Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Year in Review: 2019

Another year has flown by and this one was definitely one of the most interesting musical years to say the least. Not only was I blessed to have the chance to work with some amazing musicians but also took some time to work on my own musical projects both in the drumming world as well as in my own studio writing and recording my own music. Aside from that, I had the chance to do some new things and appear in places that I had never worked in before so I was really happy about that.

In the following blog I will share some highlights from this most productive year where I felt a great sense of accomplishment both as an individual and as a member of a great team of musicians.  I can honestly say that there were way more good times than struggles, which every musician knows is rare.

Outside of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles

NAMM 

It had been three years since I had been to the NAMM.Show in Anaheim, CA. Most of the time it was my performance schedule that kept me in the Arizona desert but this year was one of those exceptions. I was honored to once again be a guest of Soultone Cymbals who I was now celebrating a 10 year relationship with! As always, it was great to see everyone from the company who have always supported me and treated me with the highest level of respect. Aside from that I had the chance to greet representatives from Ahead Drumsticks & Percussion Products and Drum Dots who were also present at this amazing event. I am so grateful to all of the percussion companies who have taken me on as one of their artists as their support means so much to me.

On a personal note I also got to see some of my California friends along with other musician friends from around the country who were also in attendance. However, it is always a treat for me to see my old drum teacher Greg Alban. While I have always been grateful for every one of my music teachers Greg is the one that really stood out for me as this drumming master not only showed me things that I didn't know were possible but also still remains that important mentor that I can call at the drop of a hat. Whether it's to simply share some of my new ideas or to express some frustrations and concerns he is that word of wisdom I need as his support and encouragement mean just as much to me today as it did when I was a young drummer trying to find my way. 

With the amazing Greg Alban at NAMM in Anaheim, CA


The Return of the Desert Drummer 


It had been several years since I had taken some me time during my musical life as I had spent the past few years focusing solely on being a working musician.  Yes, it is fun to play gigs for so many great people but that creative spark inside is always there and sometimes it is dying to get out. In my case it was more than having a busy schedule. The music business is tough and getting ahead is not the easiest thing to do. Sometimes you have to choose your battles and in my case the battle was within. For too long I kept saying that it wasn't worth my time to create, record and release music to a world that may not be interested in what I was doing. That and the fact that my solo drumming act was not something that was in demand like one of my bands so again, why bother? 

Enter those who really care about me as a person with a purpose and not just me the creative person. Such people reminded me that this spark is not just something I should listen to but also a part of who I am as a person. I was reminded that it wasn't just about the number of people who appreciate what I do but also the way these experiences made me feel. 

After a long look in the mirror I admitted a number of things to myself: Yes, I love writing my own music. Yes, I love doing my solo drumming. Yes, that is a big part of who I am! I am forever grateful to my guardian angel as well as my dear friends who wanted to see me live a full musical life. It was time to get back to work so before I knew it I was scheduling time at home for practice time on my solo drumming ideas and to write and record some new music.

Once I got started it didn't take long for me to realize how much I missed the world of drumming Master Classes as such events not only allowed me the chance to both perform for an audience as well as the opportunity to share my drumming concepts in an educational setting. Eventually I started to put the word out to various venues and that's when I peaked interest from the great people at both Instrumental Music Center in Tucson, AZ along with Motherland Music in Inglewood, CA.

Now that both events were set it was time to get back into promotion mode. I started out by doing a radio interview on 99.1 Downtown Radio here in Tucson where I had a chance to spin a few songs and talk a bit about my upcoming Master Classes. I then had a chance to spend some time talking to the amazing Matt Moon on his Global Rhythm Radio Show on KXCI Radio where I had a chance to talk in great detail about my experience of working with world rhythms while also spinning a couple of my tracks for the good people of Tucson. Then I returned to The Morning Blend television show to perform and talk again about my upcoming Master Classes.  Overall, it felt really good to be back out there doing my thing so again, much gratitude to those who encouraged me get back into Desert Drummer mode. 


On the Tucson Morning Blend, KGUN Channel 9


My appearance at Instrumental Music Center was amazing! They had me come in the night before to set my stuff up after closing the store so all I had to do was show up the next day, warm up and bit and go for it. That's exactly what I did and I was most pleased with both the turn out as well as my performance. I had the chance to play some of my orchestrated drum set solos and then took the time to break down all of my grooves before sharing various exercises that helped me gain the independence and accuracy to perform such parts. The staff at the store as well those in attendance really enjoyed the Master Class so I left that day feeling really good.

Instrumental Music Center in Tucson, AZ


It wouldn't be long before I had to pack my drums and head to the Los Angeles area for both my Master Class at Motherland Music as well as a video shoot that I was going to do at Soultone Studio. I was really excited to be able to go home and see some of my loved ones while also having the chance to show the home folks the kind of drumming progress I had made over the past several years. 

The video shoot was fun as I got the chance to record a professional promo on an amazing set of drums. The DC California drum set in the studio sounded great and really seemed to compliment my kind of drumming. It certainly had me thinking about what kind of drums I need to use for future Desert Drummer performances. 

Of course it was great to see Soultone Cymbals owner Iki Levy as well as sound engineer & videographer  Tomer Rom as both of them welcomed me and complimented my playing. Again, I am so blessed to be part of this artist roster as this company has been so good to me for over ten years now. Here is the end product, which is based on the African Cassa rhythm:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX0r14ohIHk 

The following day I was at Motherland Music leading another Master Class and this was an amazing experience. First off, the room sounded amazing so I had a blast grooving away in a place where my drums rivaled the sound of thunder. Second, the sights were even more amazing as I was surrounded by every type of African drum you could imagine. Aside from all of the instruments in the room I was surrounded my family members, old friends and curious onlookers who came to see me perform in the Los Angeles area for the first time since 2006! Everything went really well as both the store staff and attendees enjoyed my program. Hopefully I'll have the chance to do this again sometime in 2020. 

Motherland Music in Inglewood, CA


Once I got home I got back into writing more music. I came up with some new drumming songs as well as some other tunes, which led me to consider the idea of putting out another musical release. Right now I'm finishing up the packaging of what will be a new EP of original songs while already beginning work on the next one. The creative part of me is definitely back in full swing but most importantly, the satisfaction I feel in allowing this part of me to remain active is more gratifying than I could possibly imagine. 

People have asked me what kind of music they should expect on this release since my last CD was filled with drum set solos and multi-percussion songs. Well, there will be percussion on this CD but this time around it will also feature me on guitar, bass guitar, keyboards and some other gadgets as I am finally putting something out that not only features songs I have written but me actually playing all of the instruments on my own. It is going to be titled Beneath the Surface as it will truly show another side of me as a musician.  Stay tuned. 




Tony Corrales Band


When it comes to the band known to many as TCB there is never a dull moment. Whether it is our rehearsals filled with laughter and joy to those high energy moments onstage, this band knows how to bring it and I enjoy every moment I have with my band family.

2019 was an exciting year because aside from performing at our regular spots, which includes Casino del Sol and the Outlaw Saloon we also went down south to Sonoita, AZ to perform at one of our new favorite venues called the Copper Brothel Brewery, made our debut at the new Whiskey Roads, returned to The Maverick & Desert Diamond Casino and performed at some of Tucson's most beautiful resorts. Of course that meant that we had the chance to perform for many people who had never seen the band before so it was great to expand our audience.

Aside from that the band released the album Country Looks Good on You along with our single Margaritavillin' to raving reviews. Still, nothing could prepare us for what happened this past September as Tony Corrales attended the Josie Awards in Nashville, TN. Before the end of the night he had to honor of being called onstage to receive the award for Album of the Year! It was an amazing moment when the rest of us received the news from the boss man via text message. The feeling we all had was one of absolute amazement as this band has been on an amazing journey since 2012. We were humbled and honored by this accomplishment and as I reflected on this achievement I it only made me appreciate my band mates even more as it has always been a privilege to work with each of them.

Tony Corrales Band, Country Looks Good on You, Album of the Year at the 2019 Josie Awards

On a more personal note, the appreciation I have for my band mates really came out when it came to the way the year ended for us. Tony Corrales made the difficult decision to hang it up as a performer both for health and personal reasons and the outpouring of support from each member of the band as well as our following was nothing short of amazing. As has always been the case from the beginning, this band has always been about the people first and the musical group second.

Yes, we all love being part of this band but each person is on their own journey and sometimes it takes one of the members on a path that is meant solely for them. Still, the journey that began back in 2012 has been nothing short of amazing. I will always cherish our moments together and all of the friends we made along the way as this was in fact that best musical experience of my life.

TCB: Forever my Musical Family

Returning to the Past 

It was something I never anticipated but like any unresolved experience I found myself wanting closure on a few things. In this case it was the fact that my old band Come Thirsty had never finished recording and releasing four songs from back in the day that meant a lot to each of us. It would seem easy for us to just get together and finish the job but one of our original members, guitarist Jeff Sanders, had passed away about a year a half ago so this would not be as simple as it seemed. Still, the remaining members did finally decide to meet and discuss the idea and made the decision to get this project finished once and for all.

We are currently in the midst of making the proper preparations to start unpacking this project, which included me recruiting guitarist Joey Cota from TCB to fill in on guitar once we work on the final recordings. Interestingly enough, while we start pre-production demos I will be helping rework some of the guitar parts and probably laying down some of the basic tracks before Joey comes in to do the final cuts. I am actually looking forward to this because I do love playing guitar and enjoy the creative process when it comes to working on new ideas. 

On another note, 2019 gave me a chance to reconnect with two musician friends of mine with each meeting leading to a discussion of some future possibilities. The first person is the amazing Andre Marins who is a virtuoso guitarist and composer. He is not only one of my dear friends but a partner in a project that has been dormant for too long. Many years ago we worked as a duo known as Invocation of Improvisation and the name tells it all, we make up music on the spot! It didn't matter if we were in the habitat, which is his recording studio out in North Hollywood or onstage somewhere causing havoc for a stunned audience. All we would do is discuss some kind of mood, theme, feeling, etc. and then look at each other and go for it.

Andre attended my drumming Master Class last June and we both agreed that it has been way too long since we last got together so the hope is that we will do something in the next several months and finally get some music released. The old demos from back in the day continue to inspire me as our musical connection was always something that took my breath away. It's always a great challenge to play with Andre but it's also a lot of fun because we always seem to surprise each other with what come up with.

With the amazing Andre Marins


Then there is the great William Luna, who is someone I have known since my late teens. We had worked together during the long hair metal days and then kept running into each other in other musical projects for many years after that band came and went. We always enjoyed playing music together and had communicated off and on over the years about the possibility of doing something again.

Last month we got together for the first time in quite a while as I was back in CA for a non-musical venture. Once the conversation got to what we were doing musically we both felt the spark ignite. Like me Will is all over the place in terms of playing in different musical settings and trying out new things. Aside from him being a great guitarist he is an incredible singer so the idea of working with him again excites me. I got really excited when he spoke of the new instruments that he can now play as well as some of the musical ventures he has been on the last several years because I could only imagine what we would come up with now!  Time will tell but as always, I know it will be a lot of fun.


With the amazing William Luna


Final Thoughts 

I had so many other great experiences from playing gigs with Sonoran Sol to recording with Richard Newell at Alegria Studios to reconnecting with former band mates that I hadn't seen in years both here in Arizona and in California.  Each of these experiences were both inspiring and uplifting as I had a chance to stretch myself as a musician and/or reminisce on the past in regards to some very precious memories.

What is in store for me in 2020? To start out, I do plan to continue my solo drumming act as well as my music composition efforts. I am in the process right now of getting the packaging ready for my next release, which I am hoping will be out sometime at the beginning of the year. I also have plans to return to Southern California in March for a non-musical event but will take time during that trip to record another promo video at Soultone Studio.

On a creative level I have the impending Come Thirsty sessions to look forward to as well as finding time to work with Andre and William. I am also excited about playing my guitar at church as well as some of the new music we are working on for weekly Masses that is quite challenging to say the least.I have never been one to shy away from stretching myself and these new songs are certainly doing the job. I can already feel the improvement in my playing while also feeling that I still have a lot of work to do.

Finally, while I was hoping to have some TCB gigs in 2020 please know that I will hitting the stage again in the Tucson country music scene at the beginning of the year. Right now I am preparing to launch something new with some of my musician buddies and we are really excited about it. I am proud to say that it will have the same musical quality that my audience is used to hearing from me but with an expanded sound that is also going to surprise them. 

So yes, I will be bringing the thunder as I have no intention of slowing down any time soon. I'll be seeing you all real soon!


At the Paradiso Lounge in Casino del Sol



Carlos Solorzano
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano


Friday, June 7, 2019

A Weekend in Los Angeles

Everything was packed on a really early in the morning when I hit the 10 Freeway to head back to my hometown of Los Angeles, CA. I was scheduled for both a promo video shoot at Soultone Cymbals headquarters as well a drumming Master Class at Motherland Music and I was well prepared for both. I had been looking forward to this trip for quite some time because I was not only going to return to the place where my music career began but knew that I would also have a chance to perform for some family members and friends who had last seen me perform in the area back in 2006!

After some personal time with some very special people it was time to get to work even though it was still the day I had arrived to town. I spent some time alone in my hotel room running some rudiments on my practice pad along with some foot exercises on my practice pedals in order to keep myself ready for the business at hand. In other words, I wasn't going to waste a moment doing nothing even when I was that close to doing what I came to town for.


Video Shoot

I woke up on Friday May 31 and drove up to Encino to shoot a music video. I was excited because I had been on the Soultone Cymbals artist roster for 10 years now and after what seemed like delay after delay I was finally able to come up and shoot a video in order to do my part to help support this amazing company who has been so good to me.

I was greeted by videographer Tomer Rom and Soultone Cymbals owner Iki Levy. After setting up my cymbals on a DC California drum set (best drum set I have ever played) and a brief sound check I was ready to go. I did a couple of warm up runs and then got the thumbs up to begin my solo. I had decided to do one of my African influenced solos rather than play to a track with a full band because after all, this was me in the video so I figured, why not? 

The sound coming from the drums was incredible! Never had a played a drum set before that had such clarity as well as a tone that was second to none. This was a source of relief for me because it is rare to play a drum set other than your own that you are pleased with. The sound really inspired me while I was playing and I think it really showed in my performances. My first take was great and I was pleased with what I did but was Iki Levy who requested that I do a second take and when I did he was even more pleased with that one. I was like, you're the boss so use whichever one you want. 

It was great to finally come in and shoot my video that will be featured on the company's You Tube Channel. As always, the people from Soultone Cymbals are just amazing so the time just flew by and before I knew it I was packing my cymbals and heading off to my next destination. I am very excited to see the final product once it is published.





Grammy Museum 

The work of an artist is never over and it's not just with our creative endeavors. We are also always on the go when it comes to promoting our brand so one must always be ready to sell whatever it is that you have to offer. It kind of reminds me of the scene from the movie The Devil's Advocate when Keanu Reeve's character asks Al Pacino's character, Are we negotiating? Pacino's character replies with, Always! 

For about a month I have been in contact with members of the Education Department at the Grammy Museum as they had expressed some interest in having me come in to do a drumming Master Class. Since I was going to be in town I figured I would see if I could stop by to say hello and maybe answer any further questions they might have.The nice thing about that was they were not only interested in that but also showed their hospitality to me when they invited me to come as their guest to visit the museum. 

It was great to see everything from Grammy trophies to instruments used by icons from the past. Then there were places to watch video performances from past Grammy performances to displays honoring everything from the connection between music & baseball to great performers from various genres to the celebration of films from the past including the classic from my childhood Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke. I also got a good look at the Clive Davis theater, which is where live performances take place. I can only hope that we are able to come to an agreement that would allow me to come in and share what I do with the museum patrons sometime in the future as it would be an honor to perform is such an amazing place.






Master Class at Motherland Music 

The finale of this musical weekend was to lead a drumming Master Class at Motherland Music in Inglewood, CA on the evening of Saturday June 1. This was something that had been planned for months and when the moment finally arrived I was very excited for a number of reasons. First, I was home and I knew that I was going to be performing for members of my family as well as friends who had already told me that they were coming to the event. Second, I was going to be in an environment that celebrates many of the rhythms that I adapt to the drum set so I was going to be performing for people who knew exactly what I was doing so I was curious to get their feedback because they would certainly have much to tell me in terms of what I could do to improve my playing.

The moment had finally arrived and there I was surrounded by every drum from around the world, which was very inspiring to say the least. The acoustics in the room were incredible so that also led to a certain amount of excitement on my part. It was great to see both new and familiar faces enjoying what I was doing and I must say that it was a nice way to return home after being away for 13 years. I had some great dialogue with those who had questions about what I was doing as well as those who commended my playing. Those who ran the venue were very pleased with my performance and let it be known that they would love to have me back sometime in the future.

Aside from all of the good things that one can almost anticipate from a good performance I must say that my favorite part was seeing the enthusiasm of the next generation of drummers. After I was done I had the thrill of watching my great nephew as well as the young son of a dear friend spend some time beating on my drums. I loved seeing them really dig in to the drums as well as the joy in their faces when they were playing what I think is the best instrument on earth. If I in fact inspired them in any way I will bow my head in gratitude because that would be a great honor itself. Of course I would do anything I could to also guide them in their drumming journey as I never forgot those who did the same for me.




Goodbye For Now

It was great to go home but before I knew it I had packed my drums in my truck and was back on the 10 Freeway. Before heading back to the Arizona desert that I had to make one stop for a special little girl back home who is a big fan of K-POP music. I went to Music Plaza in Korea Town to grab some BTS merch for my daughter as her passion for their music reminds me so much of the bands I followed in my youth. It is so amazing to see this through the eyes of my child as I still remember the joy my mother had when she supported my musical interests back when it was my turn to play fan boy.

After that I had a chance to meet up with David and Alex Gonzalez who are some of my musical brothers from the past who now live in the Palm Desert area. These are some dear friends that I experienced many musical memories with so besides remembering so many good times we also had the joy of just being around each other again and feeling that connection that began many years ago in rehearsal rooms, recording studios and in various live venues all over Southern California . These are moments that one never forgets and I am so grateful to have the chance to catch up with them again as I had not seen them since moving to the Arizona desert back in 2006!



Our reunion took longer to celebrate than expected so I found myself needing a little more sleep before returning home. I made one last stop in Blythe and slept off the exhaustion of a busy weekend before heading back home. I made it home long enough to give my kids a big hug before having to head off to rehearsal with the Tony Corrales Band.

Yes, it was nice to be back in my hometown and to focus on both my music and furthering my own musical career but there is still nothing like being in a band. Being back at Tony's house for rehearsal with my brothers was just as amazing as always because it's never about where we are playing but just the fact that we are making music together. It was good to be home and I was so excited to know that we were going to be back onstage together again the following weekend.

Still, as they asked me about my trip I couldn't help but look back and feel so blessed to have just experienced an amazing weekend with so many people who mean the world to me. I'm not sure of my immediate plans but my heart will always point to where I came from and since so many of my family members and friends had other plans that prevented them from coming to my Master Class I am already working on my return.

Thank you again Los Angeles. I will be back!







Carlos Solorzano
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano



Sunday, April 14, 2019

The Best Week of my Musical Life

It all started on the afternoon of April 6, 2019. I had arrived to Instrumental Music Center in Tucson, AZ to set up my drums for a Master Class that I was going to lead the following day. I was really excited about it because I had not done one of these for a few years. During this time I focused mainly on playing gigs in the local music scene as I was more concerned with working than I being creative and in this case, in sharing the things that I do in an educational setting.

The nice thing for me is that I have some pretty amazing friends who really look out for me when it comes to me as a whole person. In other words, they looked past my performance schedule as they wanted to know what I was doing as an artist and not just as a performer. Whether it was someone close to me who challenged me to let out that inner artist or those who encouraged me to move forward with my creative endeavors once they heard that I was doing my Desert Drummer solo act again; every one of them gave me the confidence to believe that I had to go back to doing something that I loved doing.

What was most interesting about this day though was that during my drive home I had more than my Master Class on my mind. That was because I had four other musical events scheduled for later in the week with each of them being just as important to me as my solo appearance. To my surprise it didn't stress me out because I was really excited for each of them.


Master Class 

The following day arrived and before I knew it I was performing my opening drum solo for what turned out to be an eager audience seated before me. I had practiced hard for this event while also preparing how I was going to share some important material with the audience. The room had a great sound so my drums felt really good every time I hit them and with all of my preparation I was really pleased with my performance.

The thing I enjoyed the most though were the moments I was able to dialogue with those who attended. Many of them asked some great questions as they were indeed curious about all that I was demonstrating that day, which allowed me to communicate with them in a very personal way. The vibe was really loose so we had a lot of laughs and really enjoyed each other's company. That meant a lot to me because I wanted to make sure that everyone could see that I was there to share something with them rather than show off my skills in an arrogant way.

On my drive home I felt great for a number of reasons. First, there was the satisfaction of doing something I love for an audience again. When I began to reacquaint myself with this kind of drumming I could feel how much I missed doing it and now I was officially back with no intention of putting it away any time soon. Second, I have never forgotten some of the amazing people in my life that shared their drumming concepts with me. It didn't matter if it was one of my teachers or even a friend who did things that just blew my mind. The generosity of such people has always been a gift that I will treasure for the rest of my life. On this day I had the chance to do the same thing and I look forward to doing it again real soon.


Tony Corrales Band 

Two days later I set up my drums at Loew's Ventana Resort for a private corporate gig with my band family in TCB. Any time we get together is an absolute blast with this evening being nothing less than what we have all come to expect.

After sound check we spent some time backstage and due to some changes in the event's schedule we had more time than usual to hang out. In this band that means we are going to laugh hard and often. All it takes is a few remarks from our lead guitarist and resident court jester Joey Cota to get us all started and within minutes we are falling over in laughter. Then we take that joy to the stage and as expected, the band sounded amazing.

Here I am now, two days later dropping back beats in order to keep the dance floor moving and I am enjoying myself as much as I did when the stage was mine while doing my own tribal grooves. There is always something special when you get to play with people that you really love to both perform with and be around. This band has been a big part of my life for over seven years and that is because I get to play some great music with some amazing people who are more than friends to me.


Sonoran Sol

Could my week get any busier? You bet it can and I was just as excited to arrive to Noble Hops Gastropub for an evening of great instrumental music. After having an amazing meal compliments of our host we started our performance on the patio on what was a beautiful desert evening. This group had not performed for a while so just seeing my band mates again got my adrenaline going as I couldn't wait to start the first song.

The show began and there we were offering a set list that had a wide variety of soulful grooves that kept the heads moving and toes tapping as our audience enjoyed their meals and drinks. The band was on and we were smiling all night long because we could feel that connection both with each other and with so many in the audience who raved about our sound.

Three gigs in five days with each of them being a totally different experience. This is another gift of being a performer in different settings. To be able to play my drums with different groups is one thing but to be able to sit in three different musical settings at all is more than amazing. And, to be able to do so in the same week? That would be more than enough to celebrate what many would consider a great week but as we will see I was far from finished.


Bringing the Thunder 

The following evening was the moment when my students at St. Augustine Catholic High School would perform at the very first Percussion Showcase. For the past two school years they had performed at school pep rallies, off campus at some of the feeder schools and even up in Phoenix for a Catholic Schools rally on the lawn of the State Capitol. But now, it was an evening that centered around them as they were going to show their families, friends and school mates all that we had worked on as a class.

After a fun pizza dinner the students started the show. There were several selections where they performed as a full ensemble and also in small groups settings. The response from the audience was awesome as they all did a great job. They were well rehearsed and I could see the trust they had in each other that came from both a lot of rehearsal as well as the number of performances they had already done throughout the school year.

On a personal note, I have a much bigger personal investment in this class aside from the fact that I am the teacher. My son is also a student in the class and he is not only an amazing drummer but also becoming a composer himself as he wrote one of the selections that the students performed that night. Aside from that, there was a small group performance that night was featured the two of us as we did a father and son duet. I can not put into words what it meant for me to share the stage with him and how much it also means to me that we can share this mutual love of drumming.

I'm sure you can tell that I was glowing with pride for various reasons on what was a very special evening.


The Outlaw Saloon 

Saturday night arrived and it was time to finish this amazing musical week with another performance with TCB at the place where it all started for us. While many would see this as just another gig on another Saturday night there was something for me that made this night a little more special. The day before the show Tony announced that he had been nominated by the International Singer Songwriters Association for the following awards: Male Vocalist of the Year, Male Rising Star, Album of the Year, Male Single of the Year, Male Songwriter of the Year and Music Video of the Year! 

...and did any of you think that I would not make sure that the audience was not going to honor my brother properly for this amazing achievement?

This is what happens when you are genuine in every way. TCB has been through a lot together and while many of our moments have been filled with laughs we have also had our share of struggles both as a band and personally. Through it all, we have been there for each other and that cultural climate of ours was created and maintained by the great Tony Corrales.

That is why I had to interrupt our show for a moment to hit the front of the stage to invite the audience to honor him because he deserved it. It was so nice to lead everyone in our cheers for Tony as he has always been so good to his band members as well as our audience who have always been nothing short of amazing. It has always been such a privilege to be a part of this band.

This was indeed an amazing week and certainly one that I will never forget.





Carlos Solorzano
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano