By Esther Sanchez
Round 2 of CV Showcase at The Hood Bar and Pizza has once again made it wonderfully apparent just how much musical talent is bursting from just about every corner of our beloved valley. The competition was fierce, yet the vibe of the night was unifying and supportive and I don’t think anyone envied the job the judges had to do.
The next rounds of the 5 round competition is happening at The Hood on the 1st Sunday of each month for 3 more months leading up to the finals in April when the final bands will be competing for a $1,500 cash prize, a merchandising deal and other various prizes to be announced.
In addition to the battle of the bands that took place, a tragedy that happened earlier that day caused the owners and staff of The Hood and CV Weekly to swing into action. Bartender and member of “The Hood family,” Deena Bartoli who lived in her childhood home with her parents, Jackie and Lonnie Castro experienced a house fire on Sunday that destroyed everything they owned and took their beloved cats. Without hesitation the night turned into a fundraiser for the Castros and between donations from staff, bands and patrons alike over $1700 was raised to help the family start their road to recovery. A GoFundMe account has been set up for the Castros. gofundme.com/help-the-castro-family-rebuild.
Sunday Funeral
Well-deserved winners of the night, Sunday Funeral has become somewhat established in the Coachella Valley music scene in recent years. All three musicians in the band are clearly skilled and the vocalist was arguably the strongest of the night amongst all entries. The flow of their brief set took everyone on a journey that showed that Sunday Funeral has the top-notch, musical chops and quality of songs to give anyone they compete with a run for their money in the upcoming finals. Clearly a class-act, the group decided to donate their winnings to the fire victims whom the event was raisings funds for. www.facebook.com/sunday.funeral
Sun Drug
The band of the night…self-described as, “A veritable cornucopia of low desert, psychedelic, stoner, progressive rock,” this 3 piece, instrumental, jam-band fuses jazz, rock, funk and soul vibes in a manner that wreaks of skill and experience, probably more so than any other group of the night. I saw Sun Drug for the first time recently at the 9th Annual Concert for Autism and thought, “Where have you guys been all my life?” As mentioned by one of the judges, they don’t have a vocalist, but it says a lot about a band that is good enough to perform without one. www.facebook.com/sundrugband
Skitzo Attack
This Cathedral City based trio is relatively obscure on the local scene at this point but they have definitely come to the table to play. I would definitely use adjectives such as, “diverse” and “eclectic” to describe Skitzo Attacks undefinable sound that has some definite alternative vibes that are peppered with a lot of funk. They closed their set with an original song dedicated to the Standing Rock Water Protectors which was a definite plus. Skitzo Attack has a pretty extensive collection of original recordings on their Soundcloud account and are totally worth looking up. www.facebook.com/Skitzo-Attack-245769135456800
Hundred Forms
The second of two bands of the night who happen to have a lovely lady on bass, Hundred Forms is a 5-piece, indie, alternative rock band based in Palm Desert with a vibe that is undeniably youthful. Progressive and melodic, I was impressed by the musicianship and very cohesive vibe that was being displayed between the band-members as they performed. Technically on-point, Hundred Form flowed from song to song with an ease that set them apart from other bands of the night. I am looking forward to seeing what Hundred Form will come up with in the future. www.facebook.com/Hundredforms
CV Weekly would like to thank Mike Cancino, Jeannette Krehbiel, Julie Montante and Steve Johns for taking their time to give their valuable insight as judges as well as the owners and staff at The Hood Bar and Pizza for being making the night a memorable one.
