FIVE QUESTIONS FOR FIVE BANDS IN THE BEST LIVE BAND SHOWCASE
By Ashley Eliot
KUCI Promotions Director &
Host of Press Pass Music
1) What is the best part about Orange County’s music scene?
Kamren Alexander (lead guitar and vocals) of Stereofix:
“We would have to say the fans! Even when we are playing shows up in L.A. they are still there to support! There is also a great deal of support from the other local O.C. bands. There are a lot of other very talented bands in this area that keep us striving to be the best.”
Steve Scavo (lead vocals and guitar) of The Color Turning:
“I think the best part is the camaraderie between the bands. Most of the bands are friends and genuinely enjoy being around each other.”
Damien B (lead vocals) of BLOK:
“I guess it’s in a stage where it’s still blossoming and finding itself as a solid unit in people’s eyes but it’s the kind of abstracted concept it’d be difficult for me to ever think of as a finished definition when talking about an area’s overall sound at any given time when there are new artists re-sculpting it every day. Maybe there are general tendencies among artists around here but there’s some noticeable and sometimes polarized diversity among O.C. artists if you’re looking for it. Diversity is essential in keeping any creative concepts alive and evolving so it’s the best part of any area’s creative scene.”
Dan Lyman (lead vocals and guitar) of Halos:
“We love to play O.C. because there are plenty of venues, and the area is so highly populated that having a good crowd in attendance is much easier than it is in other parts of the country. Plus, the drive home is pretty easy.”
Joey Chavez (lead vocals and guitar) of The New Limb:
“I like meeting different people who are a part of the scene. Everyone is usually nice and genuinely interested in what you are doing.”
2) Where do you most frequently play in O.C?
Kamren Alexander (lead guitar and vocals) of Stereofix:
“Detroit Bar, House of Blues and Sutra Lounge.”
Steve Scavo (lead vocals and guitar) of The Color Turning:
“Probably the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.”
Damien B (lead vocals) of BLOK:
“Lately it’s been Detroit Bar, which we’re playing every Monday night in March, Avalon and Lucky Owl but we’ve done our share of others around here.”
Dan Lyman (lead vocals and guitar) of Halos:
“As a full band, we play at Chain Reaction the most, but we love to strip things down and play Dinner With Dave at Memphis CafŽ on Wednesday nights. We do that pretty often.”
Joey Chavez (lead vocals and guitar) of The New Limb:
“Detroit Bar and The Gypsy Lounge.”
3) What is your favorite hangout in O.C?
Kamren Alexander (lead guitar and vocals) of Stereofix:
“Detroit Bar, House of Blues, Sutra Lounge and of course Gemini Rehearsal Studios.”
Steve Scavo (lead vocals and guitar) of The Color Turning:
“McClure’s in Tustin or pretty much any golf course.”
Damien B (lead vocals) of BLOK:
“Mostly secondhand clothing stores and Barnes & Noble.”
Dan Lyman (lead vocals and guitar) of Halos:
“Volcano Burgers. Best ranch on the planet and the owners are the baddest dudes this side of Athens.”
Joey Chavez (lead vocals and guitar) of The New Limb:
“I like hanging out in playgrounds and other places little kids hang out. But don’t worry it’s not because of anything weird or gross. I also like: The Gypsy Den – Good food, the waitresses all believe bras are an option not a necessity, and the soy spiced chai lattes are the best! The Huddle: Pool and beer! Memphis: Long live Dinner with Dave!”
4) What other local bands do you often see live?
Kamren Alexander (lead guitar and vocals) of Stereofix:
“We play a lot of shows and have a very consistent practice and routine so were not really able to go out and watch a whole lot of other bands play live as much as we would like to. Most of the bands we see live are playing right on stage with us.”
Steve Scavo (lead vocals and guitar) of The Color Turning:
“Yellow Red Sparks, The Living Suns, The New Limb, Local Natives, Melanoid, The Union Line — too many to count.”
Damien B (lead vocals) of BLOK:
“We love Cosmodelion, Murderbears, Elephant Day, Alejandro’s Awesome Surf Band, CANVAS, The Dead 27′s, In Heat, Death Hymn Number 9, Pop Noir, The Colourist, BTC, among others.”
Dan Lyman (lead vocals and guitar) of Halos:
“We don’t see them much, but we all agree that The Colourist is a great local band.” We used to practice next to each other.”
Joey Chavez (lead vocals and guitar) of The New Limb:
“We see a ton of great bands all of the time, I will name the most recent: Billy Kernkamp, The Color Turning, Melanoid, Yellow Red Sparks and We Are The Pilots.”
5) What can we expect from the band this year?
Kamren Alexander (lead guitar and vocals) of Stereofix:
“Our goal is to continue writing and performing the best music we possibly can, put quality music on the radio that people will love to listen to over and over again, and hopefully get signed and go out on a nationwide tour.”
Steve Scavo (lead vocals and guitar) of The Color Turning:
“A full-length documentary on the making of our LP, touring, possibly a new EP and music video.”
Damien B (lead vocals) of BLOK:
“A throbbing cavalcade of brand new sounds. We’re currently working with The Polyamorous Affair and Winter Palace Records/Manimal based out of Los Angeles on some official releases coming very soon. Also some possible huge shows in the works. You can expect some heavy movements.”
Dan Lyman (lead vocals and guitar) of Halos:
“New songs. Ripping live shows. Getting sloobed. Breaking windows. Eating well. Making lootie cakes.”
Joey Chavez (lead vocals and guitar) of The New Limb:
“We’ve been pretty busy. You can expect these things from us this year: 1. We’re in the OCMAs. 2. Our new album “Sounds People Can Hear” (which is turning out great) will be out in March. 3. Album release show. 4. I’m going to finish reading a couple of books I’ve started. 5. I guess we don’t have that much going on. We’ll see how the album thing turns out and then go from there.”
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