WHERE THEY ARE NOW: Tragic Komic

August 21, 2008 2:34 PM

Good news Tragic Komic fans, this rock band is still very much alive and well and ready to hit a stage near you. Though Eddie, Rick, Albert and Joe have been away for a couple of years now, due to family obligations and work, the band still beats the same pulse for making music as before. Sanchez credits bands like Blind Justice and Kalamity Jane who helped build a niche for original music in the Valley. When a young and ambitious Tragic Komic opened up for Hostile back in 1996 they walked onto a solid fan base and a 12-year trajectory ahead of them. "I don't know if it was the nickel drinks at Club X or the band attracting the fans," Sanchez joked. "But it was something new, something different. After the Club X days bands starting coming out of the woodwork."

Rick's hair might be a little shorter and the guys a little more tame than those wild and crazy times at Hooligan's, but the passion and chemistry between the members hasn't changed a bit. Achievements include singing the National Anthem at Dallas Cowboy's game and competing in Fox's America's Greatest Rock Band reality show. They are in the studio putting some finishing touches on their third full length album and hope to land some gigs soon enough.

Tragic Komic

Members: Eddie Sanchez (bass), Rick Gonzalez (vocals/guitar), Albert Mendez (guitar/vocals), Joe Leal (drums)
Started: 1994
Favorite Venue: tie between The Attic at Club X, Cadillac Jack's in Edinburg
Memorable Moment: There were a few good ones, performed the National Anthem at a Dallas Cowboy pre-game, and our gigs at Sherlocks in Houston.
How as the music scene changed? I haven't really gone out lately to see any bands. I've gone to a couple of battle of the bands here and there. But it's a little disappointing because you look for the music scene to get better. I wish the radio could do more even though there are some people who are trying. I don't think they clubs have gotten better for original bands. I'll always remember Juan Reyna (Noize Gate) as one of the biggest supporters of Tragic Komic. (Reyna passed away in '98 of leukemia).