Yuma's Woodstock: Battle of the Bands

On Saturday, Yuma was the host of a miniature Woodstock of sorts, and I’m glad I could witness it.

I’m talking, of course, about the 2009 Battle of the Bands.

Since I am a Yuma Sun employee, I am ineligible to compete with my band the Funk Nasty Trio. So I had to get my kicks vicariously through other hard-rockin’ bands.

Luckily, there was some serious talent to be had. When I arrived to cover the event for the newspaper, I was met with throbbing beats and screeching guitar solos. There was a large stage set up in a parking lot at the Yuma Palms shopping mall, and hundreds of people eager to rock were crowding around it.

As I walked up toward the stage, the band Apollo’s Groove was taking the stage. I love covering concerts as a journalist. I like to imagine I am writing for Rolling Stone as I cross the “do not cross” line into the backstage area to hang out with the bands the groupies go crazy for, which makes me cool by default.

Apollo’s Groove is made up of four dudes who severely like to hammer out the hard stuff that makes you want to erupt into savagery or get on a motorcycle and cruise down the road with Steppenwolf.

I got up on stage while they were playing, and I felt like one of the cameramen who was recording Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969.

I whipped out my little digital camera to score some footage for the Yuma Sun Web site, and as I did so, Javier Magana, their guitarist, suddenly erupted into a frantic solo. His fingers flashed between strings as a cacophony of different-toned decibels pierced the earholes of the audience.

It was fun to watch, and in the spirit of rock ’n’ roll, after the drummer completed his solo at the end of their show, Javier began smashing his electric guitar to bits.

When he did that I could feel a pain in my gut, because those things are expensive. When a big-name band goes crazy on stage and destroys their gear, their record company is all too happy to replace it for the next show. But when a local and unsigned band does the same, the money for instrument replacement comes out of the individual’s pocket.

For me, that makes the act of destruction so much more poignant because they are actually going to experience the negative consequences they chose to pursue. It just seems so much more real.

The band left the stage and next up was Mexican Ostrich, a band that won the whole thing in 2006.

It’s a little strange because I went to high school with many of their band members, yet I have never heard them before.

I am a fan of ska music, and when I heard their walking bass line played to a happy upbeat of music from their vast horn section, I wanted to break down and start skanking (a form of dancing associated with ska).

I was first introduced to ska back in 1998 when I was a wee lad and saw a concert by Jumpkick. I have been a fan ever since, but it wasn’t until Saturday that I knew Yuma still had a ska band with any talent.

Even though neither band took home the title this year, I know they are going to keep rocking. Good luck next year.

Check out video of the bands on line at Yumasun.com.

See you next week under the midnight sun...

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BANDS PERFORMING
• Ronny & Clyde - 5 p.m. today and Tuesday, Nov. 17 - Parrish's Bar and Grill
• Leavin Ruston - 8 p.m. today - Cocopah Casino's River Room
• Kevin Melcher - 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14 - Daybreakers Cafe
• Tommy & The Drifters - 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 - Yuma Landing
• Re-Wind - 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 - LZ Bar and Grill
• Big Boss Band - 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 - Lutes Casino
• Wayne & Ernie - 5 p.m. every Sunday - Parrish's Bar and Grill
• Yuma Jazz Company - 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 - Julieanna's Patio Cafe

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BANDS ON THE ROAD
• Slick Nickel - 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 - Brawley Cattle Call Rodeo Dance

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KARAOKE
• 5 p.m. today - Daybreakers Cafe
• 8 p.m. today - LZ Bar and Grill
• 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 - Friendly Tavern
• 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 - Hooligan's Sports Bar/Grill & Comedy Club

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MUSIC JAM
• Yuma Blues Band Jam - 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday - LZ Bar and Grill
OPEN MIC
• 9 p.m. every Sunday - Pop A Top Saloon

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COMEDIANS
• Ron White - 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 - Quechan Casino's Pipa Event Center

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CONCERTS
• Dierks Bentley - 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 - Quechan Casino's Pipa Event Center
• Tony Orlando - 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 - Quechan Casino's Pipa Event Center