Fusion Magazine #109

STAR CITY TATTOO & ARTS EXPO 2019 TEARS OF JOY: CRY BABY SETS FOR EP RELEASE

THE LOST AND FOUND: THE PLUGZ: ELECTRIFY ME 1979 JOEY TATTOO RETURNS TO EL PASO

MARLO MARQUISE: THE RISK IN RISQUÉ FUSION GALLERY: SAMIR RAZONABLE

FREE #109

STAR CITY

TATTOO & ARTS EXPO 2019

4/9

4/23

KERO KERO BONITO

NIGHT BEATS

Lowbrow Palace — Price: $15/$17

Lowbrow Palace — Price: $15/$18

4/10

4/24

SAN HOLO Special Guest:

MELVV • TASK BLACK • EASTGHOST

Lowbrow Palace — Price: $20/$25/$30

4/15

BEN KWELLER

Lowbrow Palace — Price: $15/$17

4/20

KRISTIAN NAIRN (HODOR)

Lowbrow Palace — Price: $20/$25

4/21

US GIRLS Lowbrow Palace — Price: $12/$14

Special Guest:

COSMONAUTS • NALGADAS

THE MARIAS Lowbrow Palace — Price: $15/$18

4/26

THE DRUMS Special Guest: TANUKICHAN

Lowbrow Palace — Price: $25/$28

4/27

BLAC RABBIT

Lowbrow Palace — Price: $10/$12

4/30

STRAWBERRY GIRLS Lowbrow Palace — Price: $10/$12

TICKETS AT: SPLENDIDSUNPRODUCTIONS.COM • THE HEADSTAND

4141 N MESA | EL PASO, TX THEHOPPYMONK.COM

PRESENTED BY

DOWNTOWN

EL PASO, TX TH

SATURDAY, MAY 25

REZZ MIGUEL STEVE AOKI TORY LANEZ

DON OMAR TYGA DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL

SHORELINE MAFIA A R I Z O N A XIMENA SARIÑANA PAUL WALL QUIN NFN CID RIBO RUCKUS PET PEOPLE MIIJAS VERSE ROMAN ROUGE THE ANHEDONIANS DIZZ BREW

SUNDAY, MAY 26 TH

WIZ KHALIFA YOUNG THUG KALI UCHIS GUNNA DEORRO TCHAMI CHICANO BATMAN LOVELYTHEBAND SALES BANE'S WORLD INNER WAVE

DIAMANTE ELÉCTRICO HOLY WAVE MIDNIGHT GENERATION THE MURDER POLICE ADRIAN STRESOW LAVELL JONES LUNAS JUICE AND THE SUDS JORDAN TAYLOR HOMERUN DERBY

tickets available at neondesert.com benefitting sun city pride

FUSION MAGAZINE 109

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Oscar Castañeda — oscar@thefusionmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alex Durán — alexduran@thefusionmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Rafael A. Revilla — rrevilla@thefusionmag.com ENGLISH COPY EDITOR Daniel Salas — dbsalas@thefusionmag.com SALES MANAGER Oscar Castañeda Sr — oscarc@hefusionmag.com COVER BY

LA FORTUNA ESTUDIO

LAFORTUNAESTUDIO.COM

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & COLLABORATORS: Bjorzh Znchz, Alba García, Tanya Torres, Karl Whitaker, Alexandria Viescas GRAPHIC DESIGN Oscar Castañeda & Alba García

CONTACT info@thefusionmag.com FUSION at USA: (915) 231.8895 - (915) 875.9991 FUSION en MEX: (614) 415.4941

09

|

STAR CITY TATOO & ARTS EXPO

Check out

our website! thefusionmag.com

10

20

|

|

MARLO MARQUISE

FUSION GALLERY: SAMIR RAZONABLE

Fusion Magazine is a free monthly magazine with distribution in El Paso, TX, Cd. Juarez, Las Cruces, NM, Chihuahua, Marfa, TX, Alpine, TX & Mexico D.F. The opinions, views and comments expressed in Fusion Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and publisher. Authors and collaborators are accountable for the content of the articles. Fusion Magazine is not responsible for the information submitted in the ads by the advertisers.This publication is not suitable for people under the age of 18. Fusion Magazine does not promote or condone the use of firearms and/or violence.

Fusion Magazine es una revista mensual y gratuita con distribución en El Paso TX…… Las opiniones, comentarios y puntos de vista expresados en Fusion Magazine no reflejan necesariamente la visión del editor y publicista. Los autores y colaboradores son responsables por el contenido de los artículos. Fusion Magazine no es responsable por la información reflejada en los artículos de los anunciantes. Esta publicación no es recomendable para personas menores a 18 años. Fusion Magazine no promueve ni condona el uso de armas y/o violencia.

12040 TIERRA ESTE – EL PASO, TEXAS – (915) 228-9245 UNIONDRAFTHOUSE.COM

tattoosby_joeluna

LueFresh

tattoosby_jr

5640 MONTANA AVE, EL PASO • (915)303-7131

4TH ANNUAL TATTOO & ARTS EXPO OFFERS MORE THAN TATTOOS TO SUN CITY RESIDENTS. WORDS: TANYA TORRES

T

he 4th annual Star City Tattoo and Arts Expo is back and ready to leave a mark on El Paso residents and visitors of the city.

Over 150 tattoo artists will be at the El Paso Convention Center where hundreds of visitors will be waiting to get tattoos, and watch performances by special guest Marlo Marquise. Host of Spike TV’s Tattoo Rescue and tattoo artist Joey Tattoo will be on hand to MC the event and journalist/tattoo collector Yallzee will be there to judge tattoo competitions.

Attending artists include international award winning artist Brad Doult, Brandon Albus who specializes in black and grey realism (and El Paso native) and Angel Reynosa (photorealistic black and grey) who is now based in San Diego to name a few.

The event will be held on March 22-24th and will have about 20 competitions held throughout the 3 days—from Best of the Day, Best of the Show, to portraits, lettering and so on. The contests also will have sign-ups on the day of the event with

more information about the fees there.

Not only will the event be offering plenty to do, it is also a family friendly event where children 12 and under get in for free.

Although it is a family friendly event, visitors must keep in mind that this is a tattoo event where alcohol will be served and skin will be shown.

The expo is currently selling single day passes for $20 and weekend passes for $45—military discount available with valid ID. People looking to get tattooed must be 18 and up and sign a release form along with providing a valid ID. Doors will be open at noon and will close at 10pm on all 3 days.  starcityexpo.com Where: El Paso Convention Center When: When: March 22, 23, 24th

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

09

10

|

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

MARLO MARQUISE THE RISK IN RISQUÉ WORDS: ALEXANDRIA VIESCAS

|

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MARLO MARQUISE

A

lbuquerque’s Marlo Marquise—also known as “The Risk in Risqué”—is not your everyday businesswoman and creative performance artist. She suspends from hooks, swallows fire, walks on knives and is a full-time tattoo artist— all the while calling all of the shots. She’ll take your nightmares and turn them into eye captivating glamorous performances, leaving you enthralled.

What is your favorite performance when it comes to expressing yourself?

Suspension burlesque. I really love taking something people view as ugly or “too much” and turning it into something beautiful and digestible to an audience that wouldn’t normally watch. I enjoy changing people’s minds about something I’m very passionate about.

When did you involve yourself with the Burlesque/ Sideshow community?

I was 23 in 2008, a friend in the New York nightlife scene, who promoted a lot of big events, asked if I wanted to try a burlesque act. Since I was a club kid in the scene and “looked the part”—I agreed. I was a painfully shy person, but had always looked up to old Hollywood starlets and icons. I had one week to create a stage name, act and costume. The rest is kind of history. I just kept getting hired, and was the first performer of my kind to come out of NYC.

Did you ever have any role models in this field that heavily influenced you?

I’m extremely inspired and influenced by self made business women and musicians with their stage presence. When I was a kid I had dreams of being a rock star, but as an adult I found my own way of living out that dream. When I first started performing I remember a fellow performer told me I needed to makeup a persona for the stage and separate who I was from that character. I thought it was the worst advice I ever heard.

You should be 100% yourself on stage times 10. The only way I’ve gotten where I am today is by making sacrifices, doing good business and being unapologetically myself in every way possible.

What other art forms are you currently experimenting with?

I also walk and lay on machete blades, pierce myself with long skewers, do single tail whip tricks, human blockhead, human absinthe cocktail and knife throwing. I have a few things I’m constantly working on but haven’t fully developed yet.

Out of all your life threatening acts, what would be your most daring act?

Fire eating is by far the most dangerous. Fire has literally hospitalized me, almost killed me and has left me with a few permanent health conditions. I take supplements to break down the chemicals in my body from the fuel and have an inhaler. I don’t do a lot of prep for it since I’ve been performing it for so long, but definitely have a loose routine for it.

Have you ever had any accidents while performing?

The worst accident I had was when I still was breathing fire in my shows; it was a fluke accident. The oil I used trickled down my throat and down the wrong tube and into my left lung. This caused paraffin induced pneumonia. It was life threatening and I spent a while in the hospital with doctors unsure of death or surgery. They didn’t know how to treat it because it was a chemical oil in my lung. I was paralyzed on that side of my body, unable to walk or speak. One day I just made a huge turn around and left with a permanent lung condition and inhaler for the rest of my life. I still eat fire. The show must go on.

Do you feel your performances motivate women in positive ways?

I will always say that I’m no role model just because of the nature of my performances, but I absolutely think what I do and how I do it, is extremely motivational for women in a positive way. I get messages from women of all ages shapes and sizes telling me they look up to me and how fearless I am in what I do. I’m strangely unique, I’m not your typical definition of mainstream beautiful, I’m self-made and fierce in business. Those are positive attributes women absolutely should be proud of and work toward.

What has your lifestyle of burlesque/sideshow taught you about yourself?

I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I’m an extremely driven individual who won’t let anything or anyone stand in their way of goals and achievements. It has also taught me incredible patience and perseverance. Most of all, this lifestyle and career choice has taught me to appreciate everything in life the good and the bad; gratefullness for what I have and for the ability to gain what I don’t have.  marlo-marquise.squarespace.com

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

11

6 1 3 0 DY E R E L PA S O , T X (915) 301-0984

VINYL • CDS • VIDEO • GIFTS

WE’RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD RECORDS!

This “Collector’s Marketplace”concept only works when we have a steady supply of great quality vintage records. Let us evaluate your collection today.

Need cash? You decide … get all the details at allthatmusic.com/sell

DON’T FORGET RECORD STORE DAY IS SATURDAY APRIL 13 THIS YEAR’S OFFERINGS AT RECORDSTOREDAY.COM 6800 GATEWAY EAST - 915.594.9900 w w w. a l l t h a t m u s i c . c o m

“My first memory of tattoos was when I was about 3 years old I had an uncle who was part of a motorcycle club."

JOEY TATTOO RETURNS TO EL PASO WORDS: BETO MORAN

|

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JOEY TATTOO

E

l Paso has always been an inked up city—from old school bikers, rockabilly boppers to military millennials and everyone in-between, the people of this town have always embraced tattoo culture and wear it on their sleeve—literally.

Host of Spike TV’s Tattoo Rescue and legendary tattoo artist on his own, Joey Tattoo returns to El Paso and will be the emcee at this year’s Star City Tattoo Expo March 22-24th at the El Paso Convention center.

What is your first memory of tattoos?

My first memory of tattoos was when I was about 3 years old I

14

|

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

had an uncle who was part of a motorcycle club. Not a gang, but a club. They used to come to my house on the weekends and he would take me on his motorcycle, and they were all tattooed, so I guess that would be my first memory.

What inspired you to pursue a career in this craft?

I actually fell into it by accident to be quite honest with you man.

I went for a tattoo, and I actually drew the tattoo that I wanted to get. The guy who was going to tattoo me liked it so much that I actually drew 2 tattoos for him that day for customers, and he gave me 10% of that. And by talking to him he pretty much talked

me into doing an apprenticeship for him. That was from 1988 to 1990.

In 1988-90 what was the tattoo culture like?

It was the culture that pretty much gave us a bad name haha. It was more a biker thing, a rebel kind of thing, not like it is today at all, nothing like it is today at all.

From your perspective, what is the tattoo culture like today?

I think the tattoo culture today is like any other business in the world right now, it’s open to everybody, it’s in the mainstream, it’s not looked down upon like it used to be. I mean there are still some people who don’t like it as much but, it’s not looked down upon anymore, it’s expressing art more than just trying to be cool or anything like that. The tattoos have come a long, long way from where they were 30 years ago.

How did you land the Tattoo Rescue gig?

I was an extra, although I never made it on TV, on another show and met the producer and he just liked my attitude, we got talking, he asked me what I did, and I told him. After I left that day, he actually went to my tattoo shop without me knowing. I guess was very impressed on how my business ran and how it looked...gave me a call and he was like, “Man I’ve never seen a tattoo shop like this. Who did it? Who built it?”—and I’m like, “I built it.” I built all my tattoo shops, it’s what I do. He was just impressed by the way all my guys acted, how they were respectful and treated him with respect, and he just liked what I did, and he just pitched me the show and it took about a year and a half after that, but you know we went through some hoops and stuff, and that’s how we landed it.

How has that experience changed you?

I knew that there was a lot of shops out there that weren’t where they should’ve been, but I probably didn’t know to the extent of what was

actually out there and how many people just don’t know how to run a business. There’s a lot of artist out there but there not a lot of business people out there that can do artwork.

So I think it opened my eyes to that.

It also opened my eyes to a lot of the stuff in the industry, it’s opened a lot of doors for me. I’m also an emcee for a lot of tattoo conventions now, I’ve traveled all over the world doing tattoo conventions which I’ve never used to travel to far from home doing conventions. And it just opened up my eyes to what’s out there, what’s out in the world, what’s attainable through my art.

What are you up to now?

I have 3 tattoo shops, 3 kids and a wife haha, I just work everyday…not everyday, not today, thank God. But yeah man, I tattoo 5 days a week, take care of my family and my businesses.

That’s pretty much it man, I’m just laying low a little bit this year trying to take it easy I’m getting older, so you know, trying to work on my retirement.

What can you say about El Paso?

I love the city! The city has a ton of culture, which is one of the reasons that I love to go there, is because you see…it’s funny because there’s so many different cultures there from very poor, to very rich, and everything in-between, and everybody there is so proud of their culture. You know what I mean? It’s really cool to go there. The Mexican culture that is very prominent there, is really cool to be seen. We’ll go to little stores and we go little tiny restaurants that nobody thinks about going to when we go there, just to check it out, to check out all the culture and the people there, and everybody’s really friendly, they are to us anyway.

@joeytattoo

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

15

MEGAN JEAN MORRIS

BRANDON ALBUS

I have been drawing on people since I could hold a marker in my tiny toddler hands. More than once, my best friend and I got sent home from daycare because we were covered in ink. In high school, I was getting detentions because all I had accomplished in science class was a full-color sharpie back piece on my lab partner. Finally, after achieving a Bachelor’s in Industrial Design from Syracuse University, I was sure that I would never fit into the corporate world.

I had nothing, and above that, had nothing to lose. So I found the one tattoo shop in the back woods of Maine, where I’m from, to try my hand at the art. I poured my heart and soul into landing an apprenticeship and learning how to tattoo.

As founder of the Sinners Tattoo Expo and black and a gray master, Brandon Albus presents you with his vision for the most truly unique and amazing tattoo exposition in the World.

The aesthetic of my work varies quite a bit because intuitively, I pick up on who my client is and it influences the piece I design for him or her. I think not only about my artwork by itself, but also how my client will wear it in his or her life. My clients, and who they are, inspire me and I try my hardest to give them the artwork they deserve. meganjeanmorris.com @meganjeanmorris

16

|

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

Brandon is known throughout Texas as a true master tattooer and his creativity and ability to hide images inside of other images are unparalleled. Albus has claimed dozens of tattoo awards from 3 years on the convention competition circuit. He frequently takes home first place for black and gray and knows what it takes to make a great tattoo and create beautiful art.

“I take my time on tattoos and book 1 a day and tattoo all day,” said Albus. “I take a soft approach to tattooing so most people can sit there all day.”

Albus believes that quality tattoos takes time and has learned from several masters some of which will also be in attendance. brandonalbustattoos.com

BREAKNECK BRAD

ANGEL REYNOSA

With over 50 tattoo conventions under his belt, Angel Reynosa is a world renowned professional tattoo artist of 7 years. His main focus is black and gray photorealism, and he also specializes in custom lettering. He has travelled and worked world wide in many different countries and tattoo shops, and he now annually attends the world famous Mondial Du Tatouage in Paris, France.

Brad Doult—aka Breakneck Brad—is an international multi award winning tattoo artist based in Brisbane Australia well known for his incredible speed and insane unique designs. Breakneck Brad will blow your mind! Excited to smash some killer pieces this weekend, come check him out in action. fb - inkbybrad @breakneckbrad

Angel was born and raised in El Paso, Texas where he also developed an early interest in the art of tattooing. With the full support and push from his mother, Angel soon began his career. Being self taught, he was able to develop his skills and eventually made the move to San Diego, California. Bill Canaleses Full Circle Tattoo is where he strengthened his tattooing career and became the artist he is today, which allows him to travel the world and be featured in tattoo magazines and expos. Currently Angel is a resident artist in San Diego but travels frequently to El Paso to tattoo and to visit his family and friends. @angelr.reynosa

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

17

5814 Dyer St. El Paso • 915-626-6222

HEADSTAND ROCK N’ ROLL

4409 DYER

DEPT STORE 915-566-1561

CLASSIC CLASSIC PUNK PUNK •• CLASSIC CLASSIC ROCK ROCK •• CLASSIC CLASSIC METAL METAL

T-SHIRTS /HEADSTAND

FUSION GALLERY SAMIR RAZONABLE

S

Samir es un artista gráfico y tatuador (aunque confiesa que sólo se ha tatuado así mismo).

Vive y trabaja en la ciudad de Chihuahua y sus diseños van desde lo conceptual hasta lo mórbido; siempre con su técnica particular y con tonos negros predominantemente.

Su estética sombría se debe a que, como él dice: “solo quiero mostrar lo que veo y siento. Mi trabajo no cuenta nada nuevo, solo el recordarte que todos nos sentimos de la shit en algún momento de nuestras vidas”.

En su trabajo predominan elementos mortuorios como cráneos, dagas, navajas, cuervos y, obviamente, el color negro. Lo que es perfecto para que sus diseños sean utilizados como tatuajes.

Sus bocetos están plasmados en la piel de varias personas, y aunque esto se está volviendo una práctica común en su vida, aún sigue pareciéndole extraño: “Me piden muchos de mis diseños para tatuárselos. Está muy cool que lo hagan aunque aun no entiendo mucho por qué lo hacen, supongo (que) es una especie de halago”.  @samirrazonable behance.net/samir-razonable

20

|

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

21

RIBO RUCKUS

A MIXTURE OF SOUND WORDS: ALEXANDRIA VIESCAS

22

|

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

PHOTO: COURTESY OF RIBO RUCKUS

T

he word ”change” was like the gold stringed lettering hanging on a wall surrounded by glittery streamers at a party, and drummer Eddie Provencio and bass player Bruno Avitia were the guests blowing out the candles and cutting the cake.

bands and even with a room full of different competition, nerves were the last feeling they had.

“Not to sound obnoxious, but we felt pretty confident and like we had it in the pocket,” emcee Ralph the Ruckus stated.

They went through several rounds and were chosen in those rounds, so it was obvious why they felt like they were doing something right. If they were to win, they would leave not only with more credibility and money, but the opportunity to record at the southwest legendary recording studio Sonic Ranch—and that is exactly what happened.

In the summer of 2018, El Paso band Ribo Flavin—who consisted of Provencio and Avitia plus a few more members—were asked to perform at the music an art event La Parada. However, some of the band members decided to go their separate ways, leaving Provencio and Avitia with the task of going out and finding other artists to perform with.

Their combined talent alone screams versatility, because they all perform so differently but manage to make it work.

To add to the band, they asked 2 guitarists who had experience performing—Shaun Mahoney and Jorge Gonzalez—and all they needed was their MC. “I put the group together and had seen Ralph the Ruckus perform and contacted him,” Provencio said.

When asked to describe their music, there was a long pause, which was then broken with laughter because of their description.

The band then mentioned that A. Billi Free had the best explanation: “It is a blend of jazz, hip-hop, soul, some rock, it is different and it’s kind of a mixed bag.”

Little did they know that this would not be just a one-time show together. Provencio, who enjoyed the outcome decided, “We liked the collaboration between Ribo Flavin and Ralph the Ruckus and that’s were the name came from, Ribo Ruckus.”

Their talent is able to integrate different genres, leaving the audience and themselves with a feeling of a rush. She then explained the rush-like feeling: “There are some bands that are very heavy and stay with you for a couple of days, but we are a really fast dopamine hit, you feel good and you feel great, and at the end we bid you farewell—and then that’s it.”

Even after a successful performance at La Parada, newly formed Ribo Ruckus was not done adding talent into their group.

They needed one more sound that would tie them all together—and that was A. Billi Free.

After a busy weekend at South by Southwest in Austin with a performance at The Flamingo Cantina, and a road trip with a broken down van, Ribo Ruckus assures you that they do not plan on taking any breaks.

Ribo Ruckus had not yet worked with midwest raised and now border city female artist, A. Billi Free. Avitia was taken off-guard, “I personally had never worked with her so when I first performed with her with Ribo Ruckus, I was surprised and she killed it!” Now with a complete band, Avitia mentioned that, “With her unique style, everyone does their own thing and it happened so naturally and so easily.”

Taking each other’s different flair and molding it into one sound ended up setting the tone for Ribo Ruckus. They decided to compete in The Lowbrow Palace’s Battle of the Bands. They were amongst a group of 20 plus different

A. Billi Free

The band is already booking shows and is even set to play at a well known music festival this coming summer. They will be recording at Sonic Ranch, sometime at the end of May and are working on getting their music out to the public. The wait won’t be too long, keep your eyes out on Soundcloud for their music and some near future shows at local venues. 

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

23

Before & After Laser Taaoo Removal

Academia de Música

CHIHUAHUA

BLVD. ORTIZ MENA #1864 FRACCIONAMIENTO SICOMORO • TEL: 423-0048 - 421-4010 c m u s i c a l @ p r o d i gy. n e t. m x

@mesa_st.tatoo @phatboi915 @buzzombi6 @royale666 @gogobinx @lone_tattoos @inkinmunkytat2

6409

N.MESA

915.881.4862

H I G H Q U A L I T Y T R E AT M E N T S AT A N A F F O R D A B L E P R I C E 907 Chelsea St. Suite E • El Paso, TX • 915.204.8360 b e fo re a n d a f te r t at to o re m ova l .co m

THE LOST AND FOUND THE PLUGZ:

ELECTRIFY ME 1979 WORDS: DANIEL SALAS

I

used to make it a ritual to go to the antiques shops out on Doniphan way more often than I do now. The mission: crate digging, and there was plenty of it back then. Looking for vinyl goodies in El Paso always steered me towards these shops; there was always some of the good stuff.

Back then you had Pat over at the legendary House Mouse who had a space filled with thousands of records (she had been there at that space since the 80s until a few years ago), Area 51 which is still there and I sometimes visit if I’m in the area, plus a handful of other spaces had a crate or 2 of dad’s old records.

Now at days there’s still records there, there’s also a new spot where Atomic Wax used to be before relocating to downtown.

This is where I found my copy of The Plugz first album, Electrify Me— for 2 bucks.

Not only were The Plugz one of the first Chicano punk bands in Los Angeles, CA in the late 70s along side fellow brown brothers The Zeros, they are also credited as being the first punk band in L.A. to make their own records on their own label Plugz Records.

The band showed that, just like the Buzzcocks and their Spiral Scratch 45 record, you don’t have to wait around for a major label or anyone to make your record, just do it yourself.

I had first heard about The Plugz in high school from my fellow punk friends; they were miles ahead of me as far as punk goes passing around mix tapes that had stuff like Radio Birdman, Dead Boys, Teenage Head and plenty of Ramones and Misfits.

Though the Plugz were from L.A., singer/guitarist Tito Larriva was born in Juárez, MX and grew up in El Paso for part of his life. Relocating to L.A. saw Larriva aside from the music thing, having acting roles; you can catch him as Hammy on the Pee Wee Herman Show, and also in Born in East LA, Road House, From Dusk Till Dawn (his band Tito & Tarantula is the bar band) and Desperado to name a few movies he’s appeared in.

Drummer for The Plugz, Charlie Quintana, was born in El Paso

and has my vote for being one of the coolest dudes from this town. Not only was Quintana part of one of the first wave of punk bands of the L.A. punk scene (and a SoCal legend) he was also in the band Cruzados with Larriva, Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds, Agent Orange and was also the drummer for Social Distortion from 2000-2009. Quintana also toured with Bob Dylan in the 90s. Unfortunately Quintana suffered a heart attack and passed away March 12, 2018, but has left a rich musical history that needs to see more light and praise.

Bassist Barry McBride was part of the core lineup but was later replaced by John Curry who didn’t last long himself.

The Plugz would tear up the L.A. punk scene with their frantic live show and a cult Chicano following that is said would go into a frenzy when the band would play a revved up version of the Ritchie Valens’ hit (but not originally his either) “La Bamba.”

Electrify Me came out in 1979 and is a lo-fI DIY punk album heavy on the bass riffing, punchy guitar structures (with actual chords, not just all power chords) and catchy vocal harmonies made for great crowd sing alongs whenever they played live. If anything, the album leans heavy on power-pop which there was plenty of out in L.A. at the time. It also reminds me of a grittier Clash, having more song structure than your typical 3 chord punk bands with the occasional instrumental break, added keyboards, trombones and even a sax on the song “Wordless.”

If anything, Larriva’s raspy vocal is what gives The Plugz its punky edge. The album opener “A Gain-Loss” starts things off at high speed and pogo ready. The band slow it down on “Electrify Me” with its reggaeish groove and hints of new-wave.

The Plugz released a follow up album in 1981 titled Better Luck before morphing into the more blues and rock based Cruzados.

Larriva still tours as a solo artist, and also with his band Tito and Tarantula. The Plugz will continue on being punk legends and Chicano heroes, born and raised in the border land. 

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

25

TEARS OF JOY

CRY BABY SETS FOR EP RELEASE WORDS: BENITO SANTANA

26

|

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CRY BABY

P

sychedelic desert rockers Cry Baby have been around since October of 2017 modestly revving up the El Paso music scene. Their music leans on the elements of shoegaze with accents of post-punk, taking cosmic tones and breezy melodies into unpredictable angular structures balancing both aggressive and mellow jamming. The band is made up of Derek (vocals/guitar), Steven (guitar/vocals), Hector (bass/vocals) and Daniel (drums). They have recently finished up their new EP called First Tears—recorded, mixed and mastered at Star City Studios here in El Paso by Diego Muniz—and are excited to celebrate its release.

The music can be soothing but can flip a switch, interweaving in and out of complex movements as all instruments are busy shredding. The solos will battle over the twists and turns of the bass lines, as the drummer pulls off insane drum fills. “There is no single songwriter in Cry Baby since we all collaborate on song structures and sounds,” Daniel says about the songwriting.

The EP kicks off with the bouncy “PlayBoy” which gets the blood flowing as it progresses deep into auricular pleasures. With surfy tones and just a few words, the music does all the talking. “Hot Nothing” travels at mid-tempo on a dreamy landscape filled with echoes and tingling melodies. The words wonder in heavy reverb illuminating melancholy.

Cry Baby is a band whose creative balance depends on the individual efforts of each member and their unique abilities which birth the sonic riffage, pop elements and psychedelic

overdrive that give the band infectious appeal. Daniel elaborates that: “Specifically, Derek has written the bulk of the lyrics, while Steven and Victor contribute to songs as they see fit. Steven brought in “Playboy” and “Low”—Hector wrote “Hot Nothing” and Derek wrote “Boat” and “Dated Sentiments”.”

The song “Boat” blasts into heavy jamming and harmonious intricacies. The mellifluous vocals never overpower the music, and vice versa. The album closes out with the gritty “Low” bringing to mind a lot of late 80s and 90s indie/alternative sounds of Dinosaur Jr or Pavement. With hefty distortion and volume, the band switches the tempos and springs back to light speed at the end.

“People have said we remind them of Sonic Youth and Minutemen. We’ve also gotten Wand and Parquet Courts, before, which are all really flattering since we think we suck,” Daniel says about band comparisons.

You can celebrate the band’s accomplishments at their EP release show at Monarch Bar on Saturday April 6th. The EP will be available digitally on Apple Music and Spotify, plus there will be CDs at the show and cassettes by Amigo Records. Opening the show will include Lunas, Juice and the Suds, Diaspora and DJ Denim Vest—only $5! Get off the couch and go out support local music!  soundcloud.com/crycrybby facebook.com/crycrycrybaby

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

27

AMBOS LADOS

INTERNATIONAL PRINT EXCHANGE WORDS: KARL WHITAKER

A

rt war between Oaxaca and El Paso? Rather something more of a huge international cooperation transpired as Horned Toad Prints of El Paso, teamed up with art collective Taller Grafica Libre in Zaachila, Oaxaca, to solicit prints from over 158 artists. The submissions are pretty evenly divided from both sides of the Mexican border—as reflected in its title "Ambos Lados" (both sides)—but also include a few entries from Cuba, Canada, Ireland and Australia, making it a true international art undertaking.

Each participant delivered an edition of 12 prints (on 8x8 inch paper) and received 10 prints from different artists, which is typical for a "print exchange." Two sets of prints will travel in exhibitions throughout Mexico and the United States. By reaching across the the border from El Paso, and vice-versa from Oaxaca, the 2 studios hope to make something greater than the 2 halves—through the "Ambos Lados International

KARLA VASQUEZ

28

|

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

Print Exchange."

As Oaxaca is a Mecca of contemporary printmaking, it is a huge privilege to travel down there and interact with the young artists and art collectives, such as with Taller Gráfica Libre, run

by Adrian Aguirre and Beatriz Rivas.

In 2015 Francisco Delgado of El Paso had the good fortune to create a large print for the "Desert Triangle Print Carpeta" at Taller Gráfica Libre, when that studio first emerged in the city of Oaxaca. Since then Aguirre and Rivas have moved their studio to Zaachila, a small village outside the city of Oaxaca.

It is in Zaachila that Manuel Guerra of Horned Toad Prints in El Paso (and professor at UTEP) visited their studio, and there they hatched the idea of doing something bigger together. Perhaps this print exchange can spawn even more artistic cooperation

INOCENCIO VILLEGAS

RAUL MONARREZ

between Oaxaca and El Paso.

As there was no theme and the exchange was open to anyone, a great variety of expressions and techniques resulted— from lithograph to wood engraving, from etching to collagraph. While prints came in from all over the country, there was a strong showing from artists in El Paso: such as Raul Monarrez, Christin Apodaca, Angel Cabrales, Diane Vera, Victor Muheddine and Cynthia Evans.

Prints from Oaxaca come from collectives such as Los Tlacolulocos, Taller Grafica Ojos Tres and Taller Estudio Yucucasa. Other Mexican prints came from Taller La Catrina in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, 3 Gatos Press of Guanajuato, Taller de Grabado El Ajolote of Mexico City and Museo Taller Erasto Cortés of Puebla.

CARLOS FLORES

ORLANDO ALMANZA

LEONARDO AYALA

CHRISTIN APODACA

ACEVEDO PAVEL

KAMFFER

This collection debuted at the big SGCI print conference in the Dallas area, March 6 - 9th, 2019, but will also show around Mexico and in other US locations later this year. The El Paso print community is making waves beyond Mountain Time!

PRINT IS NOT DEAD!

MORENO XAVIER

THEFUSIONMAG.COM

|

29

420 SALE IS GOING ON NOW! WATERPIPES & RIGS 10-25% OFF

ENTER THE

420 SMOKERS GIVEAWAY TO WIN SOME GREAT SMOKING ACCESSORIES. PRIZES GIVEN AWAY AT 4PM APRIL 20TH AT BOTH OUR LOCATIONS!

GRAND PRIZE RETAIL VALUE $420

HANDPIPES BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

CIGARS BUY 6 GET 1 FREE 1090 COUNTRY CLUB RD. (575) 874-9220 • 3233 N MESA (915) 231-6699

4001 A. DYER ST

EL PASO, TEXAS • 915-565-8288 • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11AM-12AM