It was an awesome night that Bacolod will never forget- Stephen Speaks (Rockwell Ryan Ripperger) showed up in Bacolod for a mini meet and greet event as part of his 2018 Alive to Fight Philippine Concert tour. We’re glad that we -The Bacolod Food Hunters are part of the group that sponsored his visit to Bacolod!!
His first stop was at Gunny’s All American Burger and SpoonMugnet where a young crowd was eagerly waiting for his 7:00 pm concert.
Finally Mr. Ripperger arrived – the concert was about to begin! Nobody in the audience at first recognized who the shy, quiet, 6’4 tall white guy was but then as realization dawned – excited whispers swept through the crowd.
For the audience, it was sheer delight. Stephen Speaks – a voice that they had heard on the radio had suddenly changed from just being a voice – into a real person – and was now in REAL LIFE standing in front of them singing the songs that they knew and loved. It was an emotional and spiritual experience.
The audience loved every moment of the songs. Mr. Ripperger was so surprised and touched – right in front of him were young kids – kids who weren’t even born when his songs were popular and yet – here they were singing along with him!
Afterwards Stephen Speaks and Co. took a short break before signing autographs. Mr. Ripperger took pictures with the SpoonMugNet staff then he snuck around to Gunny’s All American burger to greet the people there.
I was amazed that such a big star like Mr. Ripperger could be down to earth and so humble. He really took the time to meet and thank his fans who came to visit him. His kind nature became apparent when people began bringing him things like cell phones and guitars to sign. He never turned them away! He never refused to sign anything. He looked EXHAUSTED but he thanked and posed for pictures for each fan. He was running late for the next stop (Licuala Grandis) but he REFUSED to leave until he met each fan.
Artists, Actors – take note. This is the way to treat your fans.
After the last fan was out the door – Mr. Ripperger quickly signed something for SpoonMugnet and me!
Stephen Speaks and co then left for Licuala Grandis where the crowd was mostly composed of older fans – almost 500 people. Mr. Ripperger was greeted with much enthusiasm and warmth!! (Photos courtesy of Joe Louie Baylon)
There was an incident that happened – but Joe Louie Baylon resolved it quickly and everybody was impressed how Mr. Ripperger showed forgiveness and compassion.
Stephen Speaks will be back in the Philippines soon – He’s currently headed to Iloilo and Manila where he will have a series of concerts. Hopefully he will be back in the Philippines and Bacolod by August 2018 to give Bacolenos real bonafide concert and not just a meet and greet.
Now that’s all said and done – I’d like to suggest a couple of easy ways that we can give back – to support not just Stephen Speaks but all music artists foreign and local.
It’s simple – SAY NO TO PIRACY. Instead you can do these simple things I’ve listed below and make a difference. It really feels good to show your appreciation for your favorite musician.
1.) Listen to Spotify – Did you know that everytime you listen to Spotify – your favorite artists get paid? This enables them to continue making music for you. Plus spotify is really cheap in the Philippines.
2. Buy Albums from Itunes and Amazon
They may be a little more expensive than playing from Spotify but the artist you’re supporting gets a bigger cut of the profit.
3. Watch the official videos on the official youtube channel of your artist.
4. Buy tickets to see them perform LIVE!
It’s always better to see your artists up live – they love interacting with their fans and seeing them enjoy their music.
That’s all folks!
The Bacolod Food hunters were part of the sponsors that brought Stephen Speaks over to Bacolod. We would like to thank everyone who came to the event. Catch Stephen Speaks live at his concert venues in the Philippines.
The Bacolod Food Hunters 
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