Meet Noname, The Culture Collective Dedicated To Changing Live Music Experiences

Live music has always found a home with Filipino audiences.

Whether it’s the loud karaoke parties, community jam sessions, and various genre-fluid gigs that have become a staple of our country’s sonic DNA over time, people have always enjoyed communal experiences centered on music. But since the pandemic kept many of us behind closed doors, there has been a noticeable uptick in the attendance rates of multiple gigs, concerts, and music festivals here in the Philippines. It’s become clear that audiences aren’t attending these events merely for their music and entertainment purposes — rather, they find themselves in search of unique experiences that allow them to find a deeper sense of community and belonging. 

Such is the case for the elusive culture club, Noname, which has become quite the popular invite-only collective, wherein music, film, wine, and everything in between have become the central focus of their communal experiences. 

Their flagship series of events featuring the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra has become the subject of viral awareness throughout social media, while their other music-related experiences have often sold out in under less than ten minutes, despite their invite-only nature. That sort of demand is what has led to further interest and intrigue as to who (and what) exactly Noname is, given that there aren’t many third spaces in Manila that seem to thrive as much as theirs do. 

“We were bored the hell out of Manila,” jokes co-founder (and one half of Noname) Echo Bueno about the reasoning behind Noname’s inception. Their first event was a small film club screening that was piloted in celebration of co-founder Chili Perez’s birthday back in 2020, with just a simple setup and a limited number of tickets available. And despite the mystique surrounding their collective’s name, being titled Noname wasn’t intentional for either of them.

“We went through the process of toying around with so many names. Noname was just a placeholder, as we fully intended to get an actual name,” Bueno mentions. “You know that moment, when inspiration hits, and you know it’s the right name? That didn’t happen for us. I love the name, Noname, now because it allows us to really transform ourselves into different things, because it encapsulates what we want to do. We don’t want to be known for just one thing or tied down to one concept,” explains fellow co-founder Chili Perez.

In less than five years, what started off as a passion project for self-proclaimed culture nerds has eventually evolved into an understated phenomenon amongst the creative scene’s most influential figures. “We did not imagine getting to this level at all,” Perez notes. “And I think what I loved about the way we started is that we had no expectations. We were just doing it for fun. Until now, we’ve been prioritizing that part. It has to feel like you’re building a playground.” 

Within this sandbox of sorts that Noname has opened up to their audience, music has become a central instrument in their ethos. Although they’ve hosted various events that traversed the genres of jazz, electronic/dance, and even house music, Noname has become a signature for making a name for themselves with their series of classical string concertos with the Manila Philharmonic.

“We love music. Echo and I grew up listening to everything. Our friendship deepened because of music too, and I think there’s something really special about music and the way it can connect people and how it can help you understand yourself better,” Perez explains. “That’s kind of what we want to do with Noname. It just kind of makes sense for us to put music at the forefront, and spotlight so many talented musicians, particularly with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra.”

“This whole concerto also started with us wanting to give back in our way to help these local super talented musicians get the chance to be in the limelight, and also to celebrate the lost art of classical music with our friends and our community,” she adds.

As appreciators of all musical genres, Bueno also notes how his upbringing listening to classical music reverently inspired him to revive the genre for a new generation of listeners. “I feel like music is such a haven. Not only for me, but I feel like for other people, too — because they’re able to feel vulnerable, and unlock parts in their brains that have not been touched for so long,” he mentions.

With such an impact on their audience, the range of attendees has spanned across generations, ranging from people in their 60s and 70s, and several fresh faces who are still in their early to mid-20s. A large part of what appeals to such a broad and diverse audience is the setlist that both Perez and Bueno curate alongside the Manila Philharmonic, which is often curated to fit a certain theme or sonic journey that they aim for attendees to experience.

“When we were curating some of the stuff for our string concertos, you begin to think about how one song transcends generations,” says Perez. Their set lists, expansive as they are eclectic, feature a healthy mix of artists and genres — ranging from classical artists like Mozart, Bach, and Chopin, while also incorporating a breadth of OPM classics, iconic soundtracks, and modern-day hits from Chappell Roan, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and a whole lot more. 

“Given that we curate certain themes per event, the theme is usually ours to kind of start on. The way Echo and I really think about it is like what journey or what movie do we want our people to experience a little bit of? Like, what story do we want them to go on?” Perez points out. “With these concertos, you’re asking for at least two hours of people’s time, so you want them to feel immersed in it. That’s kind of how we think about it, which is if we were to tell a story emotionally through music, what songs would best encapsulate the feeling or the plot of the movie in your mind when you listen to a song,” she adds.

Still, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t free rein in the songs that the duo chooses to adapt in the classical setting. “Obviously, there are also times where I’m like, ‘I want to hear this song live,’ like Ariana [Grande’s] ‘We Can’t Be Friends,’ or even this random Björk song like ‘Jóga’ that I know only me and Chili would get. So we tell the Philharmonic, “Please make sure to learn this,” notes Bueno.

He gives the specific example of incorporating the K-pop group SEVENTEEN’s “Fallin’ Flower” into the set list of their first concerto as a memorable yet unconventional addition to their setlist. “Chili and I are both insane SEVENTEEN fans (CARATs), so we had to make sure to we would hear ‘Fallin’ Flower’ live at least once in our lives. And since its too bad that they don’t perform that anymore, we said, screw it — let’s have the Manila Philharmonic play this song,” Bueno recalls.

“I’d say it’s kind of like making your own 8-track mixtape but with a live band, reinterpreted by Manila Philharmonic,” jokes Perez. “It’s our community’s, it’s Echo’s, and it’s everyone who comes to our events — it’s all of our mixtapes. Because if you hear The Beatles, a 72-year-old in the audience can love it the same way as someone from Gen Z would love it. It’s just such a great way to remind people that we can all connect with each other, regardless of your background or what you’re into.”

That sense of connection isn’t merely limited to Perez, Bueno, and the rest of Noname’s team’s relationship with the audience, but also with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra themselves. “I think we’re lucky that we just happen to have the Manila Philharmonic doing it for us, and are just game to do this,” Perez says, to which Bueno adds, “At one point, they were even writing the arrangements for us. Like for those sneaky tracks in they can’t find the pieces for, they were more than happy to do it for us.”

Getting the Manila Philharmonic to participate in their proposed endeavor initially seemed like a daunting ask from a family friend, but the renowned orchestra found itself open to trying out such a setup. “It kind of also became some rite of passage for their musicians there, because it’s very much different from what they experience in a year,” notes Bueno. “While you might be able to experience their performance in a wedding, they’re not the central point of that, right? But here, all eyes are on them. Eventually, it became some type of thing that they would also look forward to doing,” he adds.

“I think it’s also a great way to show appreciation to these amazing talents that the Manila Philharmonic has, and it shows that music transcends ages. With them, it’s blossomed into this whole relationship that’s kind of fun to find an extended family in this big world, right to the point that I remember them opening up to us, saying that this is similar to how they started,” says Perez.

After an estimated number of twenty string concertos that they’ve brought to life, a lot has changed for Bueno, Perez, and the Noname community. They’ve hosted shows across venues like the historical First United building in Escolta, whilst staging impressive showcases within Intramuros as well. Their community has seen the addition of The Itchyworms’ Jugs Jugueta, Blaster Silonga, Shaira Luna, and several other renowned creatives and talents in the scene. 

“I’m happy that right now, we have also come to a place where that music appreciation is not only between me and Chili anymore. It’s between us and a much broader crowd, and personally, the thought of seeing these people try to appreciate art and culture all melded into one is such for me one of the greatest feats for Noname,” Bueno says with warmth. 

“We started this out as two people, and now we’re six — all of us with day jobs. But all of this started because we started out inviting our friends, and their friends invited their friends too. It was an organic way to grow our community, especially in comparison to a public, transactional type of event. And because of that, even with how much we’ve grown and changed over time, it feels a lot more intimate as well,” Perez proclaims. “I have a feeling that the growth of what we’re doing, I think it’s a testament to how much people want community these days, which is what we hear all the time,” she adds.

With several more events lined up over the next few months, it’s clear that Noname isn’t showing any signs of slowing down in the years ahead. “We do have a couple of other music events that we’re still cooking up. We’ve been itching to do jazz night again, and we will be having a very, very specific throwback night, like those one-word parties played from the mid-2010s. But for sure, it’s a very, very music-inclined Q3, I would say,” teases Bueno.

“Yet for us, I think we’re just looking forward to people experiencing more of that community element and to finding a sense of belonging with every event,” he concludes. “Because we want Noname to be a place where people can connect with other people. That kind of says a lot about how not only have we grown as a community, but also the intentionality behind this group of people who enjoy being together to enjoy music, film, and art, however we can. And I hope that it continues to do so moving forward.”