I remember during their earlier days as DJs, we would be teaching them the rules and the guidelines, and sometimes they’ve stuck by it and sometimes they’ve bent all the rules; but they’ve really grown to be wonderful radio jocks. To Miss Steph who is always cool and is like the sensible but jolly older sister I never had. To Sir George Booke whose timeslot I took over; thank you for trusting me with Wednesday evenings. To all my partners past, Chris Chase, Wacky, and Steve Midnight, for all the friendship and putting up with my weirdness and endless farting inside the booth. To Ate Mae and Ate Mai and Kuya Armald and Kuya Ruel, I’m sure you’re going to miss me and my kakulitan but not as much as I’m going to miss all your help and the friendship you were so willing to give me. The truth is, there are many other companies that have better salaries or benefits than mix fm, but for me Mix FM is more than just a company I work for. Mix FM is a family, it is a second home, it is a place where I found friends that will last me a lifetime.

To all the people from bastis brew who are as much part of the mix fm family as we are theirs, thank you very much. Thank you to all my sponsors, to everyone who goes to my parties, to edge davao, to marco polo davao, to dj gary, dj torch, and most especially to you my dear listeners for making the last four years a truly truly magical time in my life.

Not everyone is given the chance to live their dreams; you made it possible for me. And for that, I am forever grateful.