Anthony Carrasco
Magic Entertainment and San Diego native, Anthony Carrasco, continues to prove, that undeniably, he knows how to throw a party! The 9th annual Rock n’ Roll Reunion Benefit, went off without a hitch. Going back to an all San Diego lineup of live music, a new venue, standing room only and an always crowded dance floor made for an entertaining and success event. Founder, Anthony Carrasco, and organizer, Mark Rogo, moved the traditionally summer event to fall and to a new venue, and the results were spectacular. This year’s benefit was held at the Full Circle Saloon, in East County, San Diego. The Full Circle Saloon has been a local favorite watering hole for many years and it did not disappoint!
The Full Circle Saloon is a piece of paradise for local musicians and artists. From the outside it is an unassuming presence in a strip mall. Inside it appears as a laid-back, small town gathering place with a most gracious and welcoming owner flanked by equally beautiful, quick and efficient bartenders. Look beyond the bar and simple furnishings, pool and shuffleboard tables, and find where this venue really shines. A large dance floor situated directly in front of an even larger, elevated stage, equipped with a drum riser and surrounded by high velocity fans, both installed at floor level and ceiling height; some directed towards the stage others directed towards the dance floor! Someone was thinking when they designed this establishment! Topped by the shining star of a high-end sound and light system, perfectly placed for optimum performance. The Full Circle Saloon is a multi-faceted hidden gem. I had the chance to chat with owner, Michelle Bailey, about the Full Circle. The story of how this little paragon got its name, is a sweet success story: Michelle Bailey was originally from reading, Pennsylvania. She moved her 19 years ago, where she met her husband, Chuck, of (now) 15 years. Together they share a 13-year-old son and call San Diego their home. The, what is now, the Full Circle Saloon was originally owned by, Steve Klass, and was one of a pair of venues he called The Second Wind. 17 years ago, Steve hired Michelle and she worked for him at The Second Wind location in North Park, San Diego. Michelle worked for him for six years until he sold his North Park location and 11 years later, Steve sold the Santee location to Michelle and Chuck, thus fulfilling 26-year-old dream for Michelle and her family and thus the name. “The Full Circle Saloon” was born.
When you walk into Michelle’s establishment, you are immediately greeted as family so what better place to hold the 9th annual Rock ‘n Roll Reunion Benefit, where the foundation is built from the love of family and coming together in celebration and music. The evening’s entertainment consisted of four local bands, capped off by the traditional, “All Star” jam at the end of the night. Starting with a 7 pm, Meet and Greet, it moved quickly into the crowd being introduced to Ozzy Osborne tribute band:
As I was not able to speak with all the amazing artists that performed throughout the event, I was able to research some of the history of the performers and credit much of the information published here) to their websites and social media sites:
“MadMan”
An Ozzy Osborne tribute band that focuses on Ozzy’s early years alongside Randy Rhoads. This 3-artist line up spent years honing their skills before taking them to the stage in 2012. Lead vocalist, Scott Billion, has a deep-seated music background that goes back to his childhood. He was heavily influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath and Ozzy and is very happy to be able to bring a childhood dream to the stage. Scott and his bandmates’ stage presence echoes the intense energy and that undeniable sound that made Ozzy and Randy such an iconic marriage of music performance and production.
Line Up:
Scott Billion – Vocals
Steve Cox – Guitar
Pete Stone – Bass
Mercedes Scalzitti
“Sweet Soul Sister”
Fronted by, San Diego, powerhouse, female vocalist, Mercedes Scalzitti, “Sweet Soul Sister”, is a tribute to the British, heavy metal/rock band, The Cult, that rose to fame in the early 80’s. Surrounded by accomplished artists, Mercedes immediately heats up the room and sets the stage on fire. Her fun loving and original style shines as she engages the audience from one song to the next. He powerful vocals and bigger-than-life stage presence has made Mercedes a well-known and sought-after artist in the San Diego area.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Mercedes at the end of the evening for a quick chat. Please find our recorded interview with Mercedes in this issue of the magazine and see for yourself why we instantly fell in love her!
“Sweet Soul Sister” is currently playing throughout the San Diego area. You can find more information and their event calendar on their website and social media.
Line Up:
Mercedes Scalzitti – Vocals
Gilbert Koury – Guitar
Rusty Hawthorn – Guitar
Jaimie Anderson – Bass
Tom Hogue – Drums
“138”
Billed as a tribute to the Misfits and Danzig, in my opinion where this band really shined was in its last four songs where they honored several of our iconic grudge rock bands. The vocals, performances and energy were a joy to watch and to listen! I was not able to find any information on this band, which is a shame as they deserved high praise. I heard some scuttlebutt throughout the event that these artists to this project together specifically for the fundraiser. I cannot substantiate or deny that rumor. If any of our readers can provide me with additional information for the San Diego based band, 138, please message me via the magazine and I will be happy to give them proper acknowledgement.
Bam Bam
“Bam Bam”
A 1980’s new wave/rock band, is in its third year performing at the annual benefit and each year I see them perform they keep getting better and more fun to watch. This is Bam Bam’s third year performing at the reunion benefit. It was at the 7th annual event that this ultra-talented, high energy, magnetic band re-aligned after many years apart and the result is seeing them perform on a more regular basis to packed dance floors throughout the San Diego area.
Line Up:
Dan Neighbors – Vocals
Dave Zimmerman – Guitars
Gilbert Koury – Guitars
Dave Robert-Bass – Guitars
Tom Owens – Percussion
All-Star Jam
As in all prior years, the evening concluded with a “San Diego All-Star Jam”. Among the players was guitarist and vocalist, John Hernandez. A multi-talented artist, John has performed in several prior reunion events, including the 8th annual reunion, where he performed with Band of the Lost. John also has a solo project, Sonic Liberation Army. We had a chance to speak with John for a few moments at the end of the evening and you can find out more about him and Sonic Liberation Army in our interview. You can also search John and “Band of the Lost” in our archives to read more about last year’s performance.
For almost a decade Anthony and best bud, Mark Rogo, have been organizing this annual event to help assist in the upbringing, the current and future education of two beautiful little girls, who aren’t so little anymore, but get more beautiful year. When the girls we not much more than toddlers they lost their father in a very unfortunate accident, my no fault of his own. Rather than dwell on the negative and playing a blame game, Anthony has turned an infinite sad situation into a positive annual event.
Over the years, you will continue to see the same faces attending to show their support, donating at the door, filling the various vessels around the room, and coming together to through the common denominator that is music, comradery and song, to help send these young girls learn and grow into their optimum potential!
We were able to catch up with Anthony and a few of the performing artists, for quick, on-camera, interviews. You can find our chatter in this issue of the magazine. BackStage360 is always very honored to be a part of this San Diego tradition and is looking forward to next year!
You can find more information on each band and/or artist via their websites, social media, YouTube and other various music service sites by searching their names.
www.facebook.com/BAND-OF-THE-LOST
By: Siege / BackStage360
Editors Note: Unfortunately, due to audio technicalities, the interviews were not able to be completed. We apologize to the artists that gave us their time to sit down for the interviews and hope to be able to feature all of them in an upcoming issue.