09.22.2009
KNIVES OUT: MUSIC IN RESTAURANTS AND HOW IT AFFECTS US
ALDUS SANTOS AND FRIENDS DISSECT RESTAURANTS AND PLAYLISTS AND DEBATE ABOUT CUSTOMERS’ RIGHTS VIS-À-VIS PROPRIETOR DISCRETION
Music is tapestry. We all know it. Bad music is like cheap, shoddy wallpaper, or awkward-looking lace curtains. Music is like landscaping, too. Good music is like a pretty-looking garden, a newly-mowed lawn, or a couple of smartly-positioned potted plants. Being subjected to butt-ugly music is like being made to wait in a hospital lobby with walls painted in catastrophic hues. We may unmindfully walk past our neighbor’s unkempt garden, or choose to openly ignore neon-green hospital walls, but music is different: you can’t see it coming. Hailing a cab, for instance, one would have absolutely no hint as to what music, if any, he will be forced to consume. Being bombarded with repugnant music can be comparable to nursing a fresh stab wound—just as being surprised with music one approves of can be like a warm embrace from a loved one.
Of course, the Taste Debate will rage on forever, but—and I’m not the first person to point this out—being made to experience music (good or bad) in certain non-musical milieus (e.g., not rock bars, techno clubs, or record stores) can be a trapeze act. Take restaurants, for instance. Barring enormously popular fastfood joints—whose explicitly populist aims will drive them to play Willie Revillame-type kitsch on any given day—restaurants are, you know, places where people supposedly go to eat and enjoy conversation. And, as music is tapestry (and as the act of dining is almost ritualistic in its importance), music in restaurants should not be like animal-print linen; that is, it should not hinder the ritual, so to speak. Volume is key. Certain grilled restos, however, have established that they are going to serve real food and pipe in loud pop music—and I guess that’s fair enough: they have made their plans and schemes known. Besides, beer, barbecue, ceaseless macho banter, and loud FM seem like a veritable orgy.
I’m talking restaurants and cafés, from mid-priced to fine-dine, and how they supposedly exude subtle themes and moods. And by “themes” and “moods,” I guess I am referring to their themes and our moods. What do I mean? If their (the resto’s) theme is flaunted as being “family-oriented,” they should strive to achieve this effect through different elements such as décor, layout, cuisine type, and, yes, music. If a family who appears to be celebrating Junior’s cum laude graduation goes to a “family restaurant,” it is perhaps okay to expect that they will not be subjected to that “Subukan mo ang aking banana…” song. Now. I’m not going to ram Neil Young down everyone’s throats, because I can accept that “Cortez the Killer” just doesn’t work with pancakes, the same way that Rihanna perhaps wouldn’t work with fine, fine steak. I remember being once subjected to gangsta rap during my early-morning coffee at a Glorietta café, and it, needless to say, wasn’t relaxing. Is the music in these places at the mercy of the iPods of their crew members? How many Regine Velasquez covers do I have to hear within an expensive three-course meal?
I obviously have time to kill, asking questions like this. But, you know what? I do care.
At least that Jamaican Patties joint—though not a restaurant, really; it’s more like a humble stall at the mall—still plays Bob Marley; it may be unimaginative but it’s, at the very least, least thematically consistent (the late Mr. Marley, as we all know, is Jamaica’s pride and joy). On the other hand, I don’t take it against anyone that “Knives Out” by Radiohead is never piped on any sound system. Anything from Amnesiac is bound to leave you paranoid (and unable to finish your lunch). A visit to a pizzeria in Baguio City once yielded equally unimaginative results: they were playing Nino Rota’s “Theme from The Godfather,” and, while this was perfectly acceptable (Italian, and all that), I had the nagging urge to check over my shoulders from time to time, fearing a random bullet from an angry mobster I have somehow managed to offend (I don’t know any Italians, lest any Italian mobsters, but you get the idea). But they tried, and I appreciated the gesture.
Attempts at organic or thematic unity (or, in advertising terms, appropriate “branding”) need not be as literal as the examples above, but, for a lack of a better term, I think music in restaurants should make “sonic sense.” For instance, an American hamburger joint need not play Bruce Springsteen, and a Mediterranean restaurant need not play sitar instrumentals, and so on—they just need to think it out enough and develop half a sense not to crank Air Supply to eleven, to pinch a phrase from This is Spinal Tap.
I surveyed some of my Facebook friends on the matter, with really interesting results (so interesting that some of them now appear below—thanks, guys!). Some share my views; others don’t. An earlier draft of this abstract was perhaps too strongly worded that it may have exuded an air of snobbery, but no: I’m just the guy asking the questions.
On with the show:
Dylan Pizarro [guitar player, Jeebus]
I really hate it when a place blasts music so hard that it drowns out conversations. That’s why I’m not too big a fan of inuman places or restos per se, roaring with bad techno, house, or hip-hop. I question, too, why heavy music or rock ‘n’ roll rarely gets played at these venues (only if they were like Paramore, or Evanescense, then they’d get airtime). I miss Backdoor Blues Bar. I had my fix of Gov’t Mule and Muddy Waters at the right volume while drinking the shit out of my Pale Pilsen.
Macy “Mado” Mamuri [student]
[This is] so true. Na-appreciate ko ‘to lalo when I worked for Starbucks! ‘Yung player nila [is] designed in such a way [na] hindi ka talaga p’wede mag-play ng ibang CDs unless provided by [the] company. Depende sa coffee campaign nila 'yung theme ng CD compilation. Can this be rooted in culture?
Paul Catiang [editor of Repeat While Fading]
Okay, here’s a rundown of some Cubao establishments:
Butter Diner’s kind of hit-or-miss on this score. Sometimes they play jazz standards and early-20th-century American songs (appropriate), and other times they play RnB (inappropriate and not aligned with their brand image).
Bellini’s in Cubao X has their Guitar Man on most nights and recorded Italian music in the daytime. Either way, the music they provide contributes more to the atmosphere and doesn’t get in the way of the dining experience.
Nena’s Special Bibingka plays Pinoy folk songs, which would be cliché if some of those songs weren’t unfamiliar. Anyway, their music also enhances the local fare.
Oli Reyes [writer-lawyer]
Whenever I’m at Chelsea at Serendra, I end up tweeting about their music choices. They’re somewhat more idiosyncratic than the typical coffee shop fare, pero sumasablay; can’t recall now how exactly.
Joelle Jacinto [writer-ballerina]
The Figaro outside Philam Village in Las Piñas (the one in Starmall) plays easy jazz in the mornings. I guess all Figaros do that, though I’m not sure.
Ava Salvador [music fan]
Shakey’s in Gilmore plays awesome indie music. Who would've thunk? […] Apparently, they have their own radio station or something like that for that area, but I don’t think it’s the same for their other branches.
Selena Salang [singer, Ang Bandang Shirley]
About Starbucks: natuwa ako that SB Eastwood played Grizzly Bear. If it was the company that had their CD and not someone who worked there, I am definitely impressed!
I was eating at Club Filipino once and their karaoke had effing dance music blaring (think happy), which wasn’t conducive for a quiet Sunday evening.
I like the stuff that 77 Café plays, mostly because the manager is a musician (Doy of Bagetsafonik) and has the same taste in music as me. The same goes for Tomato Kick (owned by Paolo Bernaldo of Moonstar 88). But I hate it when some of their other customers ask their music to be played and it ends up being some Flo Rida [thing] na sobrang lakas pa ng volume. I think restaurants should make the music they play an integral part of their image and should thus be picky about it.
Susan Isorena-Arcega [writer-publicist]
Wagi pa rin ‘yung kainan sa kanto namin that plays Victor Wood's “Cheryl Moana Marie,” Esperanza Fabon’s “Rosita Cha-Cha-Cha,” [and] “Maria Leonora Theresa” by Tirso Cruz III, and “Something Stupid” as sung by Vi and Bot. […] The other side of the coin is, do these establishments pay for the rights to play the music? Or are they even aware of that at all?
Antares “Pog” Bartolome [visual artist]
I agree with the point on volume. As for taste, may ilan lang akong naiisip.
‘Yung sa Starbucks, [may] attempt na i-restrain ‘yung musical tastes ng mga employee para di ma-wafaz ‘yung mga customer, so malamang, may pre-approved sila na music and so on. ‘Yung ibang lugar, may ganu’n ding thematic malamang, pero ‘di siguro umaabot sa ganu’ng level ng mp3 fascism.
Sa maraming lugar, kung ano ‘yung trip ng mga nagtatrabaho du’n, ‘yun ang tumutugtog. Kasi hindi naman sila p’wedeng magpaka-elevator buong araw.
Isipin mo kung tayo ang nagtrabaho sa, say, Angel Burger. Okay? Ang tanong du’n eh, how much of your deadbeat job’s “thematic” are you willing to swallow? Mangyayari at mangyayari din na nabasted ‘yung isa mong co-worker, ma-iinlab, bad hair day, mahoholdap, malulugmok sa utang, and so on.
Hayaan mo nang maging baduy ‘yung mga hitad; nakakulong sila d’yan maghapon.
Paolo Jose Cruz [writer]
Starbucks in Valero consistently plays quality stuff: within the span of half a year, I’ve heard Fleet Foxes, Rilo Kiley, The Decemberists, Jose Gonzales, Bon Iver, Wilco, and Neko Case being played in there.
I was actually impressed enough to ask the staff, and they claim it’s from various mix CDs provided by the company. Not sure if every branch is given several mixes to choose from, and the manager of the Valero branch just happens to have quality taste. It could very well be the law of averages in play: I simply hang out at that branch (for convenience) enough to hear the good tracks, alongside the usual humdrum lite-jazz muzak.
Incidentally, I haven’t been to Corner Tree Café (the high-end veg place along Jupiter) but I understand they do play Radiohead and Bjork during mealtime, according to friends who’ve dined there. Forgot to probe about which specific tracks. But I would imagine the management have enough good sense to know what to focus on, given their intent to create a holistic dining experience.
Ian Roxas [writer-TV producer]
Cupcakes by Sonja in Serendra has Janis Joplin, Rolling Stones, and other similar music playing in the shop. I love it, pero ‘di bagay sa cutesy cupcake look nila. Still, better than hearing that “banana” song.
Grace Mirandilla [independent researcher] [@ Antares “Pog” Bartolome]
I like your coinage of “mp3 fascism” and recognize your point about workers who need to express themselves through music. Pero ‘di kasama dito ang Angel Burger and other similar fastfood [joints], as Aldus pointed out. This concerns restaurants and coffee shops where customers obviously pay more not only for the food, but for the service, ambiance, etc.
Antares “Pog” Bartolome [visual artist] [@Grace Mirandilla]
The choice of music falls to the owners/management. One thing they may try to do (as with Mado’s example of Starbucks) is standardize their music so as to appeal to the lowest common denominator for their target market/s. (In some school cafeterias, the same is applied to the food.) The difficulty with standardization is you might end up with elevator music, which, depending on the customer, might actually be depressing. Sometimes, you’ll get an owner who has pretty decent taste, like say, Baba Balce, but that’s just luck. They own the place, they play what they want. As for invoking the power of the consumer, they can just opt to eat elsewhere. ‘Yun lang naman ang “power” sa ganyang lagay: buy or don't buy, or blog. Choz!
What I do sometimes is pretend it’s messing with my (imaginary) hearing aid and ask for them to turn it down or off altogether. Diskartehan na lang.
Gian Eleria [writer and music fan]
You’ll be surprised, though, that there are bars willing to accommodate customer tastes. My dad usually brings his iPod broadcast gadgets with him when he’s expecting good company. He likes to hang out in bars that appreciate his well-compiled playlist—unfortunately I don’t have them off the top of my head since I haven’t gone bar-hopping since I went night shift. […] Dad’s playlist: real-deal jazz for conversations—Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Count Basie. Soul/rock ‘n’ roll/classic rock for his high school buddies—Dave Clark 5, Rolling Stones, early Elvis recordings (Sun days), Aretha Franklin.
Going back to the music-as-backdrop concept: I [suggest] you bother to ask to change the music, I believe they’ll indulge you naman, especially if your playlist shows good taste.
Johann Padilla [TV producer and music fan]
Sorry, I side with the rights of owners or staff who want to play whatever they want, as long as it’s at an acceptable volume level. It’s their place, and the customers who don’t mind can stay, and the customers who don’t can leave; it’s that simple. I know I’d want to play my own music in my own establishment, and if people who don’t like it drop by, I won’t change it, unless it affects the business very seriously. And if it’s the workers who put on the bad music, well, that’s one of the perks of their jobs. Working in the service industry can suck, so why not let them have their fun, and again if you can’t take it, it’s okay to leave or avoid the place. Demanding otherwise is borderline censorship for me.
Clara “Clark” Militante [writer]
Once, I ate at La Piadina; the music was Air Supply (no offense to fans but I just couldn’t savor the pasta with the lyrics ‘Even in the nights are better...’ playing in the background)—and very loud, too. Imagine how small the spaces are in La Piadina branches. I didn’t think the owners were even there; just nicely asked the waiter to turn down the volume.
With acknowledgement to Grace Mirandilla, a conversation (and a couple of restaurant meals) with whom prompted the writing of this piece.
