Man On The Side: 7107 Music Festival Part 2? Organizer says, ‘You never know’

If Mike Pio Roda had his way, there would be a second edition of the 7107 Music Festival. The co-founder of last year’s large-scale outdoor music event, which featured a bunch of international and local music superstars led by headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers, says a part 2 isn’t completely out of the question.

“I would love it if that happened,” he says. “Hopefully, down the line. There’s always that thought at the back of my mind that that’s going to happen again. You never know.”

“Think of it this way,” he adds. “Coachella, after the first year, they took a break before they did part 2.”

Controversies marred what was supposed to be the Philippines’ answer to Coachella and Glastonbury, but audiences (including myself) who made the trip to a grassy field in Pampanga left with wide grins and full hearts. For many of them, seeing artists like the RHCP, Kendrick Lamar, Empire Of The Sun, Kaskade, and many others was a dream come true.

And wish fulfillment is largely what Roda is all about. As founder and managing director of Pinnacle Live Concepts, Ltd., it’s his job to connect clients and artists, often to satisfy people’s desire to watch the artists perform or just see them in the flesh.

Besides the artists at 7107, other personalities that Roda and his company has brought in to Manila include Lifehouse, Far East Movement, Kylie Jenner and Rob Kardashian, and most recently, Charli XCX. By his count, the 30-year-old has brokered about 30-plus actors, singers, bands and other performers since he first put up his talent booking agency in 2010.

“My very first show was Brian McKnight, in Vancouver,” says Roda, who was born and grew up in the Canadian city. “We met some friends who knew him, went to the agency, went through all the steps of procuring the artist. That’s how we learned. We knew nothing back then but everything went perfectly. It was a sell-out.”

Roda says he got “attached to the stress,” which means he soon started doing other shows, mostly featuring rappers and R&B artists. His negotation skills and business savvy soon brought him to the Philippines, where, along with partners that included KC Montero and John Herrera, he worked on bringing in rap artists Lupe Fiasco and Jermaine Dupri to headline Smart’s iPhone 4s launch party in 2011.

“Our next project was [DJ] Erick Morillo, and it was around that time that I came up with the idea [for a music festival] and discussed it with [Herrera].” An undertaking of such magnitude had never been attempted before in the country, but Roda, who had then decided to move to the country from Vancouver, was determined to pull it off, even when allegations of questionable funding were hurled against the organizers.

“I was very uncomfortable [about the accusations],” he says. “I didn’t really know what was happening at the time. I just had to be attentive at what was being said and made sure that the event was going to go through as planned. That was my main goal: I wanted it to push through for the fans and for the Philippines.”

The music gods must have been listening, because, intrigues notwithstanding, the 7107 Music Festival went off with hardly any hitches. Crowd estimates vary, but it’s probably safe to assume that at least 20,000 fans witnessed the explosive, 90-minute, 20-song set of Anthony Kiedis, Michael Balzary (aka Flea), Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer, among many other acts throughout the course of the two-day event.

Roda and his partners have since parted ways after 7107, but he insists they’re still on good terms. His own Pinnacle Live Concepts, Ltd. is kept busy with the talent requirements of corporate clients and concert promoters like Vybe Productions, Pinoytuner, and Boardworks Media.

His next projects include a concert by R&B artist Chris Brown at the Mall of Asia Arena on July 21, and a possible music festival later in the year. He also has a concept for a music show in the mold of MTV Unplugged, which he’d like to pitch to a broadcast network.

As for his own dream show to mount, Roda has a ready answer: “I’ve always wanted to see the Foo Fighters live. Them and the Dave Matthews Band. That would be a dream show.” — BM, GMA News

Paul John Caña is a magazine writer and live music geek. He is also co-founder of libreto.org, an online collective of writers and artists. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.