Breakfast of Champions: Local Deluxe
Photo by Reuben Dela Cruz
Local Deluxe is a staple on our island, and I don’t just mean the McDonald’s breakfast item. The emo-tinged pop-punk band originally marked the beginning of a new era of music on Guam that saw its end last weekend, in the sweltering heat of their final performance together. Alongside them were opening acts such as Fat Tofu, Oka’s Point, and my band NVDRMT, which looked like a lineup of close friends more than anything else—collectively celebrating a run that turned the trio of fresh-faced rockers into one of the best musical acts the island has ever produced.
Once made up of Gino Datuin, Christian Delgado, and Chris Sumalpong, this next generation of artists would inspire a new age of alternative kids, friends, and fans alike. None of which would be living the dream more than their most current drummer, Kyle Calvo, who grew up wanting to play music like his hometown heroes in Local Deluxe (whom also played Kyl'e’s High school grad party with NVRDRMT, fun fact). That bond as musicians eventually coalesced into Chris and Kyle becoming my bandmates when S.P.E.A.R. formed from our shared love of hardcore music. Despite all that history being spoken for now, I initially needed to be impressed by this new blood as someone slowly becoming an O.G. in these Waters.
Chris, Kyle, and Chris. by Jed Espeino.
I still remember being in a truck with Fat Tofu’s singer Jordan Hardy as he showed me the latest thing he was working on, recording a brand new band I had never heard of before. He asked if I wanted to listen to what these kids were making and played me an early version of what would become their debut release. Little did I know that songs on it like ‘Save Yourself’ would grow on me enough to make it the theme song of my first radio show ever, Tastebuds (also, Thanks for letting me hop on the mic for my favorite song). Even if I enjoyed what I heard in Jordy’s truck that night, I didn’t think much of them till they hit the live music scene. That’s the battleground you proved your worth at if you wanted to jam music with the best of them. Especially if you were performing your original music, which was still seen as a novelty amongst the sea of cover bands playing the same songs for a decade by that point.
Where bands like To The Hill helped push that progress into once again recording alternative music to perform here on Guam, Local Deluxe put the nail in the coffin of being anything less than a serious original band that wanted to push the envelope artistically. Before the resurgence of DIY shows, most bands were relegated to bars like Livehouse in our tourist district of Tumon, where in timeless fashion, vets of the scene like my wife Regina and I hung outside chain-smoking while waiting for a good reason to go back inside. That reason became ‘Yr Killing Me’ by Remo Drive. Ironically, a cover Local Deluxe played won me over into being a fan of their music. I mean I can’t count how many times I’ve heard a god damn incubus song covered by then but this? This was worth putting our cigarettes out.
I realized then these dudes were different just by music taste alone. They understood the current landscape of alternative and indie music. While my initial apprehension was based on earning it, as I had seen many prospects turn karaoke machines in my day, some old heads never wanted to give them a chance. That fueled my interest more, as I remember receiving the same unfair skepticism and hate when I entered the fray by force with my music years earlier. Whether you liked it or not, these guys were the future. That couldn’t be ignored with how good they were. Their band became a delineation between the old Guam music scene and the new one. I think for the better.
Local Deluxe contribution among the ranks of other bands here that continue to push the envelope will leave a lasting impact, and I’m happy to have embraced it as they’ve embraced me. Being present is just as important to the community as the work being done at these gigs. That’s one of the many reasons we remained in the interior of that hot ass room as fans (even though the venues A/C broke). I think the band understood that and made sure to do right by their audience, whom they have catered to so well over the years. From sick sets and releases, to even an audiotree session, they left little room for the goofy stuff that often gets in the way of actually elevating art. Between all the crowd surfing and good memories, that’s why we soaked it all in one last time.
