Generation X is an age group sandwiched between baby boomers and millennials. A generation associated with the letter “X” because the group simply “did not wish to concern themselves with societal pressures, money and status,” as coined by historian Paul Fussell.

Gen Xers dawned a new age of culture, with evolutions in technology, public health and more. Witnessing events like the emergence of “widely available cable television” shows like MTV that streamed music 24 hours a day and historical marks like the first space shuttle flights, morphed Gen Xers into becoming “resourceful, independent, and cynical,” as described by Britannica.

From the ripples, subcultures like grunge, new wave, punk and ska punk were fueled by the generation, according to Six Fingers when surveying Gen X. 

Gen Xers have a long list of celebrities who embraced these subcultures. Actress Winona Ryder was first seen as a prominent figure in the late 80s and 90s for her brooding black hair and alternative taste in acting roles.

Musicians like Nirvana lead-singer Kurt Cobain, who is also Gen X, brought angst in his attitude and lyrics, fueling the grunge movement.

El Paso is no stranger to the alternative subcultures cultivated by Gen Xers. Unique to El Paso was the “Chuco Punk” subculture – one that blended the punk subculture’s rebellious attitudes with Mexican American flair.

With Chuco Punk came a slew of punk bands, many of which did not withstand the test of time; though this is not true for local ska-punk band Fixed Idea. 

Fixed Idea frontman, Pancho Mendoza, and drummer, Angel Gonzalez, never quite “outgrew” the alternative subcultures, with Gonzalez being stuck with “Peter pan syndrome.” 

As Gen Xers, the two assimilated with the punk movement in their youth – Mendoza during his elementary years and Gonzalez when he was a teenager.

However, those who identified as punk were often targets of prejudice with Mendoza recalling how non-punks would “chase you and try to beat you up.”

“It was different back then because (punk) wasn’t mainstream, so you wouldn’t be accepted,” Mendoza said. “If you were punk rock back then, it was dangerous.” 

But despite being othered by some, the two stuck with punk rock because it resonated with their individual experiences growing up, with the common theme of unity.

“People coming together no matter what you look like, no matter what your beliefs, you can always come to a place of punk rock where we never judged you,” Gonzalez said. 

Mendoza and his younger brothers were latchkey kids, raising themselves while their mom worked with “nobody really watching.”

During “all hours of the night and day” he would spend it skating and going to punk shows.

Becoming more immersed in punk culture, Mendoza’s wardrobe simultaneously began to transform as well, with his wardrobe consisting of items like combat boots, patches, jeans and thrifted shirts.

“My mom didn’t really didn’t like it (punk); she thought I was going to grow out of it,” Mendoza said.

Starting in sixth grade, Mendoza played the trumpet until his senior year of high school which kept him out of trouble. Music helped Mendoza’s mom become more “lenient” with punk and within that time frame was the conception of Fixed Idea in 1992. 

Similarly, music was also the gateway for Gonzalez to embrace the punk subculture. His father played in Bobby & The Premiers, a local soul-funk band from the late 1960s, which influenced Gonzalez’s aspirations to become a musician.

Gonzalez worked with PA systems at the Golden Age Center – where by day, it was a space for senior citizens, but by night was a hub for punk rockers. Managing PA systems for punk rock shows, Gonzalez was “accidentally introduced to the scene,” yet resonated with it.

However, Gonzalez’s family accepted his submission into the subculture.

“(My parents) were original punk rockers in a way, because they taught us to have fun and be crazy, but be safe too,” Gonzalez said. 

And throughout his youth, Gonzalez was musically inclined because of his family, learning to play the guitar with the drums coming “a lot easier.”

The punk rock scene from their youths unknowingly tied Gonzalez and Mendoza together. The two were in the same space together, jamming to bands’ performances. The red string tethered between the two eventually led Gonzalez to accept Mendoza’s invitation to join Fixed Idea 15 years ago.

The band has filtered through 100 different faces in the 30 years since its start, with Gonzalez now being the longest nonoriginal member, and Mendoza sticking as frontman since day one.

With 30 years in the scene, Fixed Idea is no longer strictly punk, as the band’s music palette has evolved, experimenting with horns, reggae, cumbia, and oldies.

Fixed Idea now considers itself a part of the ska-punk community and even shaped its own genre called, “Chuco Ska” because Mendoza describes Fixed Idea’s sound as a “multi-cultural tapestry of blended sounds and genres.”

The band still frequently performs, most notably at the Alley Kat – a venue burrowed within Central El Paso with a visible glimpse of the Franklin Mountain Star.

In true punk fashion, the Alley Kat was a DIY project built by Mendoza about three years ago. Resting in front of the Alley Kat is Mendoza’s music school, Roots School of Music, serving as an entryway to the Alley Kat, with a store displaying local bands’ merchandise, before walking out to the grassy plains that lead to the warehouse.

The Alley Kat is littered with show posters, and several mementos of Fixed Idea’s previous albums. With a checkered pattern as the dance floor, and a red velvet curtain framing the stage for the band, the Alley Kat creates a space welcoming to El Pasoans looking to jam for about two years now.

Fixed Idea stands as the longest original active band in El Paso, according to Mendoza, and there’s no plans to retire soon. The band aims to go into the recording studio to work on a project that has been in the making for about seven years.

And as for Gonzalez and Mendoza, music and the subculture is now embedded into their souls. Outside of Fixed Idea, Mendoza teaches music at a local public school while also having an independent music school, and Gonzalez having a solo project called Window of My Eye.

Through their efforts with Fixed Idea, Mendoza and Gonzalez continue to revamp what it means to be alternative in the modern day, with hopes to connect to different generations through music.

Sofia Sierra is the editor-in-chief of Minero Magazine and may be reached at [email protected]