It was always Alex Lucero’s dream to be a full-time musician, but as he toiled away at different jobs, music took a back seat to making ends meet.
“It’s just been what I wanted to do ever since I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life,” Lucero says.
About a year before moving to Santa Cruz from Oakdale, he started to make that happen by gigging a lot. When he arrived in Santa Cruz a year and a half ago, he had to start over, but was fortunate enough to get a Monday night residency at the Sand Bar in Capitola. It was a nice gig that made it convenient for bookers to come check him out.
“Everything’s kind of sprung from the Sand Bar, weirdly enough,” Lucero says. “We went from the last year and a half only playing at Zelda’s and the Sand Bar. Now we are playing pretty much every place around here, and just loving it.”
Some shows are billed as Alex Lucero, and others as Alex Lucero and Live Again. His solo gigs feature a lot of the same songs, but lean heavier into the realm of singer-songwriter material. His Live Again shows have a lot more funk. For both set ups, the unifying factor is soul music.
“My favorite genre is soul music—Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke. That’s my wheelhouse. That’s my favorite music of all time,” Lucero says. “I try to play that every single show we play, regardless of the lineup.”
Lucero has two new albums—one solo, one with Live Again—slated for release this month. You can see him perform with his full band on March 30.
INFO: 8 p.m. Friday, March 30. Flynn’s Cabaret, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15/adv, $20/door. 335-2800.
Just saw him in Oakdale
Smoked it!