Ten years ago a group of punk rockers in Los Angeles came together to form a hardcore punk band called The Bronx. After a few years, their high energy sound and performances got the band to release their second studio album on a major label, and with it came an unexpected turn and the birth of the band's alter ego. It came somewhat unexpectedly, as the emergence of that alter ego came out of spite. The Bronx was asked to play on a television show, but with a request that didn't please this group of punk rockers - they were asked to play an acoustic version of one of the songs off of their second album. Not wanting to do anything soft or watered down, The Bronx decided to take it into a new direction entirely - they donned sombreros and performed the song in mariachi style.
Just like that, Mariachi El Bronx was born. What started unexpectedly ended up being an idea that The Bronx embraced. The Bronx was never intended to be a soft and quiet band, so the Mariachi El Bronx alter ego breathed new life into the band members and allowed both bands to progress in ways they might not have otherwise. Now Mariachi El Bronx two albums, both of them eponymously named, with the latest being released last year. With that, the band's fusion of mariachi and punk became an earnest endeavor, beyond how it started as sort of a joke. Their fusion of seemingly opposite cultures may perhaps be the most punk rock thing they've done. Check out "Map of the World".
Two Gallants, a folk rock duo from San Francisco will kick off the night of music. The band is made up of childhood friends Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel who began playing music together since the mid '90s. About a decade later, they began fusing together roots/folk music with the punk and grunge music they grew up around in the San Francisco bay area that now is characteristic of the Two Gallants sound. Check out "The Hand That Held Me Down".
The Fox Theatre doors open tonight at 8:30PM and the show starts at 9:00PM. The show is all ages and tickets are $17 at the box office (+$2 for under 21 tickets). Tickets and more information are available online here.