Field Personnel #1: Frank Chief Rodriguez
Welcome to a new series on Thornwyld called Field Personnel! This new series, much like the recently announced Flora Focus will be designed to increase the visibility of our awesome community members. Field Personnel will feature in on members of our collective music scene. These are people that are typically a little more behind the scenes, but who work really hard to bring our local shows to fruition.
The first Field Personnel is about the absolute beating heart of the DIY metal scene in Austin, the man behind Obsidian Frequency:
Frank "Chief" Rodriguez.
Frank is THE guy you go to if you want to book/promote a local show. In the beginning, I was lucky enough to come across the flyer for Frank's first event as Obsidian Frequency, Breakdowns & Blessings. It was my first time out to the Austin Tunnels, and it ended up being one hell of a memorable evening for me. The area is iconic, and the idea of being able to get into the show with the donation of a toy reminded me of how Vans Warped Tour used to be. I showed up early with a stuffed Pikachu and happily added it to the growing pile of toys.
You can watch The Field Report on this event here.
(This was when I still did a video format, which has since become too much for me to keep up with. I may yet return to this format someday when I have the resources to pay someone for their time and assistance with editing.)
Meeting Frank at this event, I was struck by how down to earth and genuine he was. Almost all of his shows are all-ages, and he was focused on the bands and the music, not some sort of hedonistic side quest. I was excited to see his band, Fall of Eldar (now dead), at the time. I had some brief contact with him on social media before this, but this was actually my first time meeting him in person. At this point I was still very green when it came to the scene and live music. I hadn't played any shows in a few years, and I'd only been doing The Field Report for a month or so.
(Damn! At the end of October, it will officially be a full year that I've been covering local bands. Time flies.)
Regardless, I was still quite nervous when it came to meeting local musicians and the like. I can be quite the socially anxious person, but Frank just had this energy about him that reassured me he was just another fellow mosher trying to make good music, good memories, and good contributions to our community. And so now, almost a year later, I asked him to answer a few questions about what he does.
Here's what he had to say:
[On his origins]:
I’m 31 years old and I grew up right here in Austin, TX. For the most part, I liked playing video games & being involved in my school's wrestling team but ever since the 8th grade music has been a big part of my life. I started out doing a school talent show with some friends & by freshman year I started a band called “Crystal Garden” and hosted a lot of house shows with friends from the school & bands from other schools.
I wouldn't say I faced too many hardships to be honest. I had a good life growing up & a good relationship with my parents, my sister and pretty much everyone in my circle was a good influence on me. I started out with Killswitch Engage & Asking Alexandria before discovering that there was way, way heavier music out there.
[On his entry to the scene]:
My parents took me & my sister to a metal show for SXSW. This was my first time seeing heavier music, the lineup was Whitechapel, Suicide Silence & Job For A Cowboy. I didn't know how I was gonna do it, but I knew I wanted to be in a band, and I wanted to sound brutal.
[His payoff]:
I think I just like collecting core memories. Music started out as a way to hang out with my friends and bring people together for a show to have fun. Now that I'm older I just want to see how far I can take my music. I need to be able to sleep at night knowing I did my best.
[On the challenges he faces]:
The hardest part is keeping the bands locked in for the show. Dropping off toys to the hospital & sending donation money is super easy and usually takes a few minutes. I can control that aspect of these shows. What I can't control is when random stuff happens that causes the band to drop out. Besides the band issue, coming up with a name that fits the event is surprisingly difficult. I went through 3 or 4 different names before landing on “Faith & Fury” for my Nacho Libre themed charity show.
[Advice on being more involved]:
If you truly want to get involved in your local scene, just do what makes sense for you and your situation. Can't go to a show? Share a flyer + tell a friend + comment on the flyer + buy merch. If you can go to a show: help keep the spot clean, buy merch, or take pictures and tag the band + venues. The biggest thing you can do is show up to as many local shows as possible. Support the bands and venues in any way you can. Things will add up. I promise.
[On what's next for him]:
Currently working on some new music, but it's too early to tease anything. Just know that we're having a lot of fun making it. I have about 4 shows left this year, with my last show being my annual toy drive, “Breakdowns & Blessings”. Going to try and make that one a big one to finish off my 1st year as Obsidian Frequency.
I'm ready to just play some shows with my new band. I loved putting on shows this year and giving newer bands a chance on some of the lineups. I love working with musicians. I wouldn't change a thing. I just miss being on stage.
Thanks so much to Frank for putting on awesome shows, promoting local bands, and contributing to our community. Next time you're trying to throw a DIY show or hop on a Pinballz bill, reach out to him for booking or promotion. He's also just an excellent networking contact for the scene. You can reach out for booking through DMs on Instagram, or email obsidianfrequencybooking95@gmail.com.
If you'd like to read more about Obsidian Frequency, you can check out another article from local artist, musician, and journalist Alejandro Fuentes here.
Hello human! Thanks so much for reading the first Field Personnel, made by humans FOR humans. This will be an ongoing series. If you're interested in being featured, please reach out!
I can't stress how important it is to contribute to your community. Consider sending in a submission (music, art, writing, poetry, events, random thoughts, birthdays, shoutouts, classifieds) using the link at the top of the page. We do not permit AI submissions of any kind.
Creating Field Personnel is a labor of love. Please consider donating if you're able. Everything directly helps me bring more attention to our community. These folks deserve to be visible and I'm here to help ensure that happens.
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