Put down the mandolin, flip the distortion, and turn up the Marshall: South Bay’s truly alternative rock band
by Ed Solt
Have bands with any traces of metal been left to rust in the previous decade?
The marques don’t lie. Currently, popular music playing at South Bay venues tends to fall on the softer side. Who would have thought grandaddy’s bluegrass would make a resurgence?
Yet the South Bay’s own hard-touring Eken is Dead (say it like wreck, not eek) has been sneaking in our local dose of metal with two spoons of sugar since 2008. Under the guise of “alternative rock,” EID brings in the thrash, with those heavy riffs that melt your face.
Frontman duties go to Torrance native Chris Navarrete, whose vocals range from melodic to in-your-face, his gruff, baritone delivery engorged with passion and rage. His style is just a natural extension of his musical background.
“I remember hearing Jim Morrison for the first time when I was eight years old,” Navarrete said. “I love bluesy singers. Growing up, I loved classic rock like the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin.”
And then Navarrete discovered punk rock. An old buddy from his AYSO days, Daniel Frank (who tragically passed away in 2007 after a skateboard accident in Hermosa Beach) turned Navarrete on to bands like Pennywise, The Deviates, AFI, and the Descendants.
“Daniel was a surfer and we’d watch all the Taylor Steele surf movies like ‘Focus,” Navarrete said. “When I first heard punk, I was like ‘Holy shit, I can relate to the rage and the energy.’”
Frank picked up the guitar and started learning the riffs from AFI’s first album, “Answer that and Stay Fashionable.” Navarrete began singing along.
“We were just messing around. Daniel was like ‘You can sing,” said Navarrete with a laugh. “Barfing on the mic. This is what I like. This is what I always wanted to do.”
In the early-to-mid 2000s, when dickie shorts were long, socks were black, and white beater tees were in, Navarrete was lead singer of Profusion, a South Bay punk band who self-released six EPs and shared the stage with Strung Out, Smut Peddlers, Cigar, Authority Zero, Agent Orange, and Ignite before breaking up in 2008.
Frank graduated college with a degree in fine arts. While he did not play in a band, he was an important contributor in the local scene. As a graphic designer, he designed album covers and flyers.
At El Camino College, Navarrete met guitarist Vic Arevalo, who was looking for a frontman.
“I met Vic through Daniel. He was insisting on us playing together for years. He felt we had equal passion for music,” he said. “We hit the ground running and came up with four to five songs immediately. In a couple of weeks we had eight to nine songs. We clicked and were super pumped.”
EID’s natural gelling resulted a full length album. But the band’s chemistry was especially apparent in live performances.
“From the get-go, we were on the road hard. We’d take any tour and any slot. In our first six years, we averaged 50-75 shows,” Navarrete said. “We’ve got to give thanks to bands like Authority Zero, who we toured with time after time and took us through the Southwest for the first time. Anybody who plays with positive energy, punk, ska, even reggae, we love playing with.”
Each member plays an equal part in the functioning of the band, keeping to the DIY ethos of punk rock. Lead guitarist Arevalo brings the Pantera/Tool riffs that also explore the musical territory of Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morrello while also handling a lot of the band’s aesthetic on flyers and album covers. When the band swapped out Navarrete’s cramped Corolla (which, attached to a Uhaul, dragged the band’s equipment) and bought a van, bassist Gagg Green took on the role of mechanic. Newest member, Simon Johnson (formerly from Western Waste, a quintessential South Bay punk band in the 2000s), is a “beast behind the drums” and works the newbie job handling merch. Navarrete handles all the networking and most of the booking.
“After over 400 shows, I think we’ve only got a hotel like four times. We have a place to stay in every city,” said Navarrete. “Making friends with other bands, sleeping on their couches, having them sleep on our couches and show them around — we’ve been very lucky.”
These are the experiences the band cherishes.
“While we have not made money, we haven’t lost money,” Navarrete said, laughing. “When I told the band I had to scale back my band commitment with the birth of a son, they all understood. While we’re not playing as many shows, I feel we’re playing more important shows. We are meant to be seen live.”
One of the bands EID plays with who steps up their game is Ignite.
“When playing with a professional and tight band like Ignite, it inspires you to do a little more. It introduces us to a new ears,” he said.”It’s going to be extra special show being in our hometown. Plus, it’s going to be my birthday show.”
Eken is Dead plays with Ignite, By all Means, Real Fiction this Saturday at Saint Rocke. Doors open at 6 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. For tickets go to saintrocke.com.
