Neon Venus

Nominee at the 10th annual LA Music Awards
Neon Venus is a band that gets their audiences dancing with great songs in the style of Latin Alternative Rock. Neon Venus now has their own LA cable access TV show.

Neon Venus songs have been part of two national compilations released by Boom!, a top Latin Rock magazine in the US, and sponsored by Spanish MTV, Nissan, Terra and BMI. In 2002 Neon Venus licensed their music to “Adrenalina”, a show on Mun2 (Telemundo Cable). The LA Music Awards 2000 nominated Neon Venus for Best Alternative Latin Rock Band. That same year, Neon Venus licensed their music to Oprah Winfrey and partners’ new television network, ‘Oxygen’.

Neon Venus first recording, “The Birth of Neon Venus”, received airplay in stations in many South American countries and US states. Neon Venus is in two other compilation CDs, one for students in NYC and another for the Latin American high tech magazine ‘Users’.

Puerto Rican alternative band Neon Venus was formed in the late ’90s after guitarist Peter Valentine, who had previously participated in the Los Angeles underground scene, met Lissette Napoleoni in New York’s Central Park. While sharing their passion for music they decided to start a new project called Neon Venus, and were later joined by percussionist Nestor Salazar. The three-piece act released its first album called The Birth of Neon Venus in November 1999, which included a bilingual track called “Strange,” inspired by the 50 most famous relationships of the 20th century published by a popular magazine. Following the release of the album, Neon Venus made two videos based on “Strange” and a song called “Aliens,” directed by Bruce Wayne Gillies.

Neon Venus was an active band from 1997-2012

NEON VENUS BIO

Neon Venus is an original mix of alternative, rock and Latin grooves, with a punk edge. The band features high energy performances with lots of onstage movement. Lead singer Lissette dances to their tunes creating a fun and different performance experience.

In 2005, MTV Español aired Neon Venus’ self-directed rockumentary based on their tour of Europe, which included cities in Spain, Italy, Turkey, Egypt and the Sinai. Four Neon Venus music videos (Beso a Beso, Step Into My Island, and Volveremos, Irresistible) have aired on MTV Español, VHUno (Latin VH1- USA) and/or MTV Puerto Rico, from 2003-2008. A DVD released in 2011 includes all those videos, plus any other video produced all the way till 2011.

Neon Venus has released three CDs: “Irresistible” (2006) a bilingual double CD, with one disc containing songs mostly in English, and the other with songs mostly in Spanish, and two previous CDs, “Slip Into Rhythm/Cae En El Ritmo” (2002) and “The Birth of Neon Venus” (1999).

Neon Venus members are: Lissette Napoleoni,Puerto Rican born and raised lead singer; Peter Valentino, lead guitarist;and Jr Oberlander in bass.

———————————————

The live videos in their 2011 DVD include shows at the band’s two venues, the Neon Venus Art Theatre in Hollywood and the one in Las Vegas, which they shared with other bands to create a scene. This DVD includes performances from October 2010 to the summer of 2011, including Jay Oberlander in drums and Sean Logan as DJ/loopist.

Neon Venus are rock entrepreneurs and underground survivors. The Las Vegas Weekly says: “At the Neon Venus, art is life and life is a party.” Both venues are an outlet for Neon Venus’ music and shows, and for the artistic expression of fellow artists. Through their space, classes and partnerships with established artists, Valentino and Napoleoni are trying to create a fertile performance-and art based scene.”

Lisa Walz, a Las Vegas booker for the Gold Mine Tavern says:

“The pleasure of having Neon Venus perform was all mine. The show was rocking. Thank you for the show. Once the outdoor stage is built for the Gold Mine, I would love to have you back for a show. I would love to help spread the word about your incredible band.”

Many tracks from their records have received college and internet airplay in the US, as well as on commercial stations and shows like Rodney on the Rock, on KROQ 106.7 FM in Los Angeles.

So far, Neon Venus’ original songs have been on many compilations including one to benefit tsunami victims and many compilations for top Latin rock magazine “Boom!”.