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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 1997)
The Battalion Page 3 Thursday • April 24, 1997 Funky brothers Today is just another day in Vallejo's rise to success mm -eg? illejo, a Latin funk-rock band from Austin, is a sibling-based group that has pursued success for 10 years. By April Towery The Battalion lamily bonding is something the Vallejo boys do every day. Brothers Alejandro, A.J. and Omar have made music together for 10 years, the last four as Latin funk rock band Vallejo. Drummer Alejandro Vallejo said playing with his brothers has been a worthwhile experience. “It’s definitely an advantage having my brothers in the band,” he said. “If it was anyone else, I’d kill them.” The Vallejo brothers played for six years as a trio until they met vo calist/guitarist Bruce Castleberry and percussionist Diego in Birming ham, Ala., four years ago and added the other two members to the Valle jo family. “They’re not brothers (Castleberry and Diego), but they might as well be,” Alejandro Vallejo said. The Austin-based band signed with TVT Records two years ago. ATVT rep resentative saw the band at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, and picked up the record from the inde pendent label IMI Records. TVT re-released Vallejo’s self-titled U a 11 e j o Tonight at 10 at the DiKie Theatre debut in January, and the single “Just Another Day” is receiving nationwide radio airplay. Alejandro Vallejo said the band members are in awe of the suc cess of the album. “It’s been blowing up from San Diego to Wilmington, North Carolina,” he said. “This is the thing that bands dream about. After 10 years, it’s finally starting to pay off.” Alejandro Vallejo said the first time he heard one of their songs on the radio, it was an exciting but scary experience. “When we lived in Birmingham, they played a song on the radio and we sat around and said, ‘Wow, we hope they don’t take it off,”’ he said. Chris Penn, manager of Ma rooned Records, said he is pleased with Vallejo album sales. Marooned has sold nearly 200 Vallejo albums since its release. Penn, who saw Vallejo perform, said the band puts on an entertaining show. “I think a lot of people misconstrue it as blues, but it is more or less just straight ahead rock,” Penn said. Billboard Magazine writer Doug Reece compared the Latin-inflected rock songs of Vallejo to ’80s rock band Santana. Alejandro Vallejo said the critics’ comparisons do not bother the band members. “We try to keep it on the positive trip,” he said. “We’re not into the nega tivity of today’s bands, like the Tm 17 and I hate myself’ stuff.” Alejandro Vallejo said he anticipates a “funky” show tonight. “We want everyone to leave with smiles on their faces,” he said. “The people in College Station love good music. If there’s a good show, people will come.” And plenty of people have come to the shows, including the last show Vallejo played Sunday night in Dal las. The band opened for Cake, INXS and Beck. See Vallejo, Page 4 Former Batt staffer Clark shines in Eagle's Spotlight By Michael Schaub The Battalion nen Rob Clark became ed itor of The Battalion’s Ag- gielife section, the page ran twice a week. ] But Michael Landauer, Clark’s ’i assistant editor at the time and a ti sfiuior journalism major, said Clark fhada more expansive vision for yj the page. When he took over, he made it e pages a week,” Landauer said, he adviser said, ‘This’ll last about edays.’” But three years later, Clark’s anges remain. The 23-year-old xas A&M graduate has assumed a w mantle: editor of Spotlight, The yan-College Station Eagle’s new ekly entertainment guide. “It’s incredibly exciting,” Clark id. “Getting the first issue ready is tough, hut h was a lot of fun.” The weekly supplement, which debuted last week, is scheduled to run every Thursday. “It’s not really just intended for college students,” Clark said. “We want this to be a guide for every body. But we’re hoping Aggies will “Whenever a band came to Texas, of course they want ed the exposure of 43,000 college students. I sort of got addicted to that.“ Rob Clark Editor of The Eagle’s Spotlight on his former job as a feature writer want to pick up The Eagle.” Clark was named editor of Spot light after writing features for eight months at The Eagle, he said. “For over a year, [The Eagle] had been trying to develop an entertain ment section,” he said. “I just took it and ran with it. The bosses saw the progress we’d made and decided to go with it.” Editorial positions are nothing new to Clark. He served as editor- in-chief of The Battalion in the fall of 1995. “The Batt was probably the most fun I’ve ever had,” he said. “I learned more there than I ever did in class.” A self-styled “music junkie,” Clark’s first job at The Battalion was feature writing, interviewing musi cians who came to Bryan-College Station, Austin and Houston. “Whenever a band came to Texas, of course they wanted the exposure of 43,000 college students,” Clark said. “I sort of got addicted to that.” Clark interviewed bands such as Duran Duran, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Blind Melon. See Clark, Page 4 '*MHN£S^v ffi. ; 5 - i I - IS V 1 ljj||lS / Rob Clark, former editor in chief of The Battalion, displays Spotlight, the Bryan-College Station Eagle's weekly entertainment guide. Spotlight debuted last Thursday and serves as a wrap-up of the area's arts and entertainment events. Tim Moog, The Battalion Don’t Miss ’Em in the Music Capitol! TONIGHT Rudder Auditorium ■7:oqpm 0 0° On Sale May 30 at 10am! Saturday-July 26 Southpark Meadows-Austin,TX Tickets available at all Star Ticket Outlets or charge by phone ot 469-SHOW(7469i. Tickets also available at all fmzaZu&ms outlets or charge by phone at: 210.224.9600(m Son Anlonio) • 713.629.3700 (in Houston) 512.881.8499 (in corpuschiisti)• 504.522.5555 (in Mew Orleans) All other National or International Requests: 800.966.SH0W(7469). For further PHISN info: 800.PH1SH.IT Tickets subject to sorvice/handling charges: Date(s), times and support acts subject to change without notice. TICKETS ON SALE NOW at the MSG Box Office or by phone at 845-1234 Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 So sisform us of your spedsd needs. IVe request sratificatai tlsree (3) iverkitiig days prior to the event So enable us to assist ym t© the best of our ability Opening Act Davfd Garza lESERWEi 1® TICKET LIMil Attention Student Organizations FREE PUBLICITY The information that will be used in the 1997-98 Student Organization Guide will be compiled from the information each group provided on the purple recognition card, filed in the Department of Student Activities for the 1996-97 academic year. Go to: http://stuact.tamu.edu/external/ contact_info.html to check out your organization's information for accuracy. Changes can be made by filling out a change form in Student Activities (Dorothy's desk). Changes submitted by April 30 will be reflected in next year’s Student Organization Guide. Student Activities \ / At Texas A&M University
