This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

B-Side Players Break Musical Boundaries

The innovative and worldly pop music band treats Hermosa Beach to a night of unique dance grooves at Saint Rocke.

A group of women neared the stage at Saint Rocke on Friday, a full hour before the night's featured band began to play its first song, and the ladies didn't stop moving until the last.

Other fans packed the dance floor as the B-Side Players, a travelling octet from San Diego, enticed the crowd with Afro-Latin rhythms, reggae bass and beat, bright brass, rocking guitars and soulful lyrics. I couldn't help but move to the music myself.

The band's sound couldn't be put into a category.  One second the players sounded like a reggae band, and the next I felt like I might be in a Latin jazz nightclub.  All songs performed were original, except one medley based on the Marley classic, "Could You Be Loved."

Find out what's happening in Hermosa Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This idea of "music without borders" is a central mission of the B-Side Players, according to the band's founder Karlos Paez, who sings lead vocals in Spanish and English, sometimes with accompanying guitar. 

"It all started with the African rhythms we studied," Paez said.

Find out what's happening in Hermosa Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He, and bandmates Victor Tapia, Luis Cuenca and Reagan Branch, had extensively studied rhythm and percussion since the group formed more than 15 years ago. Since then, the band has grown, adding members who come and go as they tour across the United States and in Mexico. 

The players averaged 250 shows per year between 1994 and 2001, and opened for many popular reggae, jazz, and Latin bands, including Ben Harper, James Brown, The Whalers, and War. 

"We learned the most from watching these great bands," Paez said.  "Santana was our first big influence."

These influences shone through the band's performance on Friday. Paez related very personally to the Hermosa Beach crowd, congratulating the Lakers, giving a shout out to the San Diego fans that had come, and wishing the fathers a happy Father's Day.  In his music, Paez definitely took after the greatest reggae singers, pouring his heart into every line.

The band's busy brass section consisted of Mike Benge on trombone, Russ Gonzales on saxophones and clarinet, and Branch on saxophone.  Benge switched off many times to add percussion from a guiro, or lead the crowd in clapping.  Gonzales proved versatile with a high clarinet accompaniment. Reagan played a strong sax and broke into crazy solos.

Tucked behind the horns was Omar Lopez on the bass, keeping a steady, deep rhythm that vibrated in my chest.  Across the stage from him, Emmanuel "Emma" Alarcon played guitar, switching from syncopated reggae strums to shredding solos — he also celebrated his birthday that night.

For the beat, Cuenca kept pace on the drums and Tapia added multilayered rhythms on his congas.  Tapia laid out a show-stopping solo at one point, sounding as if he had two sets of hands.

Having performed at Saint Rocke before, the B-Side Players looked at home on stage and Hermosans looked comfortable on the dancefloor.

The band will continue to tour this summer with more stops along the pacific coast shoreline. On the player's schedule in the coming weeks is the Air Conditioned Supper Club in Venice on June 26.  The group also has a new album due out in September.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Hermosa Beach