One of the many reasons I chose to live in Tj was the music scene. Most of my favorite bands that play shows in LA, more often than not, make the trip down to San Diego. After shows in San Diego, bands seeking international exposure cross the border and play shows in Tj (most the times for free). Almost all bars in the USA charge cover if they have live music, even if the music sucks. The abundant nightlife in Tj makes for tough competition on the weekends, so bars do not have a choice but to be really cheap or free. Shows that are $20 or more in SD come to Tj and play for a fraction of the price.

Norteñas or Banda music still dominate the music scene with thousands attending live events almost every night. That scene is huge, but far too predictable. Songs with waltz timing, women in skimpy dresses, a lot of cheap beer and plenty of dancing. They even have a live norteña band in the bowling alley, which a lot of people dance too, make the floor shake and the pins to drop by themselves. But let's ignore this highly predictable scene and go somewhere different.

There's something for everyone, from hip hop and reggae to punk and hardcore, from experimental electronic noise to fusion jazz. I have attended more shows in Tj in 2 years living here than the 4 years I lived in LA. There are way better shows in LA, but factoring traffic and price (not only to enter, but for drinks), not many are worth the trouble. Festivals are too expensive, overrated and overplayed. It became too much a challenge to please the huge flocks of people that make it to the inferno that is Coachella, that most of what I read this year were negative reviews (except a silly article in Vice that only talked about butts).

All My Friends took the reigns of the lost rave scene that Tijuana used to have in the early 2000s, but transformed into what it is now a very well established yearly indie/alternative music festival. This year they have changed location, expanded the festival for a couple of days and switched from Autumn to Summer. This year AMF will be in Castillos del Mar in Rosarito on June 13th to the 15th. I personally had a blast last year and wrote an extensive article on my blog. This year, the line-up is not as impressive, but they made up for it by bringing in the culinary arts and setting it on the beach

When a festival is successful, more are bound to follow. But unlike the promises of capitalism and trickle down economics, when the music raises like water, all the boats float together, not only the big ones. All My Friends is the captain of the music sea and it has paved the way for more festivals, like the upcoming TRF.

TRF or Tijuana Rumble Fest is the new DYI type festival with over 20 bands from all over California and Baja California. Art and music do not know borders, this festival doesn't either. Most are upcoming new bands that are getting traction and seem to promise a great music career. Also, live artists will be painting the walls at the location. We expect over a 1,000 people to show up, especially for bands like Beach Party, Mothers of Gut, HABITS, Calafia Puta, San Pedro el Cortez and more.

TRF is on Saturday, May 31st at Pepe's Abandoned Factory, a 6-acre terrain a short walk away from Flamingos Motel.

The idea came from David Villegas, who is an amateur fighter training in Gym el Chakal, located in Colonia Libertad. On early March, David came to me and my roommate Chad Deal offering us to be a part of it. The original idea was that it was going to be a small festival and our respective bands would play a show alongside other bands that we liked. From there it exploded into a massive festival that we decided it was best to concentrate on organizing it, than on playing ourselves. With the help of the gym, who is accustomed on throwing major fighting events and the support of all the people, TRF was born.

VIDEO : Introducing Tijuana rumble Fest 2014

The team and myself have been working hard for this to happen. I don't expect to make any money from the show, I just don't want to lose any either. Much of my time and energy has been put on TRF that I had to break journalistic code and write articles of self-promotion. The only reward I'll have is that a band I'm a huge fan of, 100 Onces, will be playing their first show in Tijuana. I won't stop working to make sure this festival is one of the best ever, except the small break to listen to 100 Onces.

*Visit tijuanarumblefest.com for more information

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