May 5, 2015
By Nick Fequiere
The Aviators, founded in the Fall of 2008, are a rock band out of Bakersfield, CA. Citing influences such as Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and the Rolling Stones, they have blended many styles and sounds into one uniquely their own. They epitomize the tenets of rock and roll and are garnering some major attention, helping to put their hometown on the map with a slew of live performances throughout California. The band is continually looking to aim even higher and they have even begun to venture into international performances.
The original members of the group, Daniel Reynoso and August Young, have remained the core of The Aviators over the past six years and counting; those two are the heart and soul, if you will. Young was a natural fit for the band given his impressive vocals and the fact that he and Reynoso have known each other since 2003, when the duo were in the seventh grade.
As told by Reynoso, the band started as a joke for his Aunt Bernice’s Halloween party. Bernice suggested that Reynoso get a group together to play a set out at her hangar in Shafter. From that night on, the rest was history. “We played two nights in a row out there… somebody was there that wanted to see us for a Toys for Tots Christmas and we played that show and ever since then, it’s been people seeing us and wanting us again,” says Reynoso.
Over the years, the group has certainly seen its ups and downs, losing certain members and gaining others. Two recent additions include Sherwin Smith-Raggio and Will Slikker. For their part, the two more recent members are all in on The Aviators and their enthusiasm was palpable as they spoke about their experiences since partnering with the two mainstays of the group. Smith-Raggio brought his talent on the drums to the group about three years ago, in April 2012. Slikker joined in on the fun a year later when he was just 17 years old and still in high school. He looks back on the past two years of his life with The Aviators as a period where he experienced a lot of growth and as he stated “everything’s been going good.”
The most recent addition is bass player, Matt Reid. Reid joined The Aviators last April and has greatly enjoyed his time with the group, consistently engaging fans on social media and even taking time to shoot an Instagram video or two during a live performance.
When asked where the group saw themselves headed in the not too distant future, as well as long term, they answered without hesitation; “more countries, more shows, more states, more money, more records, more people, more beer, more whiskey, more scotch, more bourbon, more cigarettes.” As far as countries go, The Aviators can make the claim that they have performed internationally, as they recently enjoyed a trip to Canada to perform for our neighbors to the North. However, Kern County residents can still catch the band at local venues like B Ryder’s and Trout’s. It is clear that the group is showing no signs of slowing down and these Aviators will be flying the friendly skies for the foreseeable future.
