Local band On Hiatus expected to bring new sound to TAMIU

Prepare to encounter a new, different, never-before-seen band from Laredo. On Hiatus’ style is a mixture of old-school rock, punk, jazz, blues, extinct local harmonies, and plenty of solos. This five-member crew is prepared to be known as the best upcoming rock band from South Texas. On Hiatus’s members include Roger Salazar, 25. Born and raised in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, he began to show interest in music at the age of five. He is a classically trained singer with a three-octave range and performs the lead vocals, piano, and synths. His musical influences are Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, Matthew Bellamy from Muse and John Crosby from Vast.Johnny Snooze, 21, was born in Zaponan, Jalisco, but raised in Laredo. He has played guitar for nine years and also knows how to play the saxophone. He plays the rhythm guitar and provides background vocals. Fred Barretta, 24, was born in Laredo and has been playing guitar for 12 years. He has been performing at local bars and clubs since the age of 16 with bands such as Aggressor, Enferium, Blind Reign, and E-Street. He is the lead guitarist and sings backup vocals.Also born and raised in Laredo, Danny Hiatus, 20, has spent most of his life listening to punk and hard rock. At 15, he was inspired by Mike Pritchard of Green Day to learn bass guitar. His other inspirations include Chris Wolstenholme of Muse, Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, and David Ellefson former bassist of Megadeth. He also plays the violin but serves primarily as the bass guitarist and background vocals. Finally, Roy Escobedo, 21, plays the drums. Born in Houston but raised in Laredo, he has been drumming since the age of 12. Interestingly, he has been in bands whose genres included tejano, jazz, funk, and rock. His biggest inspirations are Mike Portnoy, Tony Royster Jr., Neil Peart, and Thomas Lang. “Drumming is my passion, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Escobedo.Combined, the band has 60-70 years of musical experience. They all attend either TAMIU or LCC and are majoring in music to become certified teachers. Meanwhile, they also teach classical, rock, and jazz music at J.A.M. Music Studio.Snooze and Barretta met four years ago and have been playing together ever since. In the beginning, Barretta planned to be a vocalist, but he decided to concentrate on playing instead. Searching for a good vocalist in Laredo proved difficult. “We then met Roger. We had heard of him but just that he sang opera since he is a vocalist at TAMIU. We gave him a shot, and he blew us away. The rest is history,” said Barretta. Hiatus and Escobedo later joined to complete On Hiatus, which has been experimenting and building chemistry for the past three months. As for the origin of their name, Salazar said, “It was an accident. We were browsing through Rhapsody, and we came across this band that said its members have been on hiatus.””We had a list of 30 band names, but we ditched them all because we all liked this one,” added Snooze. Having only five original songs, the band continues to write and prepare for gigs as well as record. They would like to have a theme for their future CD, which could be released by the end of this year. When asked with whom they would like to tour, some answered Motley Crue, Dream Theater, and John Mayer.However, Salazar answered, “I would like to be in a festival, like Austin City Limits, where there is a list of bands, something for everyone, [in order] to get more exposure.””There is a realistic thought,” added Barretta. Though the band is currently hoping to play at the Autmust Fest and Jamboozie, they are already scheduled for Rock the Vote with three other local bands. This show will take place on October 23 on TAMIU grounds. Several bands in Laredo play the same songs repeatedly, but On Hiatus is determined to break the norm. They want to play underground music, the rare songs that nobody else plays.”Be on the lookout for us; we have a fusion of ideas,” said Salazar. On Hiatus is so diversely talented, they don’t even sound local. Check out their music and show times at www.myspace.com/onhiatusband.a