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The band is breaking barriers on both sides of the border
"The name is so hokey because it was a joke. We never meant for it to be anything serious,” says frontman Hector Marquez of the Los Dryheavers moniker, which was blurted out over pitchers of beer at the Catalyst in 2000. Comparing it to “a bad tattoo that we got and now we have to live with,” the band’s name has become synonymous with one ass-kickin’, no-need-for-a-shirt-’cause-it’s-gonna-get-too-sweaty rock show.
Like a Mexican doppleganger to punk’s offhand Me First And The Gimme Gimmes , Los Dryheavers started out as a side project that morphed into something unexpectedly legitimate. Sort of the older brothers you always wanted (or feared), they’re five big, blue collar guys always down for a laugh and a good time.
But whether they’re teddy bears or mommy’s little monsters, had the presidential election turned out differently we might’ve lost them for good. “We had plans to leave planet Earth with Tina Fey if McCain/Palin won,” says Heavers bassist Cory Atkinson. “Not sure how we were going to do that. We told her we are crafty as hell so we could probably make it happen!”
All joking aside, the stalwart punkers who emerged out of the Watsonville barrios spewing bilingual rants and unrelenting riffs acknowledge the significance of current news headlines. For a band known to represent and connect with minorities and immigrants, the times they-are-a-changin’. Or so they hope.
“In all seriousness, we get tired of having to apologize for the United States when we are traveling in other countries,” Atkinson says. “For awhile, I think other countries thought we all loved Bush and his policies. It was our job to let them know what was up.”
Loud, proud and explicit—in English and Spanish—Los Dryheavers are as in-your-face as it gets. Former Fury 66 frontman and head of the band’s label, Lorelei Records , Joe Clements recently told GT, “There’s nothing between [Los Dryheavers] and the audience.” Drilling through a plentiful reserve of three-minute spit-sprayers spanning three albums, the band commands a youthful following (which Atkinson says would be surprised to learn that “one of us is not Mexican but actually Pakistani”), and they never guessed it would get so big.
Nearly a decade since their unceremonious inception, with a MySpace disclaimer of “Rock ‘n’ roll for the outta control!” the band is at the helm of the local punk scene and continues to abide by the old school punk ethos that fiery riffs, furious vocals, and, yes, free beer, together churn out one damn good, killer live set.
“We are all very political, however, in the end, as far as our music goes we try not to take ourselves too seriously,” Atkinson says, emphasizing that their mission to move people in the mosh pit outweighs any mission to move people politically. “People go to a concert to have fun. There are plenty of other venues for political awareness. It’s like having a Greenpeace guy out in front of Frenchy’s.”
Brandishing Spanglish lyrics swept up in a rock-meets-ranchero instrumental hurricane, the band has amassed a loyal army of listeners crossing the Los Dryheavers bridge between Santa Cruz and Watsonville, English and Spanish, the rich and poor. And according to Marquez, that’s their primary aim. “As far as raising awareness through our music, we just like to let people know that there is music out there in all kinds of languages in all kinds of countries,” he says. “The punk rock movement is not just in the U.S. but all over the world.”
And they would know. No strangers to the road, Los Dryheavers are one of the few bands out of Watsonville to have worn out their wheels touring the international tarmac. As part of the Warped Tour punk family, and independently, they’ve co-billed alongside a hefty list of mind blowing bands along the way: Dead Kennedys , US Bombs , Dee Dee Ramone , Total Chaos and more.
Signed this May to Mexico City’s Noise Attack record label, the band is re-issuing last year’s Words of Surrender and 2004’s Heartaches, Hangovers and Hangups in Mexico. They’ll head south in the spring for ensuing tours to support the re-releases before laying down any new material. And in true punk fashion, they feel like outsiders on both sides of the border.
“Here in the States we’re always the novelty Mexican-American band; we’re always the other exotic flavor,” Marquez says. “Then when we’re in Mexico we’re the Americans from the other side. There’s always a barrier no matter where we go. We never quite fit in anywhere.”
Still, they’ve charged through cross-continental stages hitting up hungry fanbases in spots like Madrid, Mexico City and Abilene, and when all is said and done, home is where the heaver is. Settled back in Watsonville for the time being, the group of Mexi-punk forefathers remains steeped in a network of grassroots, emerging bands.
“No matter what’s going on with the local scene there is always room for more bands,” Atkinson says. “Guitar Hero and Rock Band are rad video games but will never outdo starting a real band. Right now Santa Cruz is seeing a great power pop/garage band revival. Bands like The Groggs , The Spurts , Maids of Honor and The Luxury Sweets are all playing music your old lady can dance to. Check them out.”
Los Dryheavers perform at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at the Blue Lagoon , 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $5. For more information call 423-7117.
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