Alternative trio, Alianza Rebelde, was voted winner at Al Borde’s Battle of the Bands this past Thursday, July 10th at the Torino Lounge. They will now perform in a final showdown against Ashes in Violet at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach on Friday, August 8th.
When there are talented bands involved, sometimes it is unfortunate that one band has to be chosen over the others. That was exactly how we lived the exciting Al Borde’s Battle of the Bands contest this past Thursday night. Either of the three emerging talented bands, Alianza Rebelde, Alma de Jade, and Miercoles de Ceniza, could’ve been easily named winners. The voting was so tight that the winning band won by only five votes difference.
As we arrived at the Torino Lounge, there was a real sense of community among the staff, music fans, and semifinalists. The scenario was also packed with passionate and supportive fans encouraging their favorite band.
Miercoles de Ceniza was in charge of opening the competition. From their very first song performed, they stormed the place with a strong and energetic sound that combined the roots of classic rock and an alternative edge. We are sure that their powerful stage presence was enough to captivate the audience from beginning to end.
Alma de Jade was the second band to take the stage, and with a more melodic sound, reminiscent of some of the early Spanish rock bands, they put on a strong performance, to which the fans at the Torino Lounge responded well and cheered.
As for Alianza Rebelde, they were the last band to hit the stage and from the first chords, the energy was palpable. The hard driving drums of Jaime Gomez and a ferocious guitar attack by Ryan Beltran and Danny Argueta keep it all together with his bass. The band thrashed the stage with a riveting performance that had everyone enjoying to the top.
After great performances by all three bands, the final voting began, which was conducted through social media by using Al Borde’s hashtag #ABMusica amongst those present at the Torino Lounge. After a few minutes, Alianza Rebelde was declared winners by only a 5-point margin.
After this unexpected voting process, we had the chance to talk with Alianza Rebelde and lucky for us, we were able to share moments of gratefulness.
Al Borde – How do you feel about winning tonight?
Alianza Rebelde – We are really excited because we didn’t expect to win, we even told ourselves before the show, ‘let’s just go out and play and don’t even think about winning’.
Did you think you didn’t have a chance to win?
We are a relatively new band to the scene and we are still trying to get people’s attention. We knew we were going up against two other great bands, maybe in a way, it helped us to not feel so pressured. We tried to enjoy the moment without thinking about winning. We played our songs and we are extremely glad the audience liked it.
Alianaza Rebelde will now play in the final Al Borde’s Battle of The Bands contest at MOLAA in Long Beach on August 8th against Ashes in Violet. This electrifying show will also feature the reunion of the original line up of Curanderos with special guest singers like Gioavanny (Viva Malpache), Fernando (Maria Fatal), Victor (Pastilla), Tony (Voz de Mano), Jermain (La Teoria) and more guests to be confirmed. Also, there will be a special guest performance by RIFLE.
