Fenix Tx

Fenix TX formed in 1995 in Houston, Texas, under the name Riverfenix, put together by guitarists Damon DeLaPaz and Will Salazar with drummer Donnie Reyes; Salazar took over vocals early on and bassist Adam Lewis rounded out the lineup. The band worked the Texas pop-punk circuit alongside acts such as 30 Foot Fall and Goldfinger, playing clubs like Fitzgerald's in Houston.

Drive-Thru Records, then a new label run out of its owners' garage, signed the group as its first act and released the album Riverfenix in 1997; it sold through three pressings of 5,000 copies. A cease-and-desist order from the estate of actor River Phoenix forced the name change to Fenix TX.

On MCA Records, signed in 1999 after Blink-182's Mark Hoppus championed the band, they released two albums, Fenix TX (1999) and Lechuza (2001), which together sold more than 600,000 copies. Hoppus, whose sister was dating DeLaPaz, briefly managed the band before handing the job to Blink-182's own manager.

Their sound pairs fast, distorted guitars with strong vocal hooks and a humorous, adolescent lyrical streak, the same combination that let them sit comfortably on bills with Blink-182 and other Drive-Thru acts without ever tipping into straight aggression.

The band split in 2002 over creative differences; DeLaPaz and Lewis went on to the side project Sing the Body Electric, Salazar and Chris Lewis formed Denver Harbor, and Reyes joined Khobretti. Fenix TX reunited in 2005, releasing the live album Purple Reign in Blood and touring the United States and Japan, with further reunions since.