Romeo Lee, better known to me as Lee Almighty, is perhaps one of the last few hold-outs of rock and roll. As one of the genre's few remaining icons (Pepe Smith comes to mind to, but hey, this not about Pepe...it's about Lee!), he treats his fans to his inimitable style of manic stage presence whenever he performs. Like the Grateful Dead concerts with a loyal core group following, you see the familiar faces on his gigs. Yeah, you'll see me there too.
Best Kept Secret Surprisingly, and perhaps for the better, he's been around for 2 decades doing the underground/campus scene but remains virtually unknown outside UP (University of the Philippines, my alma matter) - probably rock and roll's best kept secret. He's the UP student who never left UP. His repertoire hasn't changed in the last millenium - still performing a few selection from amongst his massive arsenal of, hold on to your seats, 10 songs! (give or take a few) He punches the same old 'nanny' jokes, but we still laugh our hearts out even though we've heard it a zillion times. Well, that's Lee. He'll get away with almost anything.
Mojo Man As a lady's man, he's never caught dead without a beauty by his side, sometimes in dizzying array - that's what I call mojo!!! His message to the multitude of ladies throwing themselves at him, "don't fence me in". Ha! Take that, Porfirio Rubirosa!
Live Wire Like the shy Dr. Jekyll by day, he blends into the UP Mountaineers tambay almost with unsung anonymity. But by night, he morphs into Mr. Hyde, as he throws his weight on stage - the Master Showman himself unleashing his boundless energy to us mortals who couldn't get enough of him. With his signature song, Wild Thing, all hell breaks loose as the wildest party on the planet brings the house down! Mick Jagger would look like a choir boy.
Ending Thoughts You think you were born too late for Elvis? or James Dean? or Joplin? Hey, there's Romeo Lee....good while supply lasts.
--- TheLoneRider
Romeo Lee doing Wild Thing at Mag:net Café (August 18, 2007):
September 3, 2007
