Light The Rocket Going to SXSW

Local San Jose rock band Light the Rocket will be playing at Music Gorilla Live 2014, which is happening during the massive SXSW festival in Austin. When I say this is a local band, I mean it.  Most of the members were born and raised in San Jose, their music is recorded in San Jose, their first music video was shot at Music Go Round in San Jose, and they are not afraid to sport some teal to represent their city.

If you happen to go to SXSW this year, go check them out at Burnside's Tavern at 413 E. 6th Street on Wednesday, March 12th at 1am (okay technically Thursday, March 13th). They will also be giving out some free swag. For more info, check out the Light the Rocket Facebook Page or the Music Gorilla Live 2014 Facebook Page.

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"We can't wait for our annual Live Showcase Series during the biggest MUSIC FESTIVAL/CONFERENCE in the world. This is held in Austin, TX from March 11-16, 2014. Music Gorilla will be showcasing 50 artists and bands at this free showcase series that is open to the industry and the public.

The Artists performing will receive massive exposure. The venue is right in the middle of everything on 6th Street in Austin, TX. Artists will not receive compensation or travel expenses to play at the showcase.

Past showcases have been attended by Major and Indie Label A&R reps, Managers, Agents, Entertainment Attorneys and other industry pros as well as celebrities including, Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows and Rachel Ray."

Light the Rocket Update

My favorite emerging band from San Jose has just received a couple of honors. By the way, when I say this band is from San Jose I'm not using the term loosely. Pretty much the entire band was born and raised here, their first music video was shot in San Jose (below), and they're not afraid to don the Sharks gear. They're as local as it gets.

A couple weeks ago Light the Rocket was unanimously voted Raw Artists - San Jose Musicians of the Year at an event held in Studio 8. That puts them in a national contest against 50+ other bands from all over the country.

They were also picked as one of the Top 20 local bands by the radio station Live105. To top it off, one of those Top 20 bands is going to open at Not So Silent Night 2012, which features The Shins, Metric, Of Monsters and Men, Gaslight Anthem, Jack White, and Two Door Cinema Club. This lucky local band is determined entirely by online voting.

Right now Light the Rocket is ranked #2 in the poll, which puts a San Jose band so very close to opening for Not So Silent Night! They need your votes, please help them out by casting your vote here.

New San Jose Band: Light the Rocket!

San Jose has been getting a lot of great music news in 2012. New venues for live music have been popping up all over the place (especially Downtown), it is now possible to catch great performances 7 days a week, and many new artists from all over the South Bay have joined the local music scene. Just when I thought things couldn't get better, they just did...

Light the Rocket is a new band where pretty much every single member was born and raised in San Jose, all of their music is recorded in San Jose, and their first music video was entirely shot at the Music Go Round in San Jose. If you had any doubts of their local ties, see how many Sharks shirts and jerseys you can find by the end of the music video below (there is even a "hella" variant from Bay Area Diehards).

Alright, so they're local and they're representing, but are they any good? Nope... they are friggin phenomenal. I think I've listened to all of their songs 7 or 8 times already. I love their sound--reminds me a bit of Dashboard Confessional. It's a long road, but I wouldn't be surprised if these guys one day surpass Smashmouth as San Jose's claim to musical fame for the newer generations.

Check out their Facebook page over here, listen to their songs here, and of course don't forget to watch their first music video below for their debut song, "Carefully"!