Brothers' music, art event reaches third year

Ormond Beach Observer
Neighbors

Local brothers Evan and Kyle Altes hosted their third-annual Bad Bones music and art festival last month, in Daytona Beach.

JARED MAULDIN | STAFF WRITER

For brothers Evan and Kyle Altes, music and community go hand in hand.

From leading the worship band at church to playing local open-mic nights, the Altes duo, in their aptly named band, Brothers, keep music an integral part of their lives, and they make it a point of inviting outsiders in on their fun.

Stepping inside either of their family home, one will undoubtedly find a guitar or two nearby, next to drums with worn out skins. Even the low points of life, they say, make sounds worth celebrating.

And that's not just talk. When family friend Bruce Robb died three years ago after being struck by a car, healing, for the Altes brothers, came from playing. Loudly.

The brothers reached out to rock bands in nearby communities and organized a music festival in a friend's barn. They called it Bad Bones I, and the money they raised benefited the lighting of the road where Robb was killed, as well as the building of sidewalks. Over 250 people showed up to their event, where hot chocolate was churned out by the cupful and bonfires lit dancers in silhouette.

But the Altes never expected this sort of turnout.

“We did it within a week-and-a-half of our friends death, and we only promoted it through Facebook,” Kyle Altes said. “A lot of small bands got a chance to play in front of larger crowds but for good reasons. It seemed like spirits were high and people were not doing it for the performance aspect.”

This event became tradition. And for the past three years, it has been held in an effort to accentuate local creativity and art — a passion of Robb's.

“We’re not trying to replay the memory of his death," Evan Altes said. "But his unusual life did have an impact on those around him, and this event is an outgrowth of that impact."

Planning now takes months, and upwards of 12 bands signed up to play Bad Bones III, Dec. 29, at City Island Rec Hall, in Daytona Beach. Other friends have stepped up to lighten the load, as well. And soon, the brothers hope to form a legal entity to help secure community venues. Local painters and vendors have also gotten on board to showcase their art and food trucks.

“To me, this is tremendously important," Evan Altes said. "I think it allows people to step outside their normal lives and celebrate something that’s good … Some of the most exhilarating things you can do are to create art, create music, be with your friends — then why shouldn’t we do that as frequently as possible?"