Tuesday Vargas, who’s carved a career as a comedian, host, and actor, returns to her musical roots with the High Targets band on Saturday, October 18, at My Bro’s Mustache in Quezon City.
Popping out in 1998 as the new female vocalist of Put3ska after Myra Ruaro left to establish her solo career, though she had a short-lived stint, Tuesday showed she’s a rude girl to the core-being able to maintain the upbeat energy and infectious danceable musicality that fans loved about the country’s top ska band.
After leaving the band, she never really stopped performing and has even recorded two solo tracks leaning on the pop novelty genre.
Lately, the high-energy performer has temporarily shelved her solo acts in place of performing with the six-man band High Targets, which comes complete with its horn players.
There’s something delightful about playing her kind of music, Tuesday said in an interview with BusinessMirror. ‘I find it pleasantly surprising when the audience relates to us and moves with us. Nobody has been doing indie pop, city pop, ska, reggae, Citi pop-anything with a horn section-which inspired me to reintroduce myself performing these music genres.
‘We’re able to cut across all ages. It’s a good feeling to see that even the Gen Zs are pleasantly surprised by our music.’
Tuesday, who has been open about her mental struggles, also finds solace in singing and performing. Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD at age 12, she admits that her condition makes it difficult to interact in social situations. ‘I fear that I’m not equipped to sugarcoat things, which is often interpreted by others as being rude or sarcastic.’
Asperger’s Syndrome is a developmental disorder considered within the autism spectrum disorder. According to WebMD.com, the term, however, is no longer used as a medical diagnosis. Instead, what is considered are the three levels of autism, ranging from Level 1 to Level 2, depending on the person’s need for support. But like Tuesday, those with Asperger’s find it challenging to sustain social interactions.
The Mayo Clinic, on the other hand, describes ADHD, or Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as ‘a long-term condition that affects millions of children. It often continues into adulthood. ADHD includes a mix of ongoing problems. These can include having a hard time paying attention, being hyperactive, and being impulsive.’
But with lifestyle adjustments and strategies, along with proper medical attention and prescribed therapies, these lifelong developmental disorders can be managed.
For Tuesday, performing onstage has helped her cope with her conditions: ‘Singing has motivated me to focus on memorizing songs, and the movement during a performance has helped balance my dopamine level. Rather than being triggered with obsession, music calms me down and helps me regulate my emotions better.
‘On stage, I am obliged to relate to people, and it pushes me out of my comfort zone. Music is also meditative, especially when I’m composing songs, because it gives me time to sit down, reflect, and put my thoughts into writing.’
Rock of steadiness
On her social media handles, Tuesday is also turning out to be an inadvertent poster girl for mental health awareness.
It all started just a couple of months ago when she would speak to her audience about the topic, encouraging them to recognize their conditions, seek medical attention and support groups, while sharing her own struggles and how she’s managing to overcome them.
Flooded by comments from followers, Tuesday gets a lot of thank-you’s for speaking about what is still considered a difficult conversation by many.
‘I’ve been getting a lot of messages from friends and strangers seeking advice on how to cope with their mental health concerns. I realized there’s an unaddressed community out there that continues to seek support from others. And so, I thought rather than reply to them individually, why not just use my platform to share what I’ve been through and whatever personal knowledge I have.’
The musical artist, however, also stresses that her content is meant to encourage people to practice self-care: ‘I would encourage people to understand that what they’re going through has a medical explanation. It’s not entirely hopeless.
‘The world we live in is very demanding. It’s easy to be human, but difficult to be humane. It’s doubly hard for neurodivergents. But I do feel there’s a host of things that we can do for self-regulation. We have the capacity to step out of the way we handle things.
Tuesday advises, ‘Mental health is a part of health care, and it should be a priority. You will be with yourself the longest, so you have to take care of yourself. If people open their eyes to self-care awareness, perhaps we can all better relate to each other as people.’
This Saturday, October 18, step out as the mighty, mighty Tuesday Vargas and High Targets will launch their eight-song album. My Bro’s Mustache is located at 68 Scout Tuazon Street, Diliman, Quezon City. Skanking starts at 8:30 p.m.