21 September 11 - 17, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents mostly, they played. Still without running water or electricity, they plugged in using a generator in the yard, making a gas run ev- ery few days to fuel it. Nameless, the band wrote, played and dreamed. “It is the home of my birth as my real self,” said Rivera. “It gave me the life I have as an artist.” Home represents so much more than where you live. Filled with recuerdos, Beck- ley Avenue is home. As The Beckleys bloomed, older brother, Noel, kept the house as-is to support his brother’s dream. Rodri- guez’s favorite memory of the house is “liter- ally every time we are here.” They needed a name that told listeners who they were. Beckley Avenue was part of their history. Cerda’s mother moved the family there from Michoacan, Mexico just down the street. It was rougher then, but the soulful character of the neighborhood was still present. They chose the name that takes you to that street with them, The Beckleys. In Rivera’s words, “music is spiritual, sometimes it writes it- self.” Released in 2019, the first EP is a mag- num opus of five whimsical hits: “Here,” “Away,” “Us Two,” “Smile” and “Photo- graphs.” With the Fleetline Deluxe on the cover in the foreground photobombed by the classic motel sign, it teems with dance- worthy sing-alongs. Take a deep breath be- cause you will be singing “Away” at the top of your lungs. They were rolling. Keyboardist Valenzu- ela had been on board barely a few weeks when they landed a gig at Trees. Then CO- VID-19 hit, sweeping the dreams of many into the deep. The Beckleys knew how to tread water. If they couldn’t play live, they could still write music. In March 2022, The Beckleys released a wave of excitement with the EP entitled VIII, about the 8th House of Scorpio, the se- cretive and argumentative realm of conflict. The first song, “Amethyst,” reflects a bad re- lationship lingering in the face of doom. Fol- lowing “Amethyst” is “Low Confidence,” the result of paranoia and self-doubt. The video for “Low Confidence” was filmed in the Beckley house. As the band plays pool, a woman conjures up the courage to sing on stage. Her face reflects Rivera’s lyrics and tone perfectly as he watches from his seat, voyeuristically smoking. Ending strong with “House of Scorpio,” the lyrics describe the hollow aftermath of heartbreak, missing the one who hurt you. The stellar songwriting led The Beck- leys, sometimes called Los Beckleys, to new destinations with additional singles, “Galaxy Eyes” and “Dreaming of You.” Of their catalog, Rivera and Valenzuela’s fa- vorite song is “Tu Recuerdo.” Seasoned with neighborhood influences and sung in Spanish, Rivera’s crooning pulls you in for a hug you weren’t ready for but your heart desperately needs. It’s powerful, emo- tional and frankly, beautiful. That same year, they did a short tour in California before taking the stage at Deep Ellum Art Co. with one of their favorite bands, Los Shadows. Their hearts were still aflutter from performing at iconic sites like the Santa Monica Pier and the Venice Beach Boardwalk in L.A. and Chi- cano Park in San Diego. A short time later, they jubilantly opened for Hello Seahorse! at Trees. The Beckleys hit the road again for a Texas tour with Archer Oh, the Gradients Tour. In 2024, they worked with Jose Cruz of L.A.-based bands Twin Seas and Inner Wave to produce a four-song EP called Paradiso. And they are not done yet. The Beckleys have immersed themselves in writing their full debut album. They snuck in one song in their set recently at Trees. The house has also grown in purpose. Within its walls, in one of the bigger rooms, the band has a dedicated studio where they rehearse and record. Cerda says, “Little by little we keep upgrading it and it’s all coming along very well.” Najera has since stepped back to spend time with his growing family. In his place on bass, Cerda found two talented guys to fill in, Irving Cruz and Evan Reyes, while working at The Bomb Factory. Cruz was rehearsing with a band called Fawset when she asked him. But with a lot of proj- ects, he couldn’t always be available, so Cerda invited his friend Reyes to fill in. Even though for now the bassist position is rotating, Reyes threw in to help write the first single for the album that is in pro- cess. The band that wanted a name has kept it homegrown, making Beckley Avenue proud. It’s an open house, and all visitors are wel- come. Courtesy of The Beckleys The Beckleys experiment with different genres such as ‘80s indie rock, soul and modern indie rock.
