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Dateline House of Blues, Sunset Strip - part two in a series. Having enjoyed a few earlier bands on the night, it was time for a very different band to take the stage. A band with boundless energy. A band with great enthusiasm...a band with more than a little bit of leather to go around. Enter Orange County rockers, Stereofix! Fronted by brothers Ray Alexander (lead vox) and Kamren Alexander (guitars/vox), and held firmly in place by Mark Allan (bass guitar) and Anthony Hainsworth (drums/percussion), Stereofix describes themselves as a rock/pop band reminiscent of 80s and 90s New Wave combined with more modern sounds. They began their recent HOB set with the kind of showmanship that would make you swear U2 was about to launch into "I Will Follow." With the lights totally in blackout, all that could be seen was the illumination of a few strands of string lights, carefully hung around the amplifiers. The first tune began with instrumentation only, and at just the right moment, Ray came dancing onto the stage with a mirror-ball-glass studded megaphone. "The best days of your life...the best days you're out tonight!" And the crowd was into it from the first few notes. These guys have studied their favorite bands, and they understand the finer elements of a strong performance - including what to do while they are playing, as well as what to do while they aren't. And no, the earlier U2 reference was no mistake. The Stereofix sound, and indeed even Ray's vocal characteristics have been compared to the great Irish rock exports U2 and Bono, respectively. And while there is certainly plenty to distinguish these bands from one another, the comparison is a good one for all the best reasons.

Stereofix recently walked away from this year's prestigious OCMAs (Orange County Music Awards) with a win for Best Alternative Band, and are being heard on various MTV, VH1, and E! soundtracks including The Hills, The City, and The Real World-Cancun, among others. Check their website, Myspace, or Facebook pages to see where they'll be performing next, and plan to make the trip.

Here are some of my favorite images on the night, taken from the apron, most shot with a Canon 50mm f1.8 lens, wide open at high ISO.



Ray Alexander starts up the crowd with his mirror balled 'phone


Mark Allan, connecting with the fans


Kamren Alexander contemplates his next solo.














Mark grooves with drummer Anthony Hainsworth (not seen, due to crappy drummer-unfriendly sight lines)

































I got another chance to hang out with Stereofix at a recent charity event called "Eat. Drink. Pink!," where the band performed to a crowd on hand to promote breast cancer awareness. Got some cool shots of the band that night, as well as many of the supporting vendors and attendees. Look for that in a future post. Hey, I might have even taken a usable shot of the drummer? Until then, I hope you've enjoyed this musical and photographic glimpse. Rock on.