BAND PROFILE: Tracey's Mend

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Five almost middle-aged (save one or two) guys walk into a bar lugging guitars, amps and drums behind them ... Oh, you've heard it? Maybe not!

Tracey's Mend might have been around for 10 years, but their sound has changed, along with their members.

What started as an acoustic band with only two musicians, including lead singer Mendiola, eventually grew to a five-piece rock band.

• READ THE FESTIVA REVIEW OF THEIR CD

Mendiola (yes, he has a first name, but chose to drop it simply because he doesn't like "Issac") is fast approaching his 37th birthday. He has a wife and a baby at home. He's a mild-mannered teacher at Ann Richards Middle School in La Joya. And he rocks. But only part time.

"I love performing, writing and I don't know," Mendiola said. "I think everybody wants to do this. I mean, why not? If I could give up teaching and do this, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Drummer Joel Lee Lozana, 32, is a bit of a nightowl - he has to be. He works as a security guard after hours and still finds time to practice with Tracey's Mend and play gigs. Lozana has been with the band for several years and loves it. Some of his favorite bands house his idols. Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, Pink Floyd's Nick Mason and American jazz drummer Buddy Rich.

Al Villanueva, 28, has been playing guitar in the band and writing lyrics since the beginning. His influences depart from the band's a bit; he cites guitarists from metal giants such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Ozzy Osbourne as inspirations.

Soft-spoken bassist Steven Saldaña, 37, looks the stereotypical part of a metalhead and has always been a fan of the music. And while he admires the work of bass players from bands like Metallica, he also loves classics like Led Zeppelin and the versatile Bob Daisley, who has experience playing everything from hard rock to the blues.

Blues is a big thing for the youngest (and newest) member of Tracey's Mend. Student Tim Jimenez, 19, or "Cub" as the band likes to call him, spent six hours a day practicing, trying to perfect songs by guitar legends such as Jimi Hindrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. When he's just listening to music, though, he'll listen to Lamb of God or even Counting Crows, at the suggestion of Mendiola.

"I've been trying to get everyone to become a fan of Counting Crows," said Mendiola.

Mendiola claims you won't be able to hear influences in their music and that the band is like no other in the Rio Grande Valley. They're hoping their unique blend and overall appeal of rock and blues will draw in many different fans. They often open for local metal band Warryor, though Tracey's Mend is less metal and more rock.

"I think everyone is given a talent," Mendiola said as he looked at his band members setting up for practice. "And this is what they're supposed to do."

CD Release Parties

• 09/19/08 at City Lights in Harlingen @ 10 p.m.
• 09/20/08 at Newman's in McAllen

Amy Nichol Smith is a freelance writer for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4420.