CELEBRATING ONE YEAR WITH ALEJANDRO ARANDA aka SCARYPOOLPARTY

Wally Linebarger
Mar 6, 2020
9 min read

2019 was an epic year for those of us who were mesmerized by our journey with Alejandro Aranda. This journey would take me and many others into a new frontier of being a raging, crazy fan. Many of us have lived through the screaming of fans with the Beatles, the Monkees, the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, One Direction and BTS. We have heard Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga speak so lovingly about their fans. They became superstars because of their fan bases on social media. Now me and so many others have been "those" crazy, wonderful, supportive fans.

The internet is the new record store. No longer do we discover new music just on the radio or in a record store. We now have thousands of songs literally at our fingertips. We don’t have to go anywhere to buy music, since now we can download from iTunes, Amazon MP3, Beatport and other sites.

This year one of the greatest new artists came from a reality television show called American Idol. We’ve had many stars come out of Idol such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, Fantasia and Chris Daughtry , but we never saw an audition launch the stardom of a contestant before the contestant had even competed. The audition video called "the greatest American Idol audition ever" on YouTube went viral. It now has over 18 million views.

His historic appearance on Season 17 of American Idol was important for Alejandro who performed 7 original songs (“Out Loud,” “Cholo Love,” “10 Years,” “Poison,” “Blesser,” “Millennial Love” and “Tonight”). No other contestant has ever performed more originals. Even though he did not win the season, the finale seemed more like The Alejandro Aranda Show due to each performance during the night showcasing his masterpieces. It was a night of musical and television history. His performance of “10 Years” with full orchestra and with everyone including the conductor wearing his signature beanie was epic. It was near fulfillment of Stevie Nicks’s message to Alejandro upon watching his audition:

“March 6th, 2019

Last night on American Idol ~ (day off) I was just ready to push “Guide” for the next hour and on walked this quiet soft spoken guy and something about him ~ said “Don’t change the channel.” When he started to play the first chords ~ I started to cry~ I cried all through his guitar song and all through his piano song.

My prophecy~ He will play and sing across the great stages of the world. He will play with 60 piece orchestras and he will play alone. I felt, as did the judges, that I was suspended in some sort of magical grace that was just simply overwhelming. My tears did not stop until he stopped.

So, Alejandro, let me welcome you to the grand stage that will be your home for the rest of your extraordinary life~

Love always, Stevie Nicks”

One of my favorite parts of the night was Alejandro's live concert at his hometown visit to Pomona, California. There he began his set with an impromptu "streaming" of a brand new song. Streaming is the term Alejandro uses to describe how his mind creates. I have never heard a live concert where the performer creates a brand new song right there in front of the audience. I was totally amazed and even more impressed at his many unique talents.

During the season of American Idol many of us were enchanted by his midnight concerts on Instagram where he "streamed" many of his hits-to-come such as "Tonight." Each night became an event in itself. How in the world could any human being be preparing for a television event, rehearsing with the band and appearing in publicity venues also be spending an hour or two sharing so much with his newly addicted fans? He was magic. His Instagram midnight concerts will always be remembered as something unique for American Idol He was definitely more than just some guy performing cover songs on a TV show. He was sharing his soul, his creativity and his emotions with the world each night. He was "streaming" his heart and we could feel it being broken, delighted and sometimes we even heard his tears.

Although Alejandro did not win American Idol he had changed American Idol forever. He gave the producers a new way of dealing with struggling performers who just needed a venue to spotlight their own unique sound. He not only changed the philosophy of how contestants would be allowed to perform original music, but he also expanded the audience to those who had never watched Idol before or those that thought that Idol had become a karaoke show. He attracted those artists who were songwriters themselves. He provided hope for someone more than just a great karaoke singer.

After his coming in second place to Laine Hardy on American Idol, Alejandro’s calendar immediately was filled with a sold-out 7 city summer concert tour. He would perform his acoustic songs alone on stage, but he promised a tour with his complete band using the name Scarypoolparty in the fall. He warned us it would be loud and wild, so be ready. I don’t think everyone was listening to what he promised. Some attendees at his fall full-band Scarypoolparty concerts were surprised by his synth-pop alternative music sound which he performed at each concert. He opened with a very danceable version of “Millennial Love” which caused a lot of excitement among his fans. We soon became aware that there were three factions among his social media fan base: those who liked just his acoustic music, those who liked just his indie sound and then there were those - including myself - who loved all of it.

“In June of 2019, he announced a free concert in Nashville, TN, the first concert he did since American Idol. The concert was on July 3, 2019 and was performed in front of adoring crowds. It was noted in a later interview that Darren King was back stage with his daughter and this is where Alejandro first asked him to be the drummer in Scarypoolparty. The rest they say is history…

“Alejandro Aranda performed as Scarypoolparty in Nashville, Tennessee on July 3rd, 2019. He opened the set by "streaming" (his word for freestyling) a few electronic songs on the keyboard, then grabbed his guitar to stream a few more….”

Jim Aldrich

I was blessed with attending his acoustic set at “Baby’s All Right” in Brooklyn on July 7th, 2019. I got to see him perform his emotionally laden music while standing at the front edge of the stage. I could have literally reached out and touched his foot which was near my chin level, but I didn’t. I was trying to not be as weird as everyone told me I was about being a 67 year old groupie. Actually, I did consider the notion of touching his foot. I couldn't hold back the tears, though, while I watched and listened to his every note and to his every word. I was memorizing every moment in my brain as if I was a video camera. I would never want to forget this magical night as long as I live. I think I was not alone either, as the standing room only audience of several hundred was silent while he plucked each string and sang each note. I was surely in the midst of other devotees.

Before that evening in Brooklyn he had released his single “Tonight.” It was his first single release since appearing on American Idol. He previously had released “10 Years” and “Fading Away” as singles in his previous life – a previous life which had only been less than a year ago. So much was happening so quickly to Scarypoolparty which most of us expected, but we still marveled as his fame grew and grew.

In case you assumed that the French subtitles in Scarypoolparty’s “Tonight” video translated to the words in the song....THEY DON’T! They actually read in English:

"I need to tell you where I failed. I called you so many times on your phone... but you send me to your voicemail. Now I will drive until my eyes are lost. Find me at the end of the old lighthouse. My wings will guide you to your home and protect you from the arrows that come from the sky."

After the tour he released "Cholo Love,” for his second single release on October 4, 2019. He did something rather strange as well. For the first time in recording history an artist released three versions of the same song on the same day. Scarypoolparty released the actual radio edit (Scarypoolparty Mix), a slowed down version (Slowed Down Mix) and a stripped down piano version with strings. The last version was released as a video with a scene right out of one of his favorite movies by his favorite movie director, mine as well, “Eyes Wide Shut” by Stanley Kubrick. With this in common I was beginning to see why I felt so connected to Alejandro. When I first visit a friend at his or home for the first time, I always check out what books, music and movies they own. I believe that I can judge a person’s soul by those being displayed in their living room or study. I know Alejandro, even though I've never met him, by these favorite things we have in common.

We should also remember what Alejandro said during his American Idol audition. When Katy Perry asked Alejandro who his musical inspirations were, he answered, “Trent Reznor, Chopin, and Bach.” I think most people had either forgotten who he had mentioned in that viral audition video, or they didn’t know who Trent Reznor is. They weren’t familiar with his band Nine Inch Nails - at the forefront of industrial rock, with such cutting-edge alternative songs such as “Head like a Hole,” “Closer” and Alejandro’s favorite NIN song, “Reptile.” We should have paid attention to Alejandro’s own words when he released “Diamonds” as his third single. The video shows a definite homage to the mosh pit and grunge, dancing and leaping with a song sounding much like Nine Inch Nails.

Nine Inch Nails: "Head Like a Hole"

On November 5, 2019, he announced his debut album, Exit Form, which was released on November 22, 2019. Exit Form album included the songs “Black Cross,” “DIAMONDS,” “Dance the Night Away,” “Vampire Shade,” “Beneath the Skin,” “True Religion,” “Heart Storm,” “Millennial Love,” “10 Years (remastered),” “Tonight ,” “Cholo Love ,” “Out Loud (remastered)”

Those who were now experiencing a live version of “Diamonds” at every concert during his fall tour were exposed to several new songs with similar intensity and ferociousness such as "Black Cross," "True Religion" and "Dance the Night Away." Those who were experiencing his live concert set were given a preview of his soon-to-be-released album which captured the same exuberance and thrill of Scarypoolparty live.

Photos: Lollapalooza, Aug 1, 2019 – Aug 4, 2019, in Chicago.

Scarypoolparty's first album EXIT FORM captured both his new and his more familiar work by Scarypoolparty such as "Millennial Love," "Out Loud," "Tonight," "Cholo Love" and a reimagined version of "10 Years.

Critics have already called Scarypoolparty's EXIT FORM “Sonically Expansive” (Shore Fire Media), “Mindblowing” (Album of the Year), and “a very ambitious trip through EDM, industrial, metal and rock.” (MJSBIGBLOG), “grimy, industrial and… punch-in-your-face vibe…. There’s no bad song in here for it is properly crafted with a lot of musical theory.” (Allmusic) and “Exit Form is the album the world was expecting and more, so with this, let the legacy of Scarypoolparty truly begin.”(onestowatch),

On November 17, 2019 his first European Tour was announced.

It was announced on December 6, 2019 that Scarypoolparty would be playing at the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, CA with Los Lobos. For many fans, this marked an important event as it was major exposure on television. Something that had not happened since American Idol. Alejandro performed "Out Loud" after Los Lobos sang their Grammy award winning title song from the movie "La Bamba."

On January 14th, 2020, Scarypoolparty appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live with his band which includes Maxx Diaz, Travis Couch and Darren King. He played two songs, “Beneath the Skin” and “Millennial Love.” Even though both songs were recorded only the latter was aired on the show. It was an incredible sight to see Jimmy holding up EXIT FORM to introduce Scarypoolparty to his audience.

As I wait impatiently for his next album which he promises to be acoustic, I smile inside and out. I really love this guy and I know exactly why. He is the most authentic musician I know alive today. Alejandro is a unique individual with amazing talents. He is honest. His goal in life is to make music and turn it into love.

I think he has already.

COMING EVENTS

February 14, 15, 16. 2020 - Dave and Tim’s Riviera Maya, Riviera Maya, Mexico

March 4, 2020 - Grammy Museum / Los Angeles, CA