Broken Vision: Local Band on the Rise

When many people think of garage bands, they mostly think on loud noises and lyrics that are just too hard to understand. Yet, the stigma of being a garage band still stands as to just a bunch of kids, playing their instruments and never pursuing music as career. However, Broken Vision is not one of them. Broken Vision is a legitimate rock band with great melodies and lyrics. The band members are all from Laredo, Texas. Members of the band include Ricky Luna, drums, July War, lead guitarist, Daniel Gutierrez, rhythm guitarist and vocals, and Eric Alvarez, bass.

The band was formed in 2009 and hit the music scene full-force. The band recorded an album, did their own artwork, packaged their Cd's, and went on tour. Their first tour was with The Sammus Theory from Phoenix, Arizona. It was clear that Broken Vision wanted to move quickly and swiftly to get their music careers up and going. Their self-sufficient nature is one of the many things that separates them from many bands trying to make it in the music industry. They are currently not signed with any record label and make their music entirely on their own.

 Broken Vision is one of those bands you are just aching to hear on the radio and now you can. Broken Vision was named the winners of this year's "From Garage to Glory" contest conducted by 94.9, The Works, a rock radio station. The winners of this contest got them regular airtime on the radio and a specific time and date for their entire album to be played. When Broken Vision found out they had won, their reaction was excitement and a moment of surrealism. The band felt extremely humbled by their win and were excited to put out more great music. However, the way the band found out they had won was a bit unconventional. The band was on their second nationwide tour with the Sammus Theory and would were not in Laredo to find out the outcome of the contest. So thanks to the power of technology, 94.9 The Works is constantly streaming their broadcasts online for those, who are not in Laredo. However, some of their streams are not live and therefore have a slight delay. So, the boys of Broken Vision found out before they actually heard it on 94.9. Once the results of the contest had aired in Laredo, the guys were immediately bombarded by texts and phone calls all congratulating them on their win. Eric Alvarez, bass, stated "We were so happy, we ended up hearing it a couple minutes later. We were kind of just jumping around in the seats." While all of this was being said, the rest of the guys were laughing and remembering that happy time. Along with their win, they were also invited to play at the 2011 Autmus Fest at Texas A&M International University.

 The band felt extremely honored to perform at Autmus Fest 2011. They were really excited to put on a great show for their hometown. Broken Vision were the last of the local bands performing this year. They went on right before VH1's"You Outta Know Artist" Alpha Rev and the headliners for this year's Autmus Fest, Fuel. Daniel Gutierrez, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, stated his feelings about opening up for these big bands. "Just to know that we're opening up for two out of state bands...and we go on right before...it gives us more energy to put on stage," expressed Gutierrez. The band performed at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at Autmus Fest and put on a great show. They got the crowd pumped up and ready for Alpha Rev and Fuel.

It is clear that this band is something to watch out for. Broken Vision captivates its audience with its strong lyrics and hard melodies. If you ever get a chance to see this band live, you will not be disappointed. The songs that are still being currently played on 94.9 are "Too Late", "Beggar", and "This is War." Their debut album titled "7 Wars" is sure to be the first of many for Broken Vision. You can purchase their album on iTunes, Amazon.com, CdBaby, or Napster. However, if ordering online is not really your thing, you can always pick one up at any event they perform in. They always have a meet and greet right after their performance and are always willing to sell some of their merchandise.For further information about Broken Vision you can go to www.brokenvisionmusic.com or on their FaceBook page.

(Mark A. Nix may be contacted at mnix88@gmail.com)