NOTICING at the lack of appreciation for local music, Dexter Latosa, a lead guitarist and has been in the music industry for 10 years, has thought of promoting Kagay-anon bands through his newly acquired ownership of a bar and restaurant in Cagayan de Oro City.
Located at the back of Sports Zone, along Tomas Saco Street, this city, the Subamos Bar and Restaurant is a humble bar and grill live music venue where you can relax and chill after a long day of work.
Every Wednesdays in Subamos is dedicated to local bands who wanted to play and promote their songs to its live audiences.
And as someone whose passion is music, Latosa has his heart set on helping these bands generate a bigger number of fans by having a place where people can get good food and drinks.
“Music is my passion and konektado man sya sa ing-ani nga (and this is still connected in this kind of) venture, sa (on) drinks and food. So I made it clear in my mind that I think I have to open a bar so that I can go and play around with my passion,” he said.
Though, why only Wednesdays? Because Subamos has different event formats and themes in every given day for the clients to enjoy with.
According to Latosa, Mondays in the bar are for its music-inclined customers because it is an acoustic open mic day, where customers can sing their heart out. Tuesdays are Jazz Nights; Thursdays are for dart competitions, wherein the winner will be given a cash prize; Fridays are for 80s and 90s music fans; Saturdays are for R&B and Sundays are for the classics.
Latosa said the everyday gimmicks is his strategy for making Subamos a unique and interesting place to hang out, especially leaning towards the likes for millennial generation.
Dexter, who is also a government employee, shared that he just acquired the full ownership of the place last Wednesday, March 13. And as the new owner, he said he wanted to make some changes, improvements for the bar and restaurant.
Apart from the gimmicks and expanding the menu for food and drinks, Dexter said he's planning to put up a music studio to cater some of the local bands who wanted to have a place for practice.
Dexter also wants to establish a recording studio to help said bands to record their songs.
“Para dili na sila moadto og lain na lugar for the recording sa ilang mga composition (so that the bands will no longer go to a different place for them to record their compositions),” he said.
Subamos is open every day from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. They have a menu of “lutong bahay” and “pulutan” foods to pair up to your favorite beers and other beverages.