Performing Saturday and Sunday, November 7 & 8, at the 5th Annual Coachella Valley Italian Festival
By Alex Updike
While many families find it difficult to get through a nice holiday meal without wanting to kill each other, members of the Gonzalez family have taken brotherly love to another level. Brothers Sam (lead vocals and bass), Vince (backup vocals and guitar), Josiah (keyboard), along with honorary family member Jose Juarez (drums), make up the members of Avenida, who in August won session four of Morgan James’ Open Mic Competition at Schmidy’s Tavern. The band left the competition with a $500 trip to Las Vegas courtesy of Crater Lake Vodka, along with an artist development session from Ronnie King and an eight-hour mix and master session with JEM Productions.
But it is the story behind the band on stage that shows the true colors of Avenida. These brothers are not your typical rockers. They possess a humility, generosity, and true devotion to their community that is inspiring to anyone who is fortunate enough to spend time around them. It is the reason why people like Lucie Gonzalez, a long-time Avenida follower, support the band so fervently. When asked what makes Avenida stand apart from other bands, Gonzalez stated right away that “they are dedicated to helping other people.” And it is true. While most bands comprised of all male members might play to gain notoriety, money, or even women, Avenida plays for an entirely different reason. “We would love to record, tour, and see the world,” they said, “but even if we just play for our church, a local shelter, or a group of friends; if we’re making a positive difference in someone’s life, then we’ll keep playing.”
There is no doubt that Avenida stands out, and according to Gonzalez, it is due to their church roots. This brings soul to their sound and heart to everything they do. They devote their proceeds to helping people that others overlook; they play music that makes people of all ages feel deeply and feel good. And this music comes in all styles and flavors. Avenida describes their own sound as indie/alternative rock, but welcomes the challenge of playing covers from all musical realms including blue grass, hard rock, and even jazz standards. In fact, it was the band’s covering of several Beatles songs that turned Gonzalez on to the band in the first place. “They played at my surprise birthday party,” Gonzalez told me. “They played several Beatles covers and absolutely blew me away with the quality of their singing and playing.”
Yes, like all brothers since the beginning of time, these brothers argue, debate, and fight. But it is the freedom to do these things, backed by the unconditional love of a close-knit family, which allows the arguments, debates, and fights to be meaningful and positive. “We fight hard with each other so we can fight hard for each other,” the band said. Lucie Gonzalez sees this as well. “The fact that Avenida is literally a band of brothers brings tremendous cohesiveness due to their ability to communicate with and trust one another fully. They can argue vociferously and express their individual views secure in the knowledge that, at the end of the day, nothing can break their bond.”
Avenida plays in many places across the Coachella Valley, and if you desire to support this wonderful group of men, you can check them out at, among other locations, Village Fest in Downtown Palm Springs or, starting in September, at The River in Rancho Mirage. To keep up to date with all the bands information and gig locations, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
The men of Avenida were told one thing when starting out as musicians. “This isn’t for you,” their parents told them. “This is for you to give away. We want you to take this and give it to as many people as you can.” Avenida has lived by these words. “Music is such a powerful force and we want to be able to bring joy to others by the way we play and the way we live.” Anybody who has had the privilege of seeing them play can say with confidence that they have done just that.
