La Mirada~At this year’s la Mirada Olive Fest, three musicians who once competed against each other growing up in La Mirada will perform as The Groovetones at this year’s la Mirada Olive Fest, Saturday September 21^st from 11-4 at Regional Park.

This is the second year in a row the band has played at the festival.

Guitarist Steve Gage was born and raised in La Mirada and started playing the guitar when he was eight years old. He took guitar lessons at the old La Mirada Music Box from 1964-1967 and started playing in various bands since when he was about 10.

In 1968 at 12 years old, Gage played at the old La Mirada Movie Theater on Halloween and at Pepe's Pizza Parlor in La Mirada.

He also played at the first and third La Mirada Regional Park 4th of July event  1972 and 1974 with a band called Audio and continued playing shows, with Johnny Winter, Eric Burden and the Animals, Mountain with Leslie West and Corky Lang and the Zombies.

Today, he still lives in La Mirada and currently plays in a Jimi Hendrix Tribute band called Crosstown Traffic.

Drummer Rick Morton was also born and raised in La Mirada and his first performing band was Elipse, with all members being from La Mirada.

They played at three different Fiesta de Artes, two shows at the La Mirada mall and one at the La Mirada Stadium.

Morton also played in a battle-of-the-bands for the opening of the old La Mirada Civic Theatre, and the opening of the Kling Teen Center.

The members of Eclipse changed and the band became Slyder, playing for the opening of Roberts Department store and at a dance-a-thon for Muscular Dystrophy at the La Mirada Mall.

Morton attended Eastwood Elementary, Los Coyotes Junior High, and La Mirada High School and lived in La Mirada until recently.

Bass player Steve Bravin moved into La Mirada in 1959 and went to Mesa Elementary School, Benton Middle School, and La Mirada High School.

He played music with a lot of friends in the area, and ended up in a band called Fuze, with all members from La Mirada. They played the Fiesta de Artes Battle of the Bands and won first place.

Gage still lives in La Mirada.

The Groove tones are set to perform at the Olive Fest at 12:30 p.m.