Apollo and The Rockets

On this night of endings also came new beginnings. Apollo and The Rockets debuted their first EP, , a farewell tribute to their old moniker. This EP sets out to establish their first set of original songs and the overall vibe of the band to the public. These guys are the definition of a crowd pleaser. As much fun as their music sounds, it is their live act that has to be seen and experienced. A massive seven piece band that seems to be continuously growing finds Aaron T. Hale on lead guitar, J.J. “Apollo” Magalinda leading on the mic, Justice Napeahi on drums, Colton King on bass, Sam Steele on sax, Demetreus Allen stepping in on keyboard and Sam Dobesh on guitar. They played their EP with multiple covers peppered in an almost freestyle jam session. “Wild by Design” and “Sextion” are playful romps that bring out the bands true charm. “Shallows” and “Jaded” are just plain sexy. Covering the likes of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Prince and Bruno Mars, their repertoire was funky, poppy and an all around good time. Energy is key in their show. At one point Justice left his drums to simply dance along with the crowd in the far too packed Black Lab. Apollo and the Rockets thrive on the interaction with both the crowd and their members. Honestly, If they had a bigger stage they’d likely just take up the space with more band members. - Ron Reyes

were the next band to play, and they’re another group set to hit Fisherman’s Village this year. This night’s set featured a stripped-down lineup of just Apollo himself on keys and Late Nights’ own Hale on guitar; normally there would be a full band including horns. But no matter; Apollo and Hale grooved no matter what, their soulful R&B permeating the walls. It was warm and sexy. Folk musician Savanna Woods closed out the musical portion of the night with an impassioned clutch of acoustic tunes. - Christine Mitchell