Willie Salazar - Vocals/Guitar Damon Delapaz - Guitar Adam Lewis - Bass Donnie Reyes - Drums

FENIX is breaking wide open... Later day pop-punk act follows closely in the steps of So-Cal pop punk acts like Blink 182, though the band manages to create a sound all of its own. Warm, fast-paced guitars and a tight snare beats give the band an upbeat feel while keeping it far from the more aggressive sounds of straight-forward punk. FENIXtx (formerly known as Riverfenix) After changing its name to avoid legal hassles with the survivors of the deceased actor who inspired the band's first name, the band's first major-label album rerelease its debut album, with a pair of addional new tracks. Every song they played had the whole place movin, at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. The majority of the people inside the packed club are between the ages of 14 and 18. River Fenix plays the kind of powerful rock that sounds good on the radio. Live, the music melts together in a blur of power chords at fast tempos. It's not bad, but there certainly are lots of other West Coast punk bands trying to perfect what the Descendents did. Songs such as "Minimum Wage" are bouncy and happy, punk-rock lite. But the appeal of "Speechless" isn't due to its great artistry or the band's good luck; It is one of many hook-driven, melodic punk songs doled out in the hour the quartet is on stage. But other than the introduction, the song doesn't stand out much in the band's set. At first when they started playing, they sounded like a another Green Day cover band .But I listened more intently and they really have there own sound and stye. The band has a slight metal edge, particularly in the guitar section, and strong, sing-along choruses to make for a quick pop-punk attack.

River Fenix has just been blessed with luck and good word of mouth. The band's accomplishment is the result of hard work, perseverance and lots of sacrifice. There is a grand lesson to be learned, kids: "Stay in school, don't do drugs, and pray your toil will pay off. "We're totally lucky. It just happened," says Damon, the band's guitar player.Willie agrees: "It's not like we play anything different; it's not like we've gotten any better. We play exactly the same shit that we've been playing for as long as we've been together." In fact, the more fierce competition of the West Coast has forced the band to sharpen its live show. Onstage the group mentions the hoopla once, by way of introducing "Speechless," when Willie sarcastically says, "I think radio station KROQ's back in Houston played it once or twice."

They came together on the north side of Houston in the balmy southern autumn of 1995. Leaving a life on the stoop behind, they picked up instruments and started a band. The four devoted their time to writing songs and playing shows, building a strong draw in their home town Houston Texas. Early tours helped build a nationwide audience. That audience grew when FENIXtx moved their operation to sunny San Diego."It's too hard to have people notice you when you're in Texas. Who's going to hear about you? We draw more out here than we ever did in Houston." -- Damon .The widened audience drew the attention of manager Mark Hoppus and the Tahoe Agency, who began booking FENIXtx on large tours across America and Canada. They've played with such bands as blink-182, Unwritten Law, Buck-o-Nine, Reel Big Fish, and even one memorable show with 80's icons Duran Duran. With the single "Speechless" in full rotation on L.A.'s KROQ, FENIXtx merged their association with indie label Drive-Thru Records together with MCA. The band sings about normal things from everyday life. The future promises to bring continually greater success for FENIXtx. They are scheduled to play every U.S. date of the summer festival the Warped Tour, and a new album is in the not-so-distant future. Watch for FENIXtx.

..................................................................By Randy Cohen