WIN TICKETS: December Drive's last show
The Valley's reigning kings of indie rock are stepping down from the throne with a final performance Saturday night at Cine El Rey. To win a pair of tickets to the show, leave a comment below ---- preferably with some embarrassing story about the band.
- VIEW A PHOTO GALLERY FEATURING CANDID PICTURES FROM THE BAND'S PRIVATE COLLECTION Click here
- DOWNLOAD A FREE SONG OFF FROM THE BAND'S UPCOMING ALBUM. Click here
Bodies flailed across the stage, loud music blared from the speakers and four teenagers dressed in black took the stage, let go of all inhibitions and gave their first real concert everything they had.
They had no choice, really. The battle of the bands at the Science Academy in Mercedes was turning out to be more like a slap fight, and the crowd was getting bored.
David, Charlie, Jason and Toby took the stage as if it were their rightful property. They walked away the winners that night.
"They (the audience) were surprised to see a band putting on a show, a spectacle," said drummer Charlie Vela, 25. "It was more heart than technical skill."
Finally at the wheel, the boys of The December Drive revved their engines and never looked back. In search of good times and a shot at greatness, they spent a sizeable part of the last 10 years becoming one of the Rio Grande Valley's most prolific touring rock bands.
But no road goes on forever: The December Drive will hang up their keys after one final show Saturday night at Cine El Rey.
"We're just ready to put it to rest," said David Cortez, the band's 25-year-old vocalist and guitarist. "To start normal lives."
Call it closure, call it going out with a bang - it's a rock ‘n' roll ending to a period of their lives that's been anything but normal. Of course, The December Drive wouldn't have it any other way.
After all, this is a band that's survived mistaken identity, famine, rabid fans, relentless misfortune and mortal wounds. It's a dangerous world out there - The December Drive can tell you from experience. Lots of it.
Right after high school graduation eight years ago, the boys set out to see America from the windows of a tour van. They got as far as Austin before the van broke down. They headed east of Texas, eating little but dry ramen in the name of building a fan base. They rolled into strange towns to play gigs they hadn't even asked to play yet.
Cortez remembers several bad omens on that first tour suggesting they turn around and go home, but the band trudged forward against better judgment.
Other times, trouble just showed up unannounced. Cortez was once mugged at gunpoint in South Carolina, and then mistakenly arrested by the police when they thought he was the assailant.
At a show in San Diego, Toby Perez, 25, tossed his guitar up in the air, then watched as it slid gracefully down the curtain and crashed on the ground. He then kicked it into the crowd, charged into the audience and fought to get it back as the audience cheered along.
For the most part, the band has no regrets; even the rollover accident that sent Cortez to the hospital with his head split open served a purpose.
"If the accident hadn't happened ... the (new) album (Games) wouldn't be what it is," said Jason Stoll, 25.
The December Drive's legacy lies in several EPs and two full-length albums. Games took three weeks to record, mix and master - though the recording process actually started nearly two years ago. It took less time to record than their previous album, handslikegunsandcrashingsounds, and Vela said there's more energy, harmony and instrumentation.
"There's something to be said for making an album faster," said Vela.
Games, which will be released Saturday night, combines an ‘80s flavor with "harsh social commentary," according to Cortez, who wrote most of the songs. The album's lyrics focus on the music industry, the scene and relationships, with most of the messages laced with cynicism. Eighty percent of the album was recorded live, with no pitch correction or manipulation of the takes.
"We know our weaknesses and we play up our strengths," said Godinez.
Rest assured, The December Drive will put on a good show - it's their final farewell. Maybe there will be another guitar smashed, or Cortez will be held up again. Whatever happens, it's rock ‘n' roll.
SEE THEM LIVE (for the last time)
WHO: The December Drive with Stereo Kitsch, White Zebra and Arrgh!Drey
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Cine El Rey, 311 S. 17th St, McAllen
COST: $7 presale, $10 at the door
BUY TICKETS: Melharts Music, Lionel Western Wear, Wireless Toyz, www.ez-tixx.com and at the door
