A highlight of The Resonators' summer performance calendar is the upcoming Fiesta del Sol in Alpine. The gig will happen at the Granada starting at 8:00 PM, so we'll see you there! If you haven't seen a show at the Granada, it's one of the classiest performance venues around, plus it's smoke-free. Mark Pollock--music biz heavy-hitter extraordinaire--will run sound for us, so we'll be good to go.
Last Friday we played a great show at Railroad Blues. Leading up to the gig we had a ride snafu that was--at the time--pretty unnerving. In a nutshell, Taro, Chino, and Manolo went straight to Alpine, while Lucy, Marty, and I waited in Presidio for them. After two and a half hours passed, we guessed they had gone on their own, which they had. Planning to arrive at the Blues by 5:30, we finally rolled in at 8:00 PM. After hashing it all out, it was determined that the ride arrangements got lost in communication. All in all, I guess you could say it was a scary afteroon wondering what was going on, but it really did seam to get the adrenaline flowing for the show.
Saturday we played a party at La Cienega (Cibolo Crek Ranch). The gig, again, went very well, but not until we spent an hour trying to figure out which ranch gate we were supposed to use. Nothing like staring at a picturesque ranch (with camels!) and knowing you have a job to play, but wondering how everyone else got in, except us! Finally a ranch employee answered the phone and we figured everything out. Hurry up and wait, verse 2!
Once again, we sure hope to see you all this coming Saturday!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Summer in Presidio
School's over and we're a week into June. It's definitely summertime in Presidio.
The Presidio schools have their act together, offering summer school to students who need it, plus enrichment and work programs for any others who are interested. Outside of not having a city swimming pool (and that's a major deficiency!), kids shouldn't have many reasons to be bored. Thanks to Presidio Schools superintendent Dennis McEntire for spearheading these activities for our youth.
The community will celebrate July 4th with a free street dance and fireworks. The Resonators will play and the volunteer fire department will handle the fireworks. Everything will happen downtown, starting at sundown.
Other than that, gotta love that oven heat which is Presidio summertime! Actually the summer for us started around May 1st (and a few selected days in April). If you've never been to Presidio when it's hot, you should come visit. Presidio is one of those places known for being really hot. We don't sunbathe here. In fact we take cover under the closest rock and don't come out until around 7:00 PM. Now if you want to know what extreme heat feels like, go to Phoenix or Death Valley. Believe it or not, there are places that get even hotter than Presidio.
Our summers stretch easily until mid-September, with warm days lasting until late October. Usually the September 16th celebration in Mexico coincides with the beginning of cooler evenings.
Enjoy your summer wherever you are!
The Presidio schools have their act together, offering summer school to students who need it, plus enrichment and work programs for any others who are interested. Outside of not having a city swimming pool (and that's a major deficiency!), kids shouldn't have many reasons to be bored. Thanks to Presidio Schools superintendent Dennis McEntire for spearheading these activities for our youth.
The community will celebrate July 4th with a free street dance and fireworks. The Resonators will play and the volunteer fire department will handle the fireworks. Everything will happen downtown, starting at sundown.
Other than that, gotta love that oven heat which is Presidio summertime! Actually the summer for us started around May 1st (and a few selected days in April). If you've never been to Presidio when it's hot, you should come visit. Presidio is one of those places known for being really hot. We don't sunbathe here. In fact we take cover under the closest rock and don't come out until around 7:00 PM. Now if you want to know what extreme heat feels like, go to Phoenix or Death Valley. Believe it or not, there are places that get even hotter than Presidio.
Our summers stretch easily until mid-September, with warm days lasting until late October. Usually the September 16th celebration in Mexico coincides with the beginning of cooler evenings.
Enjoy your summer wherever you are!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
We Came, We Saw, We Kicked Some....
For those of you who may have read my previous post, The Resonators pulled it off at the high school prom recently. While not nearly as hip as Daddy Yankee, or with as dazzling a light show as Madonna, the music remained the key to our listeners' enjoyment--and enjoy, they did! Not bad for a bunch of middle-aged guys and a gal. Even though I've been involved in music for 37 years, I'm still learning news tricks in the music business. A couple of the tricks that are so obvious are effective lighting of the dance floor and budgeting for party favors (balloons, party hats, etc). With those two--and good music--you can't lose.
So here comes summer, and the band has no plans to languish in the dog days. We've got a few gigs set, plus probably a few more to be added soon. We're looking forward to the company of a young musician named Benjamin Vega. This kid's a real music lover. He plays Latin percussion, drums, and is an excellent singer. Hopefully we can put him to good use. In addition, we may see the return of Juanito Dominguez every now and then. And if that doesn't get you going, I'm in the process of growing our horn section into a quartet, by adding a second sax. My heart is beating faster just thinking about the possibilities!
Also over the summer, we hope to add material that will hopefully make our shows even better. We've had some requests to bring back some tunes Lucy sang once upon a time (Black Velvet, This Love, Game of Love, etc.), so we're going to try and work them back into the mix. In addition, Marty wants to do a few rock guitar tunes which we know you'll like. Then finally, we're working on some dance music that will always bring the house down, so we've got our hands full.
Take care and I hope to see you at our next show.
So here comes summer, and the band has no plans to languish in the dog days. We've got a few gigs set, plus probably a few more to be added soon. We're looking forward to the company of a young musician named Benjamin Vega. This kid's a real music lover. He plays Latin percussion, drums, and is an excellent singer. Hopefully we can put him to good use. In addition, we may see the return of Juanito Dominguez every now and then. And if that doesn't get you going, I'm in the process of growing our horn section into a quartet, by adding a second sax. My heart is beating faster just thinking about the possibilities!
Also over the summer, we hope to add material that will hopefully make our shows even better. We've had some requests to bring back some tunes Lucy sang once upon a time (Black Velvet, This Love, Game of Love, etc.), so we're going to try and work them back into the mix. In addition, Marty wants to do a few rock guitar tunes which we know you'll like. Then finally, we're working on some dance music that will always bring the house down, so we've got our hands full.
Take care and I hope to see you at our next show.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Presidio High School Prom: some thoughts
The next Resonators gig is one that most of our fans won't get to take in, but it's worth mentioning: a high school prom. Yes, we actually have the opportunity to do our thing in front of an audience (read: teenagers) that don't know a whole lot about us. Recently we played a quinceanera ( a sort of Mexican "sweet 16") that went very well, so I think that we have the material to keep the party-goers hoppin'. Often, though, when you're the "home-town" (fill in the blank), it's not nearly as cool as if you came from 200 miles away.
The Resonators have been around for over five years, now, and it's interesting to consider where we've been. The group basically began with musical inspiration coming mainly from Los Lobos and The Blazers. We started in a little tool shed at a rent house in Alpine. Soon thereafter we move rehearsals to another tool shed at another rent house, also in Alpine. The only difference was we added Lucy to the group, with accompanying material that had her on vocals. We slowly began to build a fan base, playing just about any gig we could.
We won a 2nd place at a "Battle of The Bands" in Odessa in 2004. The judges were really impressed, but they openly admitted they couldn't categorize our music. I guess when you play a set of Average White Band, Santana, and Pedro Fernandez, it might be a little tough to put your finger on it!
From 2004-2007 the band continued to emphasize a Latin rock sound, with as many cumbias and polkas thrown in as we could think of. At this time, we were mainly playing in Alpine, so our forays into dance halls wanting music heavy on cumbias, Tejano and country, were met with polite, but not real rave reviews.
In the spring of 2007, due to some changes in the band line-up, the band's direction also changed. Along with what we started with, we also really tried to bring in music for folks who were wanting some country. This, along with more emphasis on Mexican dance music seemed to be the right mix for the band. In the end, it was about pleasing our audience.
Along the road these past five years have been many highs and a few definite lows, but I'd like to think we're moving forward and giving folks a reason to want to hear us play. We've had opportunities to learn from some other great bands along the way, so we hope we can transform all this into something worth coming to see the next time we play for you.
Lets see what the kids say at the prom...
The Resonators have been around for over five years, now, and it's interesting to consider where we've been. The group basically began with musical inspiration coming mainly from Los Lobos and The Blazers. We started in a little tool shed at a rent house in Alpine. Soon thereafter we move rehearsals to another tool shed at another rent house, also in Alpine. The only difference was we added Lucy to the group, with accompanying material that had her on vocals. We slowly began to build a fan base, playing just about any gig we could.
We won a 2nd place at a "Battle of The Bands" in Odessa in 2004. The judges were really impressed, but they openly admitted they couldn't categorize our music. I guess when you play a set of Average White Band, Santana, and Pedro Fernandez, it might be a little tough to put your finger on it!
From 2004-2007 the band continued to emphasize a Latin rock sound, with as many cumbias and polkas thrown in as we could think of. At this time, we were mainly playing in Alpine, so our forays into dance halls wanting music heavy on cumbias, Tejano and country, were met with polite, but not real rave reviews.
In the spring of 2007, due to some changes in the band line-up, the band's direction also changed. Along with what we started with, we also really tried to bring in music for folks who were wanting some country. This, along with more emphasis on Mexican dance music seemed to be the right mix for the band. In the end, it was about pleasing our audience.
Along the road these past five years have been many highs and a few definite lows, but I'd like to think we're moving forward and giving folks a reason to want to hear us play. We've had opportunities to learn from some other great bands along the way, so we hope we can transform all this into something worth coming to see the next time we play for you.
Lets see what the kids say at the prom...
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Alpine times 3
May 2nd will find The Resonators in Alpine at the annual 5 de Mayo Fest. We've played this festival several times, and it's a blast! Alpine is where we got our start once upon a time, and playing there is always a privilege and a pleasure. The band is really playing well lately, and just the thought of playing for the 5 de Mayo Fest will bring out our best. Immediately after the gig we'll metamorphose into Mariachi Santa Cruz for a great set of fun mariachi fare.
Hey, and whaddaya know? We're back at Railroad Blues on June 12th! The Blues is always the venue where we can play to our hearts' content, so it's awesome to have a date with Richard, RC, and the rest of the Blues family coming up soon.
As if that weren't enough, then we return to the stage at the Granada on June 20th as part of Fiesta del Sol. Mark Pollock was gracious enough to invite us to perform in this wonderful venue, so we shall not disappoint!
Hey, and whaddaya know? We're back at Railroad Blues on June 12th! The Blues is always the venue where we can play to our hearts' content, so it's awesome to have a date with Richard, RC, and the rest of the Blues family coming up soon.
As if that weren't enough, then we return to the stage at the Granada on June 20th as part of Fiesta del Sol. Mark Pollock was gracious enough to invite us to perform in this wonderful venue, so we shall not disappoint!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Local home-grown talent
Our local Presidio High School tuba phenom, Uriel Uranga, just made Texas All State Band for the third time. That would be like The Resonators playing for the President's inaugural ball! Uriel comes stright outta good ole Presidio and he has accomplished a feat that may never be repeated again in Presidio, ever. And what a nice kid! He's never had a problem with his head fitting through the door, plus he makes damn-good grades, too. Let's hope that he spreads the love at college next year. Felicidades, Uriel!
And while we're talking about the next generation, it's getting close to the time when Molly and Max will take the stage with The Resonators. Molly's got some pipes, while Max is scary creative. This won't be a novelty; 100% business.
Stay tuned.
And while we're talking about the next generation, it's getting close to the time when Molly and Max will take the stage with The Resonators. Molly's got some pipes, while Max is scary creative. This won't be a novelty; 100% business.
Stay tuned.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Happy New Year!
Wow, what a night we had in Presidio, Texas on New Year's Eve! It was The Resonators' fifth gig together to ring in a new year, but by far, the best. The Sta. Teresa Church Committee did a fantastic job selling out every seat in the hall, plus the headliners--Generacion X--rocked! The party finally ended a little after 2:00 AM, with everyone getting 2009 off to a really fun start.
The Resonators will play a private party in Alpine, Texas for one of our dearest fans on Valentine's Day. It will take place at the newly-renovated Granada Theatre, so it should be a terrific party at a really promising venue.
For further information on upcoming gigs, stay tuned!
The Resonators will play a private party in Alpine, Texas for one of our dearest fans on Valentine's Day. It will take place at the newly-renovated Granada Theatre, so it should be a terrific party at a really promising venue.
For further information on upcoming gigs, stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
