Stage Coach Village with emcee Zenobia Mertel
Grand Entrance
Grand Entrance is a band from the North Phoenix area that was formed in April, 2015. Sophie Louis is the band’s lead singer, and is a guitarist alongside Ashleigh Wilking. Jake Powers, is the bassist, and sings backup vocals along with Spencer Byrne, the band’s drummer. They are a classic rock and alternative rock type band.
Grand Entrance has played at a numerous venues, such as Cooperstown, Big Earls, The Wasted Grain, Mesa Music Festival and the Arizona State Fair. You can follow them on social media @grand.entrance.band on Instagram,www.facebook.com/grandAZentrance
Don’t Tell Mom
Don’t Tell Mom is a young, Scottsdale, AZ-based rock and blues band that originally formed in 2013. Their influences range from classic rock and blues to surf rock and rockabilly. DTM’s members are: Dean C. (12) vocals, guitar; Jake P. (15) bass, vocals, keys; Dale J. (12) guitar and Jamie W. (11) drums. They are known for their high energy shows enjoyed by all ages. A typical performance will include songs by The Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry as well as original blues and rock compositions.
Don’t Tell Mom was the second runner-up in Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding contest in 2016 and is scheduled to release their debut EP later this year. DTM performs regularly at festivals, charity events and local venues. For additional information and a complete list of upcoming shows, visit DTM.Band.
Divided Minds
Seasoned way beyond their years, teen band Divided Minds, has toured the regional circuit interviewing on several radio stations along the way, including iHeart Radio Mix 96.9, the Q 102.9 (KQST), KWSS 103.9 and ALT AZ 93.3, to name a few.
Just named in the Top 10 Best Metro Phoenix Bands under 21 by the New Times, this energetic 4-piece pop punk band has been featured at iHeart’s star-studded event, Battle of the Burbs and has opened for such major artists as Ice Nine Kills, The Summer Set, Capture the Crown, Wage War and many more. Their music has appeared on Fox 10 news, and they have received major press in the Phoenix New Times, applauding their music video “Fine With It”.
Divided Minds released their five-song EP, Perception in April 2016, featuring their two singles “Frightened” and “Fine With It”. Music videos for these singles, as well as their track “Time Goes On” are streaming on their website, dividedmindsband.com .
Currently, the band is preparing for a summer tour to promote the release of their new EP, which they are now in the studio recording.
Members:
Sean Collins – Lead Vocals &Guitar
Joshua Peters – Guitar & Songwriter
Deven Palay – Drums
Ethan Cain – Bass & Backup Vocals
Homestretch
In the course of a few days, Homestretch went from a collection of separate musicians that had never met to semi-finalists in their very first competition as a band. After a lifetime of never listening to country music, Katelyn Reinhart found herself as one of the singers of this country/rock band. The first real song Katelyn sang was Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid, and of course, it was recorded by her father immediately. Spencer Byrne is the drummer for Homestretch, and also the youngest of the group. Spencer also brings humor to the band with his interesting mid-practice snacks, from a veggie platter to chocolate chip cookies. Matt Ward is the bass player, and has the best hair in the band. Those who are lucky enough to see his hair out of a ponytail are truly special. Grady Byrne is the other half of the Byrne Brother Legacy, meaning that Grady is also freakishly talented. Grady plays the electric guitar and was the brains behind the band name. Chance McLaughlin is the other singer of the band, as well as the acoustic guitar player. Chance listens to mostly country and older rock, but also likes jazz.
The Undecided
The Undecided consists of Willem, 14, on lead guitar, Braden, 11, also on lead guitar, Bijan, 14, on bass, Reyva, 13, on lead vocals, and Maya, 14, on drums. They first met and performed together during a music workshop, and decided to stay together as a band. For the past seven months they have shared their love for music and have performed at The Wasted Grain, and Big Earl’s Greasy Eats.
Alexis Brown
Alexis is currently a Junior at Cactus Shadows High school. She has been singing since she was 6 years old and playing the guitar since she was 11. She loves performing but also has a passion for songwriting.
She has performed at local coffee shops, the Arizona State fair, Alice Coopers proof is in the pudding competition and many others. Her favorite gig is playing for the children at Phoenix Children’s hospital.
Her musical influences include Rufus Wainwright, James Arthur, Dallas Green and Mark Hoppus.
This summer Alexis will get to combine her passion for music with her love of travel by attending and performing at the Berklee College of Music Summer Performance program in Valencia, Spain.
The Big Spill
The Big Spill is a group of 12-14 year-old musicians who have been together for more than three years but play way beyond their years. Cameron Bertolet – Bass, Dylan Conger – Guitar, Tanner Hochberg – Guitar, Nick Conger – Drums and Trinity Ananyeva – Vocals, have been sharing their love of Classic Rock by performing locally at various events including 2015 Rock the District, Wicked Halloween Festival, Hearn Academy, Make a Difference Day Festival and Cooperstown.
Brook Newman
Brook Newman started her music journey at the ripe old age of 6 years old. With a guitar in her hand and a song in her heart, she fell in
love with music. She quickly added vocals, piano and the ukulele to her studies. She is currently 11 years old and is a 6th grader at
Wildfire Elementary.
She plays pop songs with her own soulful twist. Her voice is beyond her years and she sings with her whole heart and
soul. Brook belongs to “The A Team” at Kirk’s Studio for the Performing Arts. She has also written her first song called
“Melodies”. Brook will put a smile on your face and capture your heart.
Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing is a newly formed pop punk band. Members of the band include, 14 year old Abbey Maruyama on guitar, 14 year old Sam Potter as lead vocalist, 16 year old Rowan O’Riley on drums, and 18 year old Katie Gibbs on bass. The band was brought together at a Scottsdale band coaching workshop in late 2016. Even though the band is new, all of the members individually have much musical experience.
Members of Last Man Standing have performed at venues such as, Crescent Ballroom, Desert Ridge Marketplace, the Hard Rock Café, Rock The District, The Phoenix MS Walk, Scottsdale Center For the Arts, local resorts, coffee shops and on YouTube. Last Man Standing is excited to make their mark on the Valley’s music scene.
bareteeth
bareteeth is a newly created pop punk gone acoustic style band. They are highly influenced by artists such as Catfish and the Bottlemen, and other bands with the same unique style. bareteeth consists of two members- Emily Cabrera (a senior at CSHS) and Sophie Louis (a sophomore at CSHS). Together they take pop punk songs and strip them down into a more calm and acoustic vibe.
They blend both their voices and their instruments to create a unique sound that will leave you wanting to hear more. Be sure to catch them on Instagram @officialbareteeth .
House of Noise
House of Noise is a rock band that was formed in the Fall of 2016. Members consist of: Ryan Egan(13) guitar; Zachary Egan(11) drums; Sam Kreitzman(13) bass guitar and Ashley Walker(13) vocals.
While the band has never formally performed together the boys have performed at the Musical Instrument Museum, Wicked at Cave Creek, Wasted Grain & Rhythm Room prior to Ashley joining the band. Ashley has performed as a solo act at Rock the District last year as well as the State Fair and she sang the National Anthem at a Diamondbacks game this summer. Ashley attends Sonoran Trails Middle School and all the boys attend Rancho Solano.
The newly formed band is looking forward to working together!
Carissa Canto
A returning RTD performer, Carissa Canto, is a 16-year old 10th-grader attending Cactus Shadows High School. Carissa has been singing since age seven and continues to make videos and perform today. In addition to RTD, Carissa’s favorite performances include singing at the rebuilding of the Cactus Shadows track, performing the National Anthem for the local Arizona Red Hawks, and Cactus Shadows Football Team, singing at her own Quinceañera, and performing at the Carefree Christmas Show. Carissa’s favorite artists include Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson, Cyndi Lauper, and Christina Perri.
In addition to singing, Carissa has been a cheerleader since age four, and is currently one of the three captains of the CSHS JV cheer squad. Cheerleading has allowed Carissa to gain a great deal of live performance experience and confidence, which has played a vital role in her singing career.
Carissa is an ambitious, caring, kind, and passionate child and is always striving for more in life. She has high goals and is motivated to work hard and end up where she wants to be in the future.
Henry Thompson
Henry is 13 years old and enjoys singing and playing the guitar. Since the age of 7, Henry has been performing in talent shows and community events. He enjoys a variety of genres and can be found singing anything from U2 to Bruno Mars.
Promise To Myself
Hello we are Promise To Myself, we are a pop punk band based in Phoenix, AZ. We formed March 8, 2015 and we just got together with this line up last summer. We met at Pinnacle High School and from there we kicked things off. We love playing shows and fast paced and high energy.
Mia Brito
Mia Brito, a freshman at Cactus Shadows High School, is excited to be returning to Rock the District for her second year as a solo performer. Mia likes to stay involved in her community by actively volunteering and participating in singing competitions, such as Upscale Scholars, where she won 4th place in the Junior Division in 2016. Mia is happy to be returning to the stage for another year of great performances alongside other talented artists.
Kailin Kay and Cameron Bertolet
Kailin and Cameron have been friends since they met at Kirks Studio for the Performing Arts in Scottsdale when they were 9. They joined a band through the studio and played everything from the Cave Creek Balloon Festival to Rock The District and everything in between. Both have risen on the music scene and are looking forward to reuniting this year at RTD, since Kailin has been pursuing songwriting and recording on her own.
Cameron plays an awesome bass guitar but also excels at piano, upright bass and even drums.
Great friends, great music, great cause.
Alysha Andrade
Alysha Andrade discovered her love for music when she joined the Phoenix Children’s Chorus as a first grader. She is currently a sophomore at Pinnacle High School in the advanced women’s chorus. She also plays the piano and has recently started to incorporate the ukulele into her music. Alysha is influenced by bands such as Twenty One Pilots and her passion for music shines through with her ability to teach herself to play a song very quickly.
Alysha feels very fortunate to have been working with a well known local instructor Kim Taylor for many years, and enjoys performing in her local shows, including a recent performance at Saddlecreek Coffee Company. Alysha has also performed in many talent shows and in 8th grade won the school talent show at Foothills Academy. She even sang The National Anthem before playing in a Pinnacle High School girls’ basketball game last year.
If she’s not busy studying or learning new songs, Alysha plays varsity basketball, travels for her club basketball team in the off season, and enjoys an occasional family trip to Disneyland. Alysha looks forward to passionately pursuing her love of music, and is extremely thankful for the opportunity to perform at Rock the District 2017.
Halle Abadi
Halle is a RTD veteran and Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding semifinalist. She is also a Tae Kwon Do black belt and a pre- IB honor student, who enjoys singing and playing the piano. She is very excited to try out for a chance to be a part of Rock the District yet again!
Halle is thankful to be accompanied with guitar by the talented Grady Byrne.
Eden Cislo
Eden Cislo is a 14 year old freshman at Cactus Shadows High School and was a part of Rock the District back in 2013. She enjoys playing volleyball for various Phoenix area teams and most recently on the Cactus Shadows Girls Freshman Team. Eden enjoys leading worship for her Wednesday night church youth group.
In years past, Eden won 1st place in the talent competition in the National American Miss Scholarship Pageant singing and playing her acoustic guitar. Eden then went on to win 1st Place for her age group in the State of Arizona art competition. Her love for music and the arts is very apparent as she spends much of her spare time singing and playing her numerous guitars and drawing. Her musical influences include many different styles and genre’s including country, rock, classics, and contemporary gospel.
Seylah Cislo
Seventeen-year-old Seylah Cislo comes from Cave Creek, and is a Junior at Pinnacle High School. At age 9, she picked up a guitar and has been playing and singing ever since. Seylah is very passionate about the arts, and has been a member of many advanced choir groups at Pinnacle including Encore, Cantare, and the exclusive small jazz ensemble Prestige. Seylah also enjoys leading worship services for her Wednesday night youth group with her younger sister, Eden. Seylah is very excited to make her debut performance at Rock the District this year.
Lauren Bizzell
Lauren Bizzell’s passion for music began before she could even speak in full sentences. By the age of two, snug in her car seat in the back of her parent’s SUV, she could be heard singing along with country music’s leading ladies.
“I love the music that I’d hear my mom sing and that filled our house my entire life—songs from 80s and 90s country divas like Reba, Martina, Shania, Trisha and Faith” Lauren explains.
A Junior at CSHS, Lauren is proving to be an artist in her own right. With an extensive résumé spanning 10 years, Lauren’s most recent highlights include performances at the Carefree Christmas Festival, CSHS Unplugged, Cave Creek Wicked, Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding Talent Search, Fox 10 Live Morning Show, CSHS Talent Show and is a two-time Rock the District alum. Lauren is founding member of the newly-formed country group, Playing Hearts and frequently performs with the praise band at North Ridge church.
When she’s not singing, writing her own music, or honing her self-taught guitar skills, Lauren enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending high school ministry events at North Ridge, and improving her Mandarin language skills. Follow Lauren on Twitter and/or Instagram, @Lauren_Elizabeth_Music.
Cristina Jo
Cristina Jo is a 15 year old sophomore at Cactus Shadows High School and has been a part of Rock the District for three years now. She taught herself how to play guitar 2 years ago so she could accompany herself while she performs her original songs.
Cristina finds most of her inspiration from Taylor Swift because of her meaningful lyrics, however she also finds inspiration from other artists as well, including Carrie Underwood, shania Twain and Ed Sheeran. Cristina is constantly writing new songs and has her sites set on an increased slate of local performances in an effort events to broaden her exposure and opportunities.