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About Us"Steppin' Out" - Band On A Mission
It was way back in 1973 when "Steppin' Out" founder Marty Hernandez started one of the top 10 dance bands in the San Francisco Bay Area, the 10 piece, female vocalist and horn section driven powerhouse that was known as "East Bay Timberline". Those who were around in those days may remember seeing them play five nights a week to packed nightclubs on the same circuit and on many of the same stages as acts such as; Huey Lewis, Y&T, Cold Blood and Tower of Power. But then something known as "Disco" came along and almost overnight everything was changed. "I don't think that anyone back then could have ever imagined that the reign of the "DJ" would have lasted this long. After all, the live experience that happens when a driving dance band is feeding off the energy of the dancers on a packed floor, returning that energy to those same dancers with ever increasing intensity, is something that can never, ever be matched by a disk jockey." We are talking here about someone who is not a musician, playing back recordings that were made in a sterile studio environment. Recordings that were made in a different time and in a place far removed from the live action that is happening RIGHT NOW, on that dance floor. There exists now an entire generation who are destined only to see a great band while they are sitting confined to their seats. They could even be sitting a football field away from all of the action, or even worse, sitting on their couches with their wide-screen HDTV's and 5.1 surround sound, all the while trying to convince themselves that this passive existence is better than being a part of a live experience. Telling themselves that this is better than connecting with new people and truly being a participant in a shared musical event. Telling themselves that staying home is better than STEPPIN' OUT! Because most dance clubs these days only have music one or two nights a week, there also exists an entire generation of musicians who have never had the experience of playing in a dance band, five nights a week. In a nightclub environment, the dance floor can act as a living barometer that does not lie. A barometer that continually rewards and encourages the right band to become ever tighter, more dynamic and more exciting than could ever have been possible without this human feedback loop. Today, most bands that you can see in places where there is dancing, are not really interested in playing music that is danceable. Often they are more interested in recreating their own pasts and influences, not understanding that material once done by greats such as "Stevie Ray", "Clapton" and "Hendrix", is not always all that meaningful to non-musicians. What the average person wants to hear when they feel like going out dancing is DANCE MUSIC! Is it any wonder that now, 30 years later, DJ music still prevails at weddings, corporate parties, dance clubs and special events? Knowing what your audience wants to hear and dance to, is very important to me as a performing musician. It was with that goal in mind that I started Steppin' Out. REAL DANCE MUSIC FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO DANCE!! - Marty Hernandez - |
