Carmel Valley’s “The Santana Brothers B.A.N.D.” to Perform at Battle of the Bands

May 29, 2014 | Filed under: Carmel Valley,Creative Arts,Events,Featured,Food & Entertainment,Inspire,Music,Things To Do | Posted by: The Carmel Valley Life

Local Carmel Valley Youth to Compete Live During Free Family Event

Saturday, May 31^st, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Westfield North County is pleased to announce its second annual Battle of the Bands, a free musical showcase featuring ten local musical group performances with musicians ranging in age from 10 to 19. The competition will take place on Saturday, May 31st, as an extension of Westfield’s continued efforts to support the arts and encourage personal growth in youth through music.

“It’s exciting to see the level of talent that exists locally among our youth and we’re thrilled to hold this event as a way to showcase that talent and give the performers an opportunity to share it on a larger scale,” says Westfield District Marketing Director, Victoria Muschek.

In addition to Westfield, supporters include local radio personality and San Diego’s “Unofficial Mayor of Local Music,” DJ Tim Pyles who will again serve as the event’s emcee. Pyles is the host of The Local 94/9, the all-local music program on San Diego radio station FM94/9. He also books music shows at the Casbah and Hard Rock Hotel and is part of the nightlife/music television show/blog SoundDiego on KNSD-TV (NBC).

“It’s inspiring to see young people be so creative,” says Pyles. “This year’s Battle of the Bands could furnish us with another successful band out of San Diego– maybe we’ll see the next Blink 182.”

One of the main organizers of the event, Mark Huls, music teacher and owner of Explore Guitar Studios in Poway, California, has always had a strong dedication to introducing music education to young students. Expanding upon his passion, he created an independent record label, Electric Lime Records, as a medium to produce and promote the music of promising local artists.

An array of bands will be part of this year’s competition with highlights including The Josh Miranda Band, which will bring its “west coast country music” to Westfield’s Battle of the Bands stage for the first time. The north county San Diego band will debut its new upbeat single, “Til The Sun Comes Up,” in addition to other crowd favorites. The band continues to find inspiration from today’s popular country music stars including, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean.

Another highlight will be The Santana Brothers B.A.N.D., a high-energy rock band made up of the Santana triplets Brendan, Alexander and Nathan, older brother Daniel Santana and keyboardist Jacob “J.T.” Bader. Music runs deep in the Santana brother’s genes, rooting back to their father’s cousin, Carlos Santana. The brothers formed the band in 2012 to help Nathan live out his dreams of becoming a singer – something he was told would not be possible due to a seizure disorder and autism. As a reminder to its fans to always follow dreams and never stop believing, the band often plays Nathan’s adopted anthem, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” With a wide repertoire that includes influences ranging from 50s classics to today’s hits, The Santana Brothers B.A.N.D. has rocked the stage at various San Diego venues and events such as the House of Blues, The San Diego County Fair and was a featured band at the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon. The Santana Brothers B.A.N.D. hopes to release its first single, “Freedom,” in July 2014, which is dedicated to all individuals who have served in the US military and plan to donate 50% of all profits to a military non-profit.

Alongside the youth performances, this year’s mid-show headliner is award-winning indie singer/songwriter, Josh Damigo of San Diego. With musical influences including Gavin DeGraw and fellow California musician Matt Nathanson, Damigo’s music is intertwined with clever lyrics and infectious melodies. His many awards include the 2010 San Diego Music Award for Best Acoustic.

The judging panel of this year’s competition will be comprised of Alicia Champion, Stellita Lindgren and Cliff Keller. In addition to being a performer, composer and record producer, Champion is also the cofounder of the San Diego Indie Music Fest. Lindgren, an Illinois transplant now living in San Diego, is a vocal/performance instructor as well as a recording and performing artist. A San Diego native, Keller followed his passion and eventually founded San Diego’s Songwriters Meetup. Judges will award the winning band the opportunity to record a song demo with local engineer Eric Wilcox who has worked with artists such as Jewel, Neville Brothers and Natalie Merchant or take home three acoustic guitars and a factory tour from Taylor Guitars.

This free family-friendly event will be held outdoors on the east side of Westfield North County off of Beethoven Street and next to Aria Bridal. For more information about Battle of the Bands, please visit Westfield North County’s Facebook page, call (760) 489.0631, or follow on Twitter for updates at @WestfieldNC or via the event hashtag, #NorthCountyBOTB.

About Westfield North County:

Westfield North County is an indoor shopping, dining and entertainment center located in Escondido, CA. Anchored by Nordstrom, Macy’s, Target, JC Penney and Sears, Westfield North County delivers an effortless and enjoyable shopping experience with amenities, signature events and entertainment. Shoppers can browse among 125 stores and hundreds of leading brands, enjoy casual dining and fun for all ages at North County Tavern & Bowl or bring the kids to experience one of Westfield North County’s many family-friendly events. Shopping Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 am-9 pm and Sunday 11 am-7 pm.

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