Hector Anchondo Band
Omaha, Nebraska, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2009 | SELF
Music
Press
Omaha's Hector Anchondo plays the guitar like a boss. "I'm just still striving to be like all my guitar heroes," says Anchondo, who grew up near Salem, Mo. Those "heroes" would include Jimmy Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Texas country and blues guitarist Junior Brown. Not surprisingly, The Hector Anchondo Band, which will perform at Foster's in St. Joseph at 9 p.m. June 9, is heavily rooted in the blues, though Anchondo says he's focused on keeping his music hip and modern. And, he's got the chops to impress. "I just love playing guitar and playing elaborate solos," he says. While he's landed gigs at popular festivals like South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, with other projects, Anchondo appreciates that his blues trio -- himself, bassist Carl Brown and drummer Alex Mosher -- lets him focus more on his inspired guitar work. It allowed him to return to SxSW this year, for the first time as The Hector Anchondo Band, which is also slated to play the Coleman Hawkins Blues Festival in St. Joseph later this year. Their live show, he says, has an energy that's often lacking in modern music. "There's something that electronics will never be able to do ... is to be able to put out the energy and the strong, powerful vibe that only live music can," he says. - News-Press Now
Touring feverishly around the Mid-West since mid-2001, these guys are hardly rookies.
Omaha-based AnchondO offered their first release 'Rookies of the Year' in February 2002 and since then, it's been one blessing after another. From opening for Lit to a performance at the Warped Tour...AnchondO is making waves in the hilly Mid-West.
With the 'Rookies of The Year' release, the guys from AnchondO pick up right where Sublime left off. Their fusion of rock, latin, and ska brings not only a bouncy vibe but also an avenue for commercial success!
'More Than', the first cut from 'Rookies' got my attention immediately with the smooth, methodical bass intro and then blasting into the ever-so-popular ska-guitar riff...'And She' fills your head with an attractive melody that is sure to stick in your head hours after listening.
'Phat Song' is a funny little ditty and 'Bar Scene' features excellent guitar work to go along with a great bass groove.
Five songs into the record I had a general idea of what I was going to hear in the remaining portion, then POW!!! 'She Devil' decimated all of my preconcieved notions of this band! By far, the best song on 'Rookies Of The Year', 'She Devil' blasts out a hardcore/ska/punk sound through the speakers that is reminiscent of Goldfinger in their club-hopping hey-day. 'She Devil' is worth the price of the whole record!
Then AnchondO goes 'Back In The Day' and brings a sing-a-long, bouncy number that would definately be a great 'live tune'...then I was surprised again...
'Rookies Of The Year' concludes with the eerie emo-epic that spans eleven minutes and is a wonderfully produced live cut. I began to think that possibly my CD Changer accidentally switched the AnchondO disk and replaced it with some Psychadelic compilation...(I'm serious, I got up to look). It puts a strange conclusion to what came off as a light hearted album. 'Perfectly Dark' makes me want to do all the drugs that Keith Richards can't fit into his bloodstream....
The sound quality was top-notch, and the music was good..not much else to expect from an independent group...I would see them live, but they won't be back in Mid-Missouri for a long while according to their tour scheadule which takes them from Nebraska to Illinois, from Oklahoma to Texas, from Arizona to California, and then back home to Omaha...
So I guess I'll have to just rely on my new addition to my everyday playlist:
'Rookies Of The Year'!!
On a scale from 1-5 stars: * * *1/2 - Mr. Flippin
Touring feverishly around the Mid-West since mid-2001, these guys are hardly rookies.
Omaha-based AnchondO offered their first release 'Rookies of the Year' in February 2002 and since then, it's been one blessing after another. From opening for Lit to a performance at the Warped Tour...AnchondO is making waves in the hilly Mid-West.
With the 'Rookies of The Year' release, the guys from AnchondO pick up right where Sublime left off. Their fusion of rock, latin, and ska brings not only a bouncy vibe but also an avenue for commercial success!
'More Than', the first cut from 'Rookies' got my attention immediately with the smooth, methodical bass intro and then blasting into the ever-so-popular ska-guitar riff...'And She' fills your head with an attractive melody that is sure to stick in your head hours after listening.
'Phat Song' is a funny little ditty and 'Bar Scene' features excellent guitar work to go along with a great bass groove.
Five songs into the record I had a general idea of what I was going to hear in the remaining portion, then POW!!! 'She Devil' decimated all of my preconcieved notions of this band! By far, the best song on 'Rookies Of The Year', 'She Devil' blasts out a hardcore/ska/punk sound through the speakers that is reminiscent of Goldfinger in their club-hopping hey-day. 'She Devil' is worth the price of the whole record!
Then AnchondO goes 'Back In The Day' and brings a sing-a-long, bouncy number that would definately be a great 'live tune'...then I was surprised again...
'Rookies Of The Year' concludes with the eerie emo-epic that spans eleven minutes and is a wonderfully produced live cut. I began to think that possibly my CD Changer accidentally switched the AnchondO disk and replaced it with some Psychadelic compilation...(I'm serious, I got up to look). It puts a strange conclusion to what came off as a light hearted album. 'Perfectly Dark' makes me want to do all the drugs that Keith Richards can't fit into his bloodstream....
The sound quality was top-notch, and the music was good..not much else to expect from an independent group...I would see them live, but they won't be back in Mid-Missouri for a long while according to their tour scheadule which takes them from Nebraska to Illinois, from Oklahoma to Texas, from Arizona to California, and then back home to Omaha...
So I guess I'll have to just rely on my new addition to my everyday playlist:
'Rookies Of The Year'!!
On a scale from 1-5 stars: * * *1/2 - Mr. Flippin
Discography
Kicking Up Dust
(Album - released 02/15/12)
Kings Of Nowhere
(Album - released 09/19/08)
North Of The Border
(EP - released 10/2006)
The Audience Is Waiting
(Album - released 09/10/04)
Somewhere In Middle America
(Acoustic Album - released 12/2003)
Rookies Of The Year
(Album - released 04/26/02)
Photos
Bio
A few artists Hector has had the privilege of performing with:
Styx, CCR, Johnny Winter, Magic Slim, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Indigenous, Rockin’ Johnny,
Spearhead, Blue October, Big & Rich, Fishbone, Devon Allman,
Mike Zito, Cyril Neville, Shawn Holt & The Tear Drops, Samantha Fish, Hamilton Loomis, Mr. Sipp and many more.
Semifinelist at the 2015 International Blues Challenge.
Winner of the 2014 Nebraska Blues Challenge.
Best Blues Band of the year in 2013 by the Omaha Entertainment Awards.
Hector Anchondo doesn’t just play the blues— he lives and breathes the blues. At 16-years-old, the budding musician picked up his first guitar and never looked back. He began an instant love affair with the instrument, especially Fenders. Born in Omaha, but raised seven miles outside of Salem, Missouri, Anchondo was able to take advantage of the tranquil farm life and learn guitar at a steady pace. He was drawn to those artists who played Fender Stratocasters like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton, but also respected the country greats such as Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Sr. As he got older, his propensity for music only intensified. After playing countless shows at family gatherings and hole-in-the-wall dive bars, Anchondo made the move back to Omaha, Nebraska in 2000. His first official recording, Rookies of the Year, was with his first band, Anchondo, and featured more energetic, Latin-influenced grooves. Recorded by the infamous A.J. Mogis of Presto! Studios (and later Saddle Creek Records), the album funded any touring for the next few years. With a home base in Omaha, it made traveling much easier.
“At the time there was really huge radio support, area wide album distribution, and a huge local music support that I’ve never come across in any other city I’ve ever traveled to,” Anchondo recalls. “Omaha is still a great city to get your legs, but 10 years ago it was unmatched. Omaha has played a huge roll in propelling me forward and I owe a lot to this city.”
In 2002, Anchondo and cousin George Keele released an acoustic rock album, Somewhere in Middle America, and followed up with 2004’s The Audience is Waiting and an EP, 2006’s North of the Border. After years of touring and living on Ramen Noodles, Kings of Nowhere was released in 2008. At the time, Anchondo had gained significant amounts of traction and even without promotion, would sell out shows. However, once the economy crashed, people suddenly stopped going to shows so around 2010, Anchondo made the brave decision to take the solo route. Only this time, his focus was on the blues, which didn’t happen by accident. Friend Tim Convy and owner of the St. Louis-based label, Red Bird Records, contacted Anchondo about recording a blues album. He jumped at the opportunity. In 2012, he released the Kickin’ Up Dust EP and hasn’t looked back. Sharing the stage with notable artists such as Mato Nanji of Indiginous, Magic Slim, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Hamilton Loomis, and Coco Montoya, and getting private guitar lessons from James Brown’s guitarist Damen Wood, gave Anchondo the confidence to pursue his dream. He’s currently writing material for his next album and plans on releasing an EP in 2014. With shows booked until the end of the year, Anchondo is on his way to becoming an established blues vet, and it won’t be long before he’s up there with his heroes.
“I’ve been actively working on guitar to get to the point where I could hang with Jimi or Stevie,” he says. “I want to be able to take the stage with any guitar great and be able to hold my own. It’s things like that that keep me pushing to play better, faster and with style. I knew at a young age that I loved everything about music and I want to do it professionally for the rest of my life.”
Quotes:
Put this in the “If you haven’t yet, you really should” category; join us at The Revue Lounge…Hector Anchondo has been rippin’ the place up.
-Rick Galusha of award nominated Pacific Street Blues Show on KWIR 89.7 The River
Blues Challenge: The band receiving the most points at Round Two of the Blues Society of Omaha’s Nebraska Blues Challenge April 7 was Hector Anchondo Band. The final round is April 21 at McKenna’s. The April 21 winner will join Anchondo and Josh Hoyer & The Shadowboxers in the finals May 19, 5 p.m., at The 21st Saloon. –BJ Huchtemann of The Reader
His slide guitar is impeccable and voice, well for a 30-something, it’s mature for a blues singer –Kyle Eustice of The Reader
Omaha’s Hector Anchondo plays the guitar like a boss. –Kevin Krauskopf of Saint Joseph News Press
Band Members
Links
