DALY CITY — On a recent Friday night, cars idled in the full parking lot outside Seafood City as drivers waited for spots. Inside, past the produce and fish counter, a crowd gathered ’neath fluorescent supermarket lights. DJs played anthemic sets while families and groups of young adults danced in roped-off aisles. There was no booze, no cover charge — just plates of desserts, grilled skewers, pride and joy.
“I was outside at the one in Milpitas a few weeks ago but didn’t go in because the RSVP was at capacity,” said Jeff Gunabe, San Jose resident who is among the many who have recently tried to enter one of the Bay’s lowkey, liveliest musical gatherings.
This is Late Night Madness, a series of after-hours events that began at Seafood City’s Daly City store in September 2025 and quickly spread across other store locations. What was a marketing ploy to push a new line of Filipino street food evolved into viral events, drawing multigenerational crowds eager for connection in a wholesome setting.
Seafood City, the largest Filipino supermarket chain in North America, opened its Daly City location in July. Extending hours to midnight on select weekends, the store introduced live music alongside dishes like kwek-kwek (tempura-like fried eggs) and “lumpia overload” — Filipino egg rolls topped with bacon, onions and jalapeños. Vinegar shots are also on the menu.
The events gained traction when SF Kollective’s social media accounts exploded on Instagram and TikTok, attracting attendees and respected DJs alike. Shortkut, revered turntablist from the Invisibl Skratch Pklz, recently played a raucous set at the event.
Dean Urriza, co-founder of SF Kollective, had this to add: “When you see the senior citizens rock out to one of their favorite songs, it just becomes that much more special; an event for everyone in your family, be it Filipino or not.”
For many in the Bay Area’s Filipino American community, the appeal extends beyond novelty. Daly City has long been a center for Filipino immigrants, with more than a third of its residents of Filipino descent. But the South Bay, anchored by San Jose, has an even larger Filipino population, with some estimates topping 100,000 in the broader metro areas.
Santa Clara County’s rich immigrant history is deeply bound with Filipino roots, which can be historically traced to post-1965 immigration waves, drawn by opportunities in nursing and technology, as well as familial reunification. San Jose’s history is inherently distinguished by our immigrant communities.
Late Night Madness officially reached the South Bay when Seafood City in nearby Milpitas hosted events last December. The Landess Avenue location included traditional tinikling (a Filipino folk dance where performers step nimbly between and over clicking bamboo poles) and appearances by local city officials, including Mayor Carmen Montano, who sang “Feliz Navidad.”
Attendees from San Jose and surrounding areas described the atmosphere as reminiscent of large reunions where generations gather around comforting food and music.
“Seafood City parties are akin to Asian night market culture, which shares a lot of the same components: street food, entertainment and community,” says San Jose native and hometown hero, Paolo “Cutso” Bello, who DJ’ed a recent Late Night Madness.
The experience clearly resonated both professionally and personally, says Cutso: “A core memory from the first one I played was seeing my parents and cousins who had just flown in from the Philippines split the crowd like Moses split the seas, pushing a shopping cart to the front of the DJ booth to greet me during my set. The cheers from everyone when the MC announced their arrival made me emotional.”
At year’s end, Seafood City concluded with huge finalés once again in Milpitas and Daly City. In an era when traditional nightlife options have clearly waned for some — particularly families and younger crowds seeking inclusive spaces — these parties fill a niche, a platform for cultural expression marked by karaoke bursts, live drumming and spontaneous sing-alongs to OPM (Original Pilipino Music).
For Filipino Americans in the Bay Area, from Daly City’s dense enclaves to the dispersed ’burbs of San Jose, Late Night Madness has provided a temporary yet joyous reconnection to heritage. The events end at midnight, but the parking lot stays full long after the last song fades.
The upcoming Late Night Madness will be held at the Daly City location in late January. Date and DJ lineup TBA.
