Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/410603
back frequently for recording and live shows. Smith Alley is highly pol- ished and professional; it's obvious this is a group of perfectionists that refuse to accept being second best. That's the kind of attitude that can lead to a successful career in an arena as highly competitive as the music business. A somewhat harder-edged band, Moses Nose is a quar tet of Monterey Peninsula young men who bring a healthy dose of classic rock- and-roll swagger to the proceedings. Vocalist and guitarist Vincent Randazzo fronts the group with his classic rock and roll look (rakishly handsome, rail thin, longhaired) backed up by lead guitarist by Josh Opitz and Lucier on bass. Joey Hall, the band's drummer, is currently attending USC, but at this point comes home for gigs, such as "The Third Coming," a November 8 show at the Monterey Fairgrounds headlined by Requiem, a Santa Cruz band that recently signed a deal with Cleopatra Records. Moses Nose is known for high- decibel, raucous live shows that include such classic rock spectacles as smashed guitars. Their music crosses genres: a mash-up of metal, indy and pop with infectious hooks. Students at Dennis Murphy's School of Music, the guys of Operation Rock are getting a firm grounding in the fundamentals. Though young — at 15, drummer Frank Campo is the senior mem- ber — they maintain a steady gig schedule, playing for community events such as Carmel Plaza's Summer Music Series and the Festa Italia at Custom House Plaza in Monterey. "They're serious musi- cians," Murphy says, "all supremely tal- ented and going after it in a big way in terms of getting an education and doing as many gigs as they can get." Campo's brother Chris plays guitar, triple threat Billy Lynch is on key- boards, guitar and vocals and bassist and singer Joe Johnsson back pint- sized, 10-year old dynamo of a front- man Jon Campo, performing covers of classic rock songs. "These guys bring the old classic rock and play it as it should be played," Murphy says. It won't be long before these guys start writing original material. These young men and women know what other rockers do: it's infec- tious. Once a player gets on a stage, the hook is set, in many cases for life. As U2's The Edge said: "You see, rock-and-roll isn't a career or hobby—it's a life force. It's something very essential." These musicians have all been bit- ten by the bug; they're willing to put in the time, suffer the setbacks and do the work necessary to get the brass ring: the right to claim the title "Rock Star." For more information on these bands, go to www.smithalley.com; www.face book.com/mosesnoseband; and www.dennismurphyschoolofmusic.com. Moses Nose is an electrically charged, high-energy band that prides itself on upholding a rock-and-roll rebel personae. Their live shows are exciting and their music is original and infectious. The talented young members of Operation Rock met while studying at Dennis Murphy's School of Music. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 4 1 4 7 Photo: Christian R. Cortez