Local Bands Rock Moreno Valley

Moreno Valley was host to a gathering of local musicians and talent last Saturday, July 13. The Family Music Room, a music school owned and operated by the Nemetz Family, hosted the show entitled “A Bucksworth Bash,” after the name of his band Bucksworth. Local bands The Lunar Strays, Aces & Thieves, and Vicky & the Vengents played alongside Bucksworth for a night of diverse music ranging from heavy alternative to country. The Family Music Room opened up its doors four years ago when Nemetz spotted a need in the community that he thought was being greatly neglected in comparison to their neighboring city Riverside, which is known for its creativity in music and art. “We opened and were really embraced by the community here in Moreno Valley. The people in this city are wonderful,” Mark Nemetz, owner and guitar instructor, commented. Aces & Thieves, one of the bands who played at the Bucksworth Bash, started out their musical journey at the music school when the members were 15 years old and have grown into a well-known local talent. The Lunar Strays were the opening act for the Bucksworth Bash and did a great job warming up the crowd with their mix of heavy alternative, love songs, covers, and even a lighthearted zombie tune about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. The Lunar Strays were giving out buttons and band logo cutouts and had their CDs and T-shirts for sale. The Lunar Strays consist of four members: Chris Alexander, Charlie Moon, Simon Cornell, and Chris Werly. Chris Alexander and Charlie Moon met at Riverside Polytechnic High School and have been playing together for two years. Chris Werly and Simon Cornell were added to the band about four months ago. The band members are independently inspired from a range of music from heavy metal to Amanda Palmer, lead singer of The Dresden Dolls and successful solo artist. The Family Music Room is open to all ages and has instructors for piano, violin, drums, flute, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, voice, bass guitar and the guitar. The school generally hosts shows such as the Bucksworth Bash once a month, and hold player recitals twice a month for its students to show their progress and give students an incentive to practice harder.