Dilaw frontman Dilaw Obero and punk-rock veterans Kamikazee joined forces for a one-off collaboration which aired on Tower of Doom’s YouTube channel last July 10. It marked a rare live crossover between two bands with entirely different eras and audiences, but the result felt seamless. Jay Contreras of Kamikazee performed “Chinelas,” one of their earlier cuts from their 2002 debut album, with the same chaotic energy that built the band’s name in the early 2000s, while Obero matched his presence bar for bar by reaching the iconic “tsinelas” fry screams from start to finish.
Kamikazee earned their reputation for explosive live shows, laced with slapstick theatrics and real grit, while Dilaw’s recent rise shows how a new generation can raise the bar in presentation and finesse in alternative rock. Both acts share a flair for chaos, but they meet halfway on instinct. That chemistry made the set feel less like a gimmick and more like a symbolic passing of the torch. Both vocalists went back and forth between screams and verses, whereas Dilaw paid homage to the performance while Contreras gave the signature delivery effortlessly.
For over a decade, Tower of Doom has been a critical platform for live performances in local music. From metal outfit Arcadia to Barbie Almalbis’ live session in 2022, the channel has archived an evolving scene that now spans generations. Typecast’s cover of “Holiday” by The Get Up Kids remains one of the most rewatched recordings from the platform.
The inclusion of Kamikazee and Dilaw reinforces its role not just as a performance space but as a time capsule. It proves that live sessions still matter, and that younger acts don’t need to reject the old guard to build something current. In this case, the collision of two generations had sharpened the edge of their respective craft in punk and alternative rock.
