Ruta69 to R69
Before There Was Ruta 69
Before stages and record deals, there were just three young dreamers walking the streets of Mexico City late at night, talking about a band that didn’t yet exist.
I had just returned from the United States, restless and determined to start something new. The first person I called was my best friend, Alexander Sacal. He introduced me to a mysterious, arrogant guy named Rodrigo, who claimed he was a guitarist. Rodrigo had one condition: “I’ll only join if you take classes.”
So I enrolled in the University of Music in Mexico City. Alexander eventually dropped out, Rodrigo confessed he didn’t actually know how to play guitar, but by then something had already been set in motion.
That night, the three of us walked more than six miles across the city because public transport had shut down. Talking, dreaming, and laughing, we ended up on a massive highway that cuts across Mexico. Its name? Ruta 69.
That walk gave the band its name — a name that would carry us through chaos, heartbreak, and ultimately, rebirth.
The Real Beginning: 1999
Fast forward to 1999. I met Sonic (Arturo), a drummer studying to be a music engineer. We connected instantly, and one night, after a gig in Mexico City’s Boston Bar, I told him: “Let’s form a band.”
From there, Ruta 69 was no longer just a name. It became a mission.
Ruta69 to R69
The First Leap: Hard Rock Live
Every label executive I knew told me the same thing: “Do a showcase. Prove yourself.”
So I went straight to the top — Hard Rock Live Mexico City.
The director, Pierre Fraise, laughed me off: “Nobody knows you. You’ll never fill this place. Go play a small bar.” But I refused. Ruta 69 wasn’t made for small stages.
We struck a wild deal: if we packed the place with 500 people, we’d pay only $250 for the union engineers. If we didn’t, we’d pay $50 for every missing head.
We printed bootleg singles as tickets, sold them hand-to-hand, begged favors, and hustled like our lives depended on it. No social media. Just word of mouth and ambition.
The night came — and 894 people showed up.
The crowd roared, singing our song Huracán. Warner, Sony, and BMG scouts were in the room. We made money. And more importantly, we made history.
From EPs to the Road
With that win, we recorded our first EP, Tax Included.
Not perfect, but it was a beginning. Soon we were touring, meeting legends, playing radio stations, and climbing into a scene that had always felt locked against outsiders.
We weren’t just another garage band. We were building a legacy.
The Mexican Bono & Edge
As the years rolled, bandmates came and went. JC left. Sonic left. But Delay stayed — and with him, something magical was born.
People started calling us the Mexican U2, not just because of the sound, but because of the names.
I became Max Vox.
Leo became Delay.
It was Max & Delay against the world — Bono and The Edge reborn in Mexico City, only scrappier, hungrier, and louder.
In one insane year, we played 75 shows independently. No label. Just pure grind.
First Album, First Breakthrough
We cut our first official album independently with Iguana Records (via BMG).
I camped outside Mixup until a legend, Lucina Zetina, finally listened. She signed Ruta 69 for the Mixup/Tower Records tour, pushing us onto major stages and radio.
The momentum was real. For a moment, it felt unstoppable.
The Loss That Changed Everything
But life doesn’t care about momentum.
At 27, Delay got sick. And then… he was gone.
His death crushed us. He wasn’t just my guitarist. He was my brother. His family had become my family. His girlfriend, my sister.
Losing Delay felt like the universe ripping out half of my heart. Ruta 69 would never be the same.
The Legacy Lives On
From walking six miles across Mexico City to filling Hard Rock Live, from bootlegs to billion-stream dreams, the path of Ruta 69 to R69 is more than music.
It’s a testament to survival, to never backing down, to friendship, and to art that refuses to die.
Want the full story? It’s all in The Unforgettable Note — available as a novel and as a cinematic audiobook with over 30 actors.
But for now, here we are. Alive. Louder than ever. Ready for the next 25 years.
R69 is here.
Max Vox out.
Rebirth as R69
But rock is resilience. We rebuilt. We reimagined. We honored Delay by refusing to stop.
Ruta 69 became R69 — a leaner, sharper, international beast.
We carried the past, but refused to be trapped by it.
Now, 25 years later, we stand taller than ever.
R69 is reborn with
R69 is reborn with:
Toe-Knee (Anthony) on drums — pure energy and heart.
Mr. Shredz (Charles) on guitar — the kind of player who makes walls shake.
Me, Max Vox, still singing like tomorrow’s not guaranteed.
This lineup was discovered on TikTok, proving the future of rock can be found in the most unexpected places.
We’re gearing up to drop 55 tracks, including 14 live recordings from our past, alongside a brand-new album.
And soon, we’ll launch an open call to find our next guitar player and bassist — not through labels, but through our fans.