THE HISTORY OF VALLEJO
1990-2016
1984 - While living in Pelham, Alabama, the Vallejo brothers' father buys his sons AJ, Alex & Omar three trumpets in the hope that they become the next Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass. Younger brother Omar goes on to win Alabama's All-State trumpet player and is offered a scholarship to University Of Alabama.
1987 - Twin brother, Alex stretches out from the trumpet and buys a 15 piece drumset hoping to be the next Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) instead. The other brothers follow suit shortly after with AJ borrowing guitars from friends before he finally buys one of his own and Omar jumping on the bass and occasional trumpet.
1988 - The brothers Vallejo woodshed 80's metal/classic rock cover songs and start writing their own material in their family's basement in Alabaster, Alabama. Vallejo fan favorite "Boogieman" is written during these early years and ends up on their self-titled national release eight years later.
Fall 1988 - The brothers are hired by high school friend Eric Abernathy to play at his house party and bill themselves as "The Vallejo Bros". More parties are booked by friendly onlookers and the band quickly becomes the "go to" party band in the Birmingham area.
1989 - The Vallejo Brothers enter an impromtu Birmingham battle of the band contest at a nearby movie drafthouse and win the grand prize of free recording time at a local studio. One of the judges that night happens to be Motown producer/percussionist Michael Panapento (The Temptations, Four Tops) who takes the band under his wing and records their first limited release on cassette called The Raw Sessions.
1993 - The band decides to drop the word "brothers" from their name and is simply called "Vallejo" moving forward. They go back into the studio with Michael Panapento as producer (and now on percussion) and record the band's first official release, Sins. This session is where the band's signature sound of classic album rock mixed with Santanaesque Latin percussion starts to take shape helmed by producer, Michael Panapento.
1994 - Vallejo picks up high school friend Bruce Castleberry on guitar and eventually becomes one of the most popular bands in Birmingham, Alabama. Starting to feel like they're spinning wheels in Birmingham's limited market, the Vallejo brothers begin to look at their birthplace of Austin, Texas to hone the group's new Latin rock sound.
1995 - Vallejo play their final show in Birmingham on New Year's Eve 1995 and makes over S12,000 at the door. They take the night's big earnings as the perfect opportunity to pack up a U-Haul with all of their gear and move to Austin, Texas the following week. With Panapento having to stay put in Birmingham at Airwave Studios, local percussionist Steve Ramos joins the group and all five band members move into a rental house in South, Austin.
1995 - Now in Austin, Vallejo start from scratch to begin making a name for themselves in the very competitive "Live Music Capital Of The World". They play anywhere in town that will book them and work odd end jobs at restaurants to survive and pay the rent for the new band house. Hungry to play on Austin's infamous 6th Street, they stalk door man David Cotton at legendary club The Steamboat who finally gives them a ten o' clock residency on Monday nights opening for local metal rockers, Pariah. Club owner Danny Crooks falls in love with the band and Vallejo quickly becomes one of the venue's regular acts playing a few nights a week.
1995-1996 - Vallejo slowly pay their dues in Austin working up to Wednesday nights at The Steamboat and eventually earn the hot weekend headlining slots. Across the street at 6th Street bar Wiley's, the band is invited onstage to jam with local musician John Lockhart and Vallejo's life is changed forever. Top 40 producer Steve Peck (Sweet Sensation) happens to be in the audience during the jam and introduces the band to Chicago record label IMI Records.
1996 - Vallejo plays a showcase at The Steamboat during SXSW for IMI president Bobby Francovillo and is immediately signed to the Chicago label. The band enters Cedar Creek Studios in Austin with Steve Peck as the producer and records its national self-titled debut, Vallejo.
1997 - Local radio station KLBJ begins playing the single "Just Another Day" and is an instant hit which starts to catch fire across Texas and eventually the US. Selling 5,000 copies of the debut in just a few weeks, TVT Records (Nine Inch Nails, Sevendust) takes notice and re-releases the debut with a new cover now known by fans as the "Shining Sun" album. With the help of two labels working the first single "Just Another Day" reaches #30 on the Billboard Alternative Rock charts and the band is rushed out on a nationwide tour sharing the stage with Linkin Park, Disturbed, POD, Matchbox 20 and 3 Doors Down.
1998 - Beautiful Life
1999 - Vallejo files Chapter 13
2000 - Into The New
2002 - Stereo
2003 - Dirty Wormz
2003 - Steamboat Live
2003 - Black Sky
2004 - Leftovers
2005 - Rhythm Is In The Blood DVD
2008 - Thicker Than Water
2010 - Neverending Tour DVD
2010 - Acousta
2013 - Brothers Brew
2016 - Unified