Brian Duarte: Brian has been really been making waves lately in the Texas music community, recently being nominated for MyTexasMusic's 2004 Musician of the Year Award. Growing up with a guitar player for a father, Brian says he essentially picked it up from him. Born and raised in San Antonio, he began playing music around age 10 but became truly serious about it at 14, after seeing Dick Dale for the first time. He list of influences Don Rich, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Dick Dale, Danny Gatton, Buck Owens and Wes Montgomery. As long as its an interesting sound, he digs it. Brian also enjoys watching all the new and up and coming musicians as well. He says that no one style appeals to him more than another, but he does pick up a lot of inspiration from steel guitar players as well as saxophonists. Brian also prefers traditional music because he feels it gives him room to grow as a musician. Before joining up with The Customatics, Brian was a member of the San Antonio psychobilly act The GraveRobbin Bastards. So far he lists opening up for The Meteors , Phantom Rockers, Calavera and Lee Rocker as his favorite performance moments.