[Pink Scene] O Bar's New Summer Look for 2012

Malate Entrance

For "regular" readers of this blog, you'd already know that my partners and I tend to be regular patrons of O Bar whether Ortigas or Malate. What can I say - I enjoy a good drag show when I'm out with friends and the music - especially at Ortigas - is right up my alley. And considering how O Bar was also instrumental in helping me and Tobie find Prince, then all the more I'm going to continue to be quite the happy customer.

Recently, O Bar Malate closed shop few a few days to implement renovations that have given the bar more of a summer feel. And with O Bar Ortigas extending its operating hours to include Tuesday nights starting March 13, 2012, it looks like they too have followed suit with some changes of their own in a similar style.

Malate DJ Booth

While the general layout of the Malate branch largely remains the same, what is most striking is the bold use of brighter colors to given the place a different feel. Whereas the previous color scheme gave it a somewhat rugged industrial look with lots of black and silver, this time around they didn't shy away from a little color.

Malate Stage

The stage for the drag shows remains present but with a fun woven backdrop that reminds me a lot of the Department of Tourism's It's more fun in the Philippines campaign materials for some reason. Overall the place does feel a lot lighter and dare I say casual - at least until the lights go out and the proper dance vibe returns with the laser lights and flashing strobes.

But enough about Malate - let's take a look at some of the tweaks made to O Bar Ortigas as well.

Ortigas Stage

The relatively larger Ortigas branch has also taken steps to expand it's main performance stage to better accommodate the increasingly complex and sophisticated O Diva drag performances along with the poi stylings of the High Voltage Poi Spinners DuO. And given how some nights include 7-8 drag queens pretty much all over the bar, the larger stage is certainly welcome. Plus the background has changed from the flat dull silver wall to a more contoured black one that really stresses how this is meant to be a true performance stage for creative talent.

Ortigas Kites

Another interesting change to both bars (but probably more striking at Ortigas) involves the various kites that now adorn the walls and the ceiling. Add in the new black lights installed throughout the bar and they present for a rather interesting view that is colorful, playful and quite summer-ish. And that's definitely an atmosphere that both bars seem to foster - one that invites everyone to celebrate the summer season at the venue.

I'm curious to see how this will change throughout the year, if ever. If this is the start of more or less seasonal changes in the visual theme to tweak the mood of the bar, I'm all for it. It does keep things fun and interesting and yet it's still more than just adding a few odd decorations. I'll see what I can manage in terms of better documenting the evolving look-and-feel of the bars, especially given how a friend of mine has come to call me the "O Bar Archivist" given how many photo and videos I end up taking during  my nights off from work.

What can I say, I have fun taking photos and I enjoy supporting the establishments that keep my weekends interesting.

My thanks to Tobie and Prince for taking photos of O Bar Malate during one of those week nights when I wasn't able to join them given my work schedule. Ah well.