About Los Beach Dogs
Los Beach Dogs is a classic rock ’n roll cover band located in the town of Loreto, Baja California Sur. With our energetic performances we play a wide variety of songs from the 60’s to present day and we enjoy encouraging people to get off their fannies and dance! So, get ready to groove to our electrifying renditions of timeless classics, as we bring the spirit of rock to life on stage – what could be better! We cover great tunes from the Beatles to the Eagles to Chris Isaak, Amy Winehouse and much more.
Band Members
Tony Perez, Drums
Loran Dick
Ruben Bareño
Lead guitar and vocals. Ruben is from the island of San Marcos, just off Santa Rosalia in Baja California Sur. He’s a self-taught guitar wizard, who can channel the riffs of Carlos Santana, Gary More and Buddy Guy, just to name few. Ruben has played for various bands throughout Baja and Loreto, such as Aguas Negras (Black Waters) and TABACO.
Isbaal “Balo” Talamantes
Rhythm, lead guitar and vocals. Balo too has been a Loreto musician for many years, playing solo and also with Aguas Negras and TABACO. His vocals give Los Beach Dogs added depth by singing in English and Spanish.
Jill Jackson
Band History
Los Beach Dogs was formed in late 2008 when three guitarist who were playing solo came together and performed as a trio. The founding members were Steve Giovenco, Rich Rajacich and George Russell. All three had purchased homes in a development known as The Villages of Loreto Bay, which is 7 miles south of the town of Loreto in Baja California Sur. These three singer/guitarists brought a Crosby, Still and Nash type of vibe when they played together and people were taken by their talent. They started out playing casually on the terraces of new homes but soon had to get out into the street for scheduled events because of their rising popularity. At this point the guys knew they needed a band name – and Los Beach Dogs was born!
They also needed a drummer, and in March of 2009 Tony Perez became the fourth member of the band. The first time all four came together for a rehearsal, it was truly magical. It was as if they had been playing together all their lives! As they started to play in the community people were energized by their classic rock, and all could feel the positive electricity they gave off in their performances. It was the beginning of a terrific run throughout Loreto Bay that captivated all who came to listen to the music and dance to the beat.
Over the years, the Dogs have reached out to other musicians who became brother Beach Dogs along the way. First was Jesus “Chucho” Cortez, who’s a Loreto architect and a great drummer, guitarist, and bass player. Chucho sat in for Tony on drums from time to time, but mostly played bass guitar to help fill out the band’s rhythm section. He also had his own band in town called Aguas Negras and later TABACO (with Beach Dogs members Ruben and Balo). Another big addition to the band when he’s in town is Tim Brown on harmonica. Tim is from Sacramento, California where he plays music and writes books.
The band has suffered some sad losses over the years. In 2015 lead guitarist Steve Giovenco was diagnosed with cancer and transitioned to the heavenly stage in the sky. It was a heart-breaking time for the band and the Loreto Bay community. A short time later, guitarist and vocalist, George Russell and his wife decided to sell their home and move back to the States.
This left Rich Rajacich and Tony Perez to pick up the pieces and chart a new course for the band. They didn’t have to look too far and fortunately found the Bareño brothers, Adolfo and Ruben! Adolfo is an amazing bass player and musician and played with the band for the next couple years while finishing his teaching credentials. Adolfo’s brother Ruben (who’s still with band) is a master guitarist and a teacher as well. The addition of these two young kids was a godsend and enabled Tony & Rich to carry on the Beach Dog sound. Unfortunately, in 2017 Adolfo took a teaching position in La Paz so the band was minus a bass player once more.
As luck would have it, at the beginning of 2018 Loran Dick and his lovely wife Sally had just moved to Loreto Bay from Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada – and he played bass! His arrival enabled the band to continue to bring the Beach Dog sound to the fan base around Loreto. But 2019 brought more change to the band. After 14 years in Loreto, Rich Rajacich and his wife Jean decided to move back to the States. This was a huge blow since Rich is a great singer as well as songwriter (he had written many of the songs on their setlist), and a great friend to all the band members. Rich moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and has since recorded six albums and is a six-time music award winner for his original music.
This left Tony, Loran and Ruben to search for new bandmembers to fill the void. Luckily, they found Isbaal “Balo” Talamantes – who brought a driving rhythm guitar and solid vocals in Spanish and English. He clicked with the band immediately and filled out that Beach Dog sound. A few months later, Jill Clark Jackson joined the band as lead vocalist. Jill has amazing talent and she loves to sing. She had sung with friends at open mics or special events but never really fronted a band. Amazingly, she was convinced to join the Dogs, and the musical combination was magical! Jill’s sultry voice allowed the band to expand and cover female artist like Carol King, Linda Ronstadt, and Bonnie Raitt – to name a few. The band started its fall season in 2019-2020 to rave reviews, and bookings came at a rapid pace, but in March of 2020 COVID hit the world and everything came to a screeching stop.
2022 saw the band back at full strength – playing a myriad of gigs as people enjoyed hearing and dancing to music in public after the pandemic. As the band gets ready for the 2023/24 season, they’re excited to continue their style of music and rock the fanbase once again.
