The Battalion
Page 3
Thursday • April 24, 1997
Funky brothers
Today is just another day in Vallejo's rise to success
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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
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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
â– 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:
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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
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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
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