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.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
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...
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