The Luchagors

For six solid years Lita visited fans in their living rooms through their television sets.

Millions of fans can recall her high flying days in World Wrestling Entertainment alongside the Hardy Boyz, Edge or Kane.

A championship belt, fancy limos, treks around the globe was the life she knew.

After a successful career with the WWE ended with her retirement in 2006 it was time to hang up her boots and begin a new adventure.

Meet Amy Dumas: Lover of punk rock, do-it-yourself touring and welcoming those same wrestling fans to take a deeper look at who she really is.

Dumas, front woman for the quartet The Luchagors hit the road last year in an effort to bring their blend of punk and heavy metal to audiences across the country.

Though each member of the band offers a variation of rock ‘n roll which makes up the overall sound, what fans get is an old school punk sound, which Dumas really wanted to accomplish.

“I got into punk rock at a really early age,” the former wrestler said in a phone interview. “I jokingly say punk rock was like my surrogate parents.”

As a teenager her musical taste channeled in on the hardcore punk band 7 Seconds, who helped foster the Straight Edge Youth Crew movement of the 1980s and the independent record label, Better Youth Organization, which aimed to promote punk culture in a positive light.

“Some think of punk and think of the Sex Pistols and drugs and breaking bottles,” Duma said. “But this was, I guess for a lack of better words, the hippy side of punk, with the ‘we’re in this together attitude’ and unify to get something done.

“It was really influential to me.”

When Dumas moved from her native Atlanta, Ga., to Washington D.C. she found herself surrounded by struggling musicians, who were also her roommates and taught her a few bass lines a week.

Soon they created a monster.

Once the opportunity to go pro as wrestler arose, music was forced to the side, until now.

Driving through the same stretch of highway as she did in her days with the WWE sparks a million memories, she says, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“All these people have grown up with me, arriving to the venues in limos and being flown around the world in private jets and here I am in an ’88 Econoline van with 150,000 miles and I’m OK with that,” she laughed. “We decided the first few tours we’d call this the ‘Down with the Naysayers Tour’ cause we gotta get out there and prove that we could rock before they’re just like, ‘well, I want to go see Lita.’ The band has almost confused people. Fans that are fans of music and punk rock are like, ‘Oh well that’s just some dumb joke gimmick wrestling band’ and don’t realize how serious we are.”

Together, The Luchagors, also made up of Shane Morton (guitar), Jay Hedberg (bass) and Troy King (drums) get through a solid set and have a chance to meet with fans after a show. Dumas often hesitates to delve into any wrestling-related conversation with fans.

“Some people can’t get it through their head that I was paid to be a character on a television show but that I got to put elements of my own personality into it but that’s not me,” she says. “It’s like somebody calling Jennifer Aniston, ‘Rachel.’

“I definitely don’t want it to come across (unappreciative) because the career was amazing and I have a million good experiences from it and I’m very fortunate that I was able to take that path.”

Now she’s open to wherever the path The Luchagors takes her. Their debut self-titled album is currently on sale online at www.luchagors.com.

“Every member has put their heart and soul into the record,” she said. “I’m excited to be where I am now. I knew this time last year I was going to retire so I was ready. And I was ready to tackle the next chapter. Life’s too short to be doing one thing.”

——

Miriam Ramirez covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4468.

MagazineX 2 Year Anniversary Jam

Featuring The Luchagors

with Warryor, Walk the Graves, .thedecember drive, and Methmare Motorcade and Suicide VX

WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Cine El Rey, 311 S. 17th St., McAllen

COST: $15 presale/$20 at the door

FOR MORE INFO: www.myspace.com/magx or www.magxonline.com