Rachel, I have been a local tejano artist for the past 15 years, and hear your excuse for this year. But taking it a step further what are the excuses for past years!!! If I may make a point. Midland, TX is not a local band supporter at all. The only way a local band gets to perform at a Midland function, is if they beg, agree to play in the heat of the day and for free, because all of the big money goes to big bands!!!
I don't know where you were last year but we had local talent and we paid every single one of them. One thing that I do not like to do is take advantage of our local talent; maybe past directors did, but I do not! One thing that I can say about Tony Revilla with the Matadors is that he is thorough and follows through.
How can you say Midland is not a local supporter when you can look at the Tejano Vibes websites and see that the local bands are playing all over Midland/Odessa and surrounding areas!
I have been supporting the Tex Mex Family Fiestas since the first year it started. I have played for them off and on. The way I understood it worked was that they would hire at least one or two local bands per year. If I remember correctly it was always a different local band each year until they cycled all the local talent. Yes we played in the heat of the day but we always got paid.
Remember The Hispanic Chamber also has other functions during the year and they always hire local talent for these events.
Midland Odessa does support local talent just ask the bands. We play every weekend somewhere or another.
