by Eric The Red
There is an incredibly eclectic mix of music being made in our valley. From rockabilly to metal, EDM to indie, the Palm Springs area is a veritable treasure trove of amazing musical talent. One example of this is Tribesmen, an instrumental rock band out of Coachella, who have already made a name for themselves playing the Tachevah Block Party, opening for Passion Pit. Describing themselves as “instrumental, ambient, and cinematic,” Tribesmen are one of the most original bands in the Coachella valley.
Comprised of Wilber Pacheco and Alec Corral sharing guitar duties, Leslie Orozco handling the low end on bass and Freddy Jimenez on the drums, Tribesmen began playing music in February of 2012. During this short time, the band has already accomplished some pretty amazing things, such as a Bay Area tour and the Tachevah Block Party. As with any accomplishments, there have to be some hardships. When asked what the biggest challenge the band has faced, they stated, “Probably putting up with each other, and having enough patience.” It’s a common misconception that being in a band is easy, but it’s great to see that the members of Tribesmen recognize that they need to work through their differences to keep the band cohesive. So long as they continue to work together, this band could really go places.
Having played some pretty amazing shows, I wanted to find out what kind of advice these guys could give. When asked what they would suggest to anyone trying to start playing music, the band had this to say, “Well, basically, have fun with it. People, as well as yourself would be looking for certain standards in your art, sometimes we get lost in our frustrations and can’t see past that. So that’s the main thing.” The mentality of having fun while playing music can also be witnessed in their rehearsals. When asked whether their rehearsals were just fun jamming or serious work, the band replied, “All of the above. The writing process can be frustrating and requires a lot more focus then a rehearsal before a show.”
I also made sure to ask the members of Tribesmen a few of my “go-to” questions. When asked about their thoughts on social media as a promotional tool and if it has brought them the exposure they expected it to, the band said, “Yeah it has and more. We see that as a sort of life line. Everything we’ve done so far is all because of social media. We’ve played with great bands and have met a lot of great people in our little journey because of it.” That journey has consisted of a number of shows outside our valley as well. When asked what their favorite venue is, they said, “Probably between the Fenix 5/4 in Whittier and Bows and Arrows in Sacramento.”
Be sure to catch Tribesmen on Saturday, Jan 11 at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert. They will be performing with Parosella and Past Decades. This show is 21+ and doors open at 9:00 pm.
