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- Getting older, man.

No, stop.

It'll take a whole show if you start listing how cool you are.

[Laughter] [Music] - Hey, High Dive.

Welcome to Sounds on 29th.

[Cheering] This state is filled with all of these brilliant, amazing musicians.

But Los Alcos represents the best of two states, both Colorado and Texas.

Not only that, Los Alcos is one of the dopest father-son relationships that you'll find on stage.

[Cheering] But when your dad is as cool as this, it's very difficult to find space to rebel.

So, I think maybe your rebellion took place like, I'm going to have my dad join my band, not the other way around.

So, this is a band that is filled with love, with the beauty of chosen family, of chosen causes, and bringing people together to elevate everybody's experience.

And I can't think of a better place to be on a snowy night than at a show with Los Alcos rocking the stage.

So, please give it up to Los Alcos.

[Cheering] [Music] - Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

♪ I'm a super deluxe ♪ Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

[Cheering] - It's not too often that you get a father and son duo leading a band.

How did that start?

- Well, I guess really, this guy is pretty awesome and got a great musical career.

He played with the Drifters as a touring guitarist.

He played in many prog rock bands in San Antonio, Heyoka being the most prevalent.

They opened for Blue Oyster Cult and a whole long list that would take too long.

It would take up forever to give Papa Alco all his flowers.

But this man surely started the band by being just an awesome shredder and falling in love with Mama Alco.

And I was born.

And there was no pressure for me to play music.

I wasn't forced to do lessons or anything.

I just lived in a very open, you know, musical playground.

And it took me a long time to kind of get into writing.

I was a drummer first.

Papa and I would play forever, you know, covers, parties.

I was-- you know, just a two-man band like that.

But then, I kind of grew on my own and was going and playing in bands.

And eventually, I started writing my own songs and was like, you know, I know this guy who's really good at guitar.

So-- - I got it, guy.

- I've known him my whole life.

- Alex asked me one day, "Dad, what are you doing?” I said, "I'm playing in a cover band and I do some Heyoka stuff now and again.” He says, "Ah, forget that.

Come and join my band.” I said, "Great idea, okay.” And that's how it really started.

- And I left Austin.

I was like, this isn't the place for me anymore.

And I came to Denver.

I kind of put the band on ice.

I mean, it was the pandemic.

But everyone was like, "let's still do this, dude.

FaceTime me right now.

Send me a song.” My dad was like, "Come on, dude.

I have this Mac you taught me how to use.” And he's just going crazy on GarageBand.

And I'm like, "well, I guess shows are going to happen again after you kind of get out of the funk.” And you're like, Denver's not that far from Austin.

And Denver has a great scene.

So, we kind of survived the pandemic in that way, and then finished our album with just that attitude.

[Music] [Cheering] - Which bands, which venues have you felt like have opened their doors to you and broken bread with you?

- I would say La Molly and KUVO Jazz was one of the first really amazing just surprising to me people who reached out and was like, "Hey, I heard you're Denver based now, and I love this music.” She interviewed us and we did a great show with her DJ collective, Ciudad Reina, and they were just super professional, great people who are constantly putting on other bands with the radio show.

They're booking their own dance parties.

So, that was really someone we met immediately that we were just blown away by, but in that way you said was so welcoming and was like, yes!

Awesome!

You're up in Denver.

You know, let's party and let's, you know, do this art thing together.

Because it does take a community.

It does take a collective, especially with us being kind of like funky, kind of psychedelic.

We get thrown on some bills before where it's like we're the only-- definitely the only Latin band.

That's been so many bills.

So, to kind of come at it with purpose, like La Molly is a person who is always doing that, and I feel invigorated to do it with again, book a show or just even tell her, "Hey, we have a new song coming out,” or something.

She'll be like, "What can I do for you?” Which has been incredible.

- What are some other bands that you all share stages with that you consider to be peers?

- Gio Chamba would be one of our-- just we're huge fans as well as lucky to be peers with Gio.

Gio has been doing the psychedelic cumbia.

He's from Houston, but relocated to Colorado Springs.

He's been doing it for like a decade, and it's just really, really catching fire on at least Instagram and TikTok right now.

He's an extremely talented guitarist and used to do like punk rock and stuff like that, but he just decided to kind of go off on his own and do this.

And he has another homie, Coffee, who is a congato.

Incredible.

I actually played with Gio here at the High Dive because Coffee couldn't make it.

So, I sat in with him and I played bongos and conga.

So, Gio is someone I've worked with in, you know, eternally and we play shows with.

And I would just tell everyone right now, get on the Gio Chamba bandwagon before it's too full and you have no seat because we're early, we're there, you know?

But Gio is a big one.

And he's also on the same wave of like Texas, Colorado, you know, hybrid artists.

[Music] ♪ I love Mary Jane ♪ ♪ Like my name Is Peter Parker ♪ ♪ She gets me high ♪ ♪ Fly like a Jedi ♪ ♪ High on the Skywalker ♪ ♪ Many think that I should be ashamed ♪ ♪ When I proclaim her sweet name ♪ ♪ They want me locked away in a cage ♪ ♪ because every day, I'm puffing on jade ♪ ♪ Leaves grow tall ♪ ♪ Far from the reach ♪ ♪ Recognize that scent ♪ ♪ Not persecuted ♪ ♪ Here in Denver, I don't hide ♪ ♪ I love her and she fought to survive ♪ ♪ She wasn't bought ♪ ♪ No, never meant ♪ ♪ For extended consciousness ♪ ♪ I love Mary Jane ♪ ♪ Like my name is Peter Parker ♪ ♪ I love Mary Jane ♪ ♪ Like my name is Peter Parker ♪ ♪ Run, run, run, run, Run, run, run, run ♪ ♪ We must escape ♪ ♪ It's already too late ♪ ♪ They found our stash ♪ ♪ Concentrated ash ♪ ♪ It happened oh so fast ♪ ♪ Now I'm running on a dash ♪ ♪ Run, run, run, run, Run, run, run, run ♪ ♪ We must elope ♪ ♪ It's all ♪ ♪ About to hang me by rope ♪ ♪ Cause they found all our dope ♪ ♪ Test mushrooms and gels ♪ ♪ And wanna put us in a cell ♪ ♪ Run, run, run, run, Run, run, run, run, run ♪ ♪ They found our stash ♪ ♪ The concentrated ash ♪ ♪ It happened oh so fast ♪ ♪ Now, I'm running on dash ♪ ♪ I love Mary Jane ♪ ♪ Like my name is Peter Parker ♪ ♪ I love Mary Jane ♪ ♪ Like my name is Peter Parker ♪ [Cheering] - How would you describe a Los Alcos show to somebody who's never been there?

- I would say we're a psychedelic fiesta.

We're fusion.

It's gonna be a little jazzy.

It's gonna be a little proggy.

But it's definitely gonna have that underlying spice throughout.

There's an element of improvisation we have in our band that I think a lot of musicians gravitate towards.

They want that freedom.

They're like, "Hey, Pop Alco and Alex Alco.” Of course, I learned the parts, but they're gonna let me have my own style.

He might point at me and give me a couple bars for a solo.

I gotta stay on my toes.

But that's fun for the audience and the musicians on stage, and it should be fun.

That's how everybody has the best time, you know?

- We're organic.

What we produce on stage is the music we're feeling in our heart and soul, and we're trying to project it out to the audience to get them-- I love to see the audience smiling, and dancing, and moving, and enjoying the night that they have chosen to spend their time with us.

Hopefully, the audience will enjoy it.

So, that's where we're at, man, with trying to play on stage and be true to ourselves.

- I love that.

Los Alcos, thank you so much.

- Thank you.

- Appreciate you, man.

Thank you all so much.

- Thank you.

- All of y'all, too.

Appreciate you guys.

[Music] ♪ She spoke soft spells ♪ ♪ Summoning sacred sights ♪ ♪ She knows the language of the night ♪ ♪ She spoke soft spells ♪ ♪ Summoning sacred sights ♪ ♪ She knows the language of the night ♪ ♪ She's the ghost of the night ♪ - Thank you, guys.

- Muchas gracias.

- Love you guys.

Thank you, Denver.

- We are Los Alcos.

Thank you, PBS 12.

Thank you, High Dive.

Thank you, beautiful audience.

We are Los Alcos.

See you soon.

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