Fest Will Offer Real Alternative to ‘Alternative’

Now that the Lollapalooza tour regularly includes many of the nation’s top-selling rock bands, it’s more and more difficult to think of it as a showcase of “alternative” rock.

As the alternative has become the mainstream, fans looking for real alternatives have to work a little harder. Organizers of Sunday’s “Independent’s Day ‘94” mini-festival in Silverado Canyon have made the hunt a little easier for anyone interested in a smorgasbord sampling of up-and-coming Southern California bands.

And it has the bonus of being for a good cause: More than 30 local rock, punk, reggae and ska bands will play from noon to 8 p.m. to raise money for the Orangewood Children’s Home, a nonprofit shelter for abused and homeless children.

“The local music scene needs more publicity and exposure, and this event will certainly help,” said Jaime Munoz of Fountain Valley-based Taurus Enterprises, who organized the festival along with his partner, Tony Cardullo. The show will be hosted by KROQ-FM deejay Richard Blade. There will be five stages going simultaneously, with each band playing 30 to 40 minutes.

“This festival’s purpose is really twofold: to gain more visibility for the bands as well as providing needed revenue for Orangewood,” Munoz said.

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A recent Social Services Agency study showed that Orangewood is having severe crowding problems, aggravated by the fact that the average stay for the children has increased substantially in recent years.

Munoz said there was an outpouring of bands offering their services for the cause.

“For every band scheduled to appear, there are at least two more that want to play,” he said. “The interest and enthusiasm has been overwhelming, really.”

“Our goal is to draw from 1,500 to 2,000 paying fans, which would net around $5,000 to $6,000 for Orangewood,” said Munoz, who last year promoted a reggae festival in Long Beach and a ska festival in Colton.

“We are fortunate to have sponsors like Coors Light, BAM magazine and (Santa Ana amplifier manufacturer) Mesa Boogie, and others, along with many volunteers working on everything from counter help to stage and sound prep. Everyone is pitching in.”

Some of the participating musicians said they’ve found the community spirit to be contagious.

“Most of the bands know each other, at least by name, and this kind of event brings the local scene a little bit more in focus,” said Maurice Torres, guitarist of the Fountain Valley-based Grabbers, which is signed to Orange-based Dr. Dream Records and has released one single, “Huntington Beach Vs. the World.”

“This kind of thing helps break down some of the existing cliques out there, and it’s a good chance to make some new friends,” he said.

Another plus for the bands, according to Torres, is that they get to play in front of more people than they normally do at such local clubs as the Doll Hut in Anaheim and Club 5902 in Huntington Beach. Scheduled to play at 4 p.m., the Grabbers--whose pop-laced punk sound recalls the Stooges and Dead Boys--will also be the opening act during the Cadillac Tramps’ upcoming West Coast tour.

“The whole idea sounded fun and worthwhile to us,” explained Ron Richter, guitarist and spokesman for Huntington Beach’s Funky Sex Machine. “I hope we get a good turnout, so people can see that we don’t all sound alike.”

On the scene for about five years, the group is heavily riff-oriented (“we play low-end groove rock”), kind of like a raw Soundgarden. The group is scheduled to play at 2:30 p.m.

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Although the festival’s lineup lacks a single name with major drawing power, at least one band that seems to be headed in that direction is Long Beach’s Sublime, who, Munoz said, may tour with next year’s Lollapalooza package.

Combining a powerful blend of punk-rock aggression with the infectious rhythms of reggae, Sublime currently has two releases available on Skunk Records: “40 Ounces of Freedom” (1992) and the 2-month-old “Robbin the Hood.”

A cross between Minor Threat and the Adolescents, the trio--which is scheduled to go on at 6:30 p.m.--is currently negotiating with Atlantic Records, among others.

“It will be a lot of fun, and if we weren’t there playing, we’d be there watching,” said the president of Skunk Records and Sublime’s co-producer, Miguel (like Madonna, he prefers first name only).

Added Munoz: “All of the bands are playing for free, so the festival is reasonably priced. We want people to come out. If it’s successful, we’ll do more of them. I’m already thinking ahead to October . . . over 60 bands . . . on 10 stages . . . “

* “Independent’s Day ‘94,” a benefit for Orangewood Children’s Home, will be held Sunday at Oak Canyon Ranch, 5305 E. Santiago Canyon Road, Silverado Canyon. Noon to 8 p.m. $8 advance; $10 at the door (student discounts available, children under 10 are free). (714) 991-2055.