I Went To See A Band...
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Saturday nights, for January and February, there is a Cumbia night at BeatFlow, which is on Cordoba and Humboldt. Behind Club Niceto.
I went on Saturday, to see some of my favorite DJs.
First Sidirum, who is kind of mellow, ambient electro cumbia. Enough beat to get 100 or so people dancing, but not Villera by any means. I really like a lot of his recorded stuff, listen to it all the time.
https://www.youtube....h?v=Svq2e0VugPw
then, after drinking some cans of Bud (now that Ambev owns both Bud and Quilmes, my guess is they may be the same beer in Argentina. Certainly, you can now get "bud" almost everywhere that you can get Quilmes)
on to El Remolon. He is multi-talented, and has made some great albums, and, as a DJ, he starts with Cumbia records, but adds lots of live, improv layers, from computers, drum machines, and a keytar. He knows how to drop the bass, and by 2:30 or 3:00, the place was packed with dancing, sweaty bodies. He put on his hawaiian shirt for the occasion.
https://www.youtube....h?v=hH1mFg4D680
Me, I bailed around 3:30, missing the final DJ, Rafa Caivano, who is one of the members of Frikstailers. I have seen him play before, he is also quite good. All of these guys do much more than just play songs- they create new songs, on the spot, adding and subtracting lots of layers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsmLNMb-8Ak
I went on Saturday, to see some of my favorite DJs.
First Sidirum, who is kind of mellow, ambient electro cumbia. Enough beat to get 100 or so people dancing, but not Villera by any means. I really like a lot of his recorded stuff, listen to it all the time.
https://www.youtube....h?v=Svq2e0VugPw
then, after drinking some cans of Bud (now that Ambev owns both Bud and Quilmes, my guess is they may be the same beer in Argentina. Certainly, you can now get "bud" almost everywhere that you can get Quilmes)
on to El Remolon. He is multi-talented, and has made some great albums, and, as a DJ, he starts with Cumbia records, but adds lots of live, improv layers, from computers, drum machines, and a keytar. He knows how to drop the bass, and by 2:30 or 3:00, the place was packed with dancing, sweaty bodies. He put on his hawaiian shirt for the occasion.
https://www.youtube....h?v=hH1mFg4D680
Me, I bailed around 3:30, missing the final DJ, Rafa Caivano, who is one of the members of Frikstailers. I have seen him play before, he is also quite good. All of these guys do much more than just play songs- they create new songs, on the spot, adding and subtracting lots of layers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsmLNMb-8Ak
Ries
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Last night, I woke up at 11, and went out on the balcony- it was about 95 degrees, and a million percent humidity. We went out and got on the number 39 bus, at
quarter after 12- the 39 is always full of excited kids 15 to 30, between midnight and one- it goes to the neighborhood where all the clubs are, its the party bus.
We got off the bus, and instantly, it began to pour rain, and the temperature dropped 20 degrees in five minutes.
We took a taxi the last ten blocks to the club.
At 2 in the morning, leaning against the wall, nursing a beer, waiting for the headliner to come on, I realized, I have been leaning against walls, nursing beers, waiting for bands, for 40 years.
Which is not a bad thing- in fact, its the opposite. As ol Rutger Hauer says in Blade Runner-I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
I was never there for the beer- I was there for the music.
I saw Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman, I saw the Beatles and Neil Young, I saw Al Green twice and James Brown 3 times, felt his sweat land on me as he shook off that cape the fifth time.
I saw Arto and DNA shred reality into glittering dust.
I saw TV on the Radio push the wall back a few feet with pure sonic power, saw Sonic Youth elevate the entire audience a foot in the air with feedback.
I saw Tom Waits alone with a grand piano on the Nighthawks at the Diner tour, saw Taj Mahal with 4 tubas.
I saw the Beastie Boys and Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC.
I saw Zappa, and the Dead, I saw the Ramones and the Replacements and got sawdust all over me when Wendy O Williams chainsawed a guitar in half.
I saw folk music and singer songwriters and jazz and pop and hard, hard rock.
Saw Blue Oyster Cult do Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll as an encore, every band member with a guitar...
Last night, I saw this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkyN-ncK8zs
And I held the wall up, until it ended at 4am.
La Yegros, who has been living in Paris and performing in Europe for the last couple of years, back home. With the multi-talented Alejandro Frenov filling in on keyboards, bandoneon, and samples. At Mateinzo, now open again after the holidays. Unfortunately, happy hour ends at ten, and she didnt come on til 2...
quarter after 12- the 39 is always full of excited kids 15 to 30, between midnight and one- it goes to the neighborhood where all the clubs are, its the party bus.
We got off the bus, and instantly, it began to pour rain, and the temperature dropped 20 degrees in five minutes.
We took a taxi the last ten blocks to the club.
At 2 in the morning, leaning against the wall, nursing a beer, waiting for the headliner to come on, I realized, I have been leaning against walls, nursing beers, waiting for bands, for 40 years.
Which is not a bad thing- in fact, its the opposite. As ol Rutger Hauer says in Blade Runner-I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
I was never there for the beer- I was there for the music.
I saw Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman, I saw the Beatles and Neil Young, I saw Al Green twice and James Brown 3 times, felt his sweat land on me as he shook off that cape the fifth time.
I saw Arto and DNA shred reality into glittering dust.
I saw TV on the Radio push the wall back a few feet with pure sonic power, saw Sonic Youth elevate the entire audience a foot in the air with feedback.
I saw Tom Waits alone with a grand piano on the Nighthawks at the Diner tour, saw Taj Mahal with 4 tubas.
I saw the Beastie Boys and Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC.
I saw Zappa, and the Dead, I saw the Ramones and the Replacements and got sawdust all over me when Wendy O Williams chainsawed a guitar in half.
I saw folk music and singer songwriters and jazz and pop and hard, hard rock.
Saw Blue Oyster Cult do Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll as an encore, every band member with a guitar...
Last night, I saw this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkyN-ncK8zs
And I held the wall up, until it ended at 4am.
La Yegros, who has been living in Paris and performing in Europe for the last couple of years, back home. With the multi-talented Alejandro Frenov filling in on keyboards, bandoneon, and samples. At Mateinzo, now open again after the holidays. Unfortunately, happy hour ends at ten, and she didnt come on til 2...
<3
Ries
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I need to catch up.
Saturday I went to Beatflow.
Slept until about 1am, then took the collectivo.
We got there after the first band had started-
La Real Alcaloide- a pretty mainstream cumbia band. They were good- three horns, 8 people on stage, and they did a killer Cumbia version of the Batman Theme song.
Finally, a bit after 2, the good stuff started- a set by King Coya, with dancers, and a guest appearance by his ex, La Yegros, and her drummer.
somewhat like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnhdTdi7qgQ
Then, sometime after 4, Milo and Pato and Villa came on. They were psychedelic, ambient, funky, cumbiano, and a bunch more. Mixing up all kinds of music, creating a crazy beat.
The place was bouncing.
https://www.mixcloud.com/TERECUMBIO/te-re-cumbi%C3%B3-mix-ii-relo-king-coya-ft-la-yegros-villa-diamante-moya-smink/
I left a bit before 6 am, saw the sun rising on the cab ride home.
Its hard work having fun sometimes.
Saturday I went to Beatflow.
Slept until about 1am, then took the collectivo.
We got there after the first band had started-
La Real Alcaloide- a pretty mainstream cumbia band. They were good- three horns, 8 people on stage, and they did a killer Cumbia version of the Batman Theme song.
Finally, a bit after 2, the good stuff started- a set by King Coya, with dancers, and a guest appearance by his ex, La Yegros, and her drummer.
somewhat like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnhdTdi7qgQ
Then, sometime after 4, Milo and Pato and Villa came on. They were psychedelic, ambient, funky, cumbiano, and a bunch more. Mixing up all kinds of music, creating a crazy beat.
The place was bouncing.
https://www.mixcloud.com/TERECUMBIO/te-re-cumbi%C3%B3-mix-ii-relo-king-coya-ft-la-yegros-villa-diamante-moya-smink/
I left a bit before 6 am, saw the sun rising on the cab ride home.
Its hard work having fun sometimes.
Ries
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Night of the chicas, at Matienzo.
It was a mellow Thursday, they had tables and chairs out so you could sit down like a civilized person and order a pizza if you wanted.
The night began with Maria Pien, a singer songwriter who is also a pretty good guitar player.
I liked her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAWLDDWvk5w
Then, Paula Maffia.
She sings in several bands- the kitschy big band, Las Taradas, and the more rocking band, La Cosa Mostra.
And solo, too.
She has a great voice, somewhere between Laura Nyro and Janice Joplin, if they were torch singers in a rock and roll cabaret.
And she does not hold back.
She did this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4_U04WRwns
Here she is with her rock/rockabilly band, La Cosa Mostra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfuDv7ofv2Y
Which, incidentally, features Lucy Patane on guitar.
The final act of the night was Marina Fages y las chicas de humo-
which also included the above mentioned Lucy Patane, on drums, and Lu Martinez, who is in Las Taradas with Lucy and Paula, on bass.
Punk Rock Power Trio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6AhlGkWMTg
its a small town of 12 million, and pretty much everybody plays in a band with everybody else.
It was a mellow Thursday, they had tables and chairs out so you could sit down like a civilized person and order a pizza if you wanted.
The night began with Maria Pien, a singer songwriter who is also a pretty good guitar player.
I liked her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAWLDDWvk5w
Then, Paula Maffia.
She sings in several bands- the kitschy big band, Las Taradas, and the more rocking band, La Cosa Mostra.
And solo, too.
She has a great voice, somewhere between Laura Nyro and Janice Joplin, if they were torch singers in a rock and roll cabaret.
And she does not hold back.
She did this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4_U04WRwns
Here she is with her rock/rockabilly band, La Cosa Mostra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfuDv7ofv2Y
Which, incidentally, features Lucy Patane on guitar.
The final act of the night was Marina Fages y las chicas de humo-
which also included the above mentioned Lucy Patane, on drums, and Lu Martinez, who is in Las Taradas with Lucy and Paula, on bass.
Punk Rock Power Trio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6AhlGkWMTg
its a small town of 12 million, and pretty much everybody plays in a band with everybody else.
Ries
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Every Tuesday that I am in Buenos Aires, I go to La Grande.
this week was great, with the usual unexpected mix of guest performers.
A couple of psychedelic musicians from Galicia, playing a beautiful six string bass and an electric guitar, layered Mahavishnu Orchestra stylings over the jazzy base level of the jam for a song or two.
The crooner Carlos Casella sat in for a song or two, and, again, the band and he found a middle ground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-5WdIlymS4
three different female vocalists, including Miss Bolivia for the finale.
open face BBQ chicken and cole slaw sandwiches...
this week was great, with the usual unexpected mix of guest performers.
A couple of psychedelic musicians from Galicia, playing a beautiful six string bass and an electric guitar, layered Mahavishnu Orchestra stylings over the jazzy base level of the jam for a song or two.
The crooner Carlos Casella sat in for a song or two, and, again, the band and he found a middle ground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-5WdIlymS4
three different female vocalists, including Miss Bolivia for the finale.
open face BBQ chicken and cole slaw sandwiches...
Ries
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Saturday Night I went to see an early show at Matienzo.
the first band was a country rock band from Bernal.
Excursiones Polares.
Who knew?
Great musicians, they played a bit of Paisley Underground styles reminiscent of Green on Red and the Dream Syndicate, although filtered thru more contemporary bands like Calexio and Wilco.
They did a pitch perfect Wilco cover, but translated into Castellano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md1TStc15lc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9s4vvzZx28
Pretty good, if completely unexpected.
Then, the headliner was a local Villa Crespo band, Las Edades.
The lead singer is another member of a musical dynasty around here- Lea Franov, who, I believe, is the sister of bassist Cesar Franov and keyboard player Alejandro Franov, and, between the two of them, they have played with everybody.
Las Edades is a post punk kind of amelodic rock band, which refers back to some early 80s bands, but also is very much in the groove with current bands like Tuneyards or Micachu.
Three vocalists, three guitars, and they rock.
I enjoyed them quite a bit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4mFNghSlzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK4fVfY2jrk
early (nominal 9pm) shows at Matienzo are much more civilized than the late shows- there are chairs, for example.
the first band was a country rock band from Bernal.
Excursiones Polares.
Who knew?
Great musicians, they played a bit of Paisley Underground styles reminiscent of Green on Red and the Dream Syndicate, although filtered thru more contemporary bands like Calexio and Wilco.
They did a pitch perfect Wilco cover, but translated into Castellano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md1TStc15lc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9s4vvzZx28
Pretty good, if completely unexpected.
Then, the headliner was a local Villa Crespo band, Las Edades.
The lead singer is another member of a musical dynasty around here- Lea Franov, who, I believe, is the sister of bassist Cesar Franov and keyboard player Alejandro Franov, and, between the two of them, they have played with everybody.
Las Edades is a post punk kind of amelodic rock band, which refers back to some early 80s bands, but also is very much in the groove with current bands like Tuneyards or Micachu.
Three vocalists, three guitars, and they rock.
I enjoyed them quite a bit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4mFNghSlzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK4fVfY2jrk
early (nominal 9pm) shows at Matienzo are much more civilized than the late shows- there are chairs, for example.
Ries
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Monday night, it was HOT. very hot.
the whole city was like a sauna.
But I took the 39 collectivo down to Tribunales, where the city had set up and enormous stage for the summer- big enough to be worthy of a major rock festival, festooned with a couple hundred thousand dollars of lighting, and with a great sound system. They have been putting on portions of opera, outside, for free, 3 or 4 nights a week all summer.
Plaza Vaticano, right next to Teatro Colon.
But this was rock monday.
A triple bill, beginning with Tucuman singer Luciana Tagliapietra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pP7gzR9LA8
she has a smoky french chanteuse kind of voice, but the songs are constructed kind of like early 4AD bands- a bit of Cocteau Twins or StereoLab, with live guitar and bass, and layers of electronic keyboards, samples, and synthesized flying saucer sounds moodily traipsing thru the background.
Live, it was a 3 woman band.
No drummer, so they used a drum machine for ritmo tracks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zT_dLr0-hk
the sound was great, a few hundred people watched in the plaza.
Then, the somewhat indescribable Ayelen Secches.
She is somewhere between Bertold Brecht, Ima Sumac, Meredith Monk, and a decent hit of acid, with great guitar and piano skills.
she was wailing, playing attack jazz on piano, and both acoustic and electric guitars. she is pretty fierce.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kfOgJaFGug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X9lf-UpqTs
by then, the plaza was pretty full, in anticipation of the headliner, Daniel Melero.
He is interwoven with the history of Rock Nacional in many ways.
His early band, Los Encargados, was a very influential post punk/techno band in the early 80s.
He was closely associated with Ceratti and Soda Stereo, and cut the interesting album Colores Santos with Ceratti in 1992.
He has put out probably 20 albums, over the years, in a wide variety of styles.
Now, he is a bit like John Cale. He has no worries about what you think, he does what he wants.
He is singing odd, personal songs, with an incredible band, many of whom are probably half his age.
His stage presence is a little like David Byrne, with completely unselfconscious funky dancing, a white cowboy hat, and was not like any other big star I can think of.
He was great, defying any expectations of greatest hits, instead, doing what he was feeling this month. The band was very tight, and went full rock quite a bit.
Really entertaining.
Free.
And the collectivo home stops right behind the stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDLTlU4Ogn0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5p-z4PYd34
the whole city was like a sauna.
But I took the 39 collectivo down to Tribunales, where the city had set up and enormous stage for the summer- big enough to be worthy of a major rock festival, festooned with a couple hundred thousand dollars of lighting, and with a great sound system. They have been putting on portions of opera, outside, for free, 3 or 4 nights a week all summer.
Plaza Vaticano, right next to Teatro Colon.
But this was rock monday.
A triple bill, beginning with Tucuman singer Luciana Tagliapietra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pP7gzR9LA8
she has a smoky french chanteuse kind of voice, but the songs are constructed kind of like early 4AD bands- a bit of Cocteau Twins or StereoLab, with live guitar and bass, and layers of electronic keyboards, samples, and synthesized flying saucer sounds moodily traipsing thru the background.
Live, it was a 3 woman band.
No drummer, so they used a drum machine for ritmo tracks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zT_dLr0-hk
the sound was great, a few hundred people watched in the plaza.
Then, the somewhat indescribable Ayelen Secches.
She is somewhere between Bertold Brecht, Ima Sumac, Meredith Monk, and a decent hit of acid, with great guitar and piano skills.
she was wailing, playing attack jazz on piano, and both acoustic and electric guitars. she is pretty fierce.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kfOgJaFGug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X9lf-UpqTs
by then, the plaza was pretty full, in anticipation of the headliner, Daniel Melero.
He is interwoven with the history of Rock Nacional in many ways.
His early band, Los Encargados, was a very influential post punk/techno band in the early 80s.
He was closely associated with Ceratti and Soda Stereo, and cut the interesting album Colores Santos with Ceratti in 1992.
He has put out probably 20 albums, over the years, in a wide variety of styles.
Now, he is a bit like John Cale. He has no worries about what you think, he does what he wants.
He is singing odd, personal songs, with an incredible band, many of whom are probably half his age.
His stage presence is a little like David Byrne, with completely unselfconscious funky dancing, a white cowboy hat, and was not like any other big star I can think of.
He was great, defying any expectations of greatest hits, instead, doing what he was feeling this month. The band was very tight, and went full rock quite a bit.
Really entertaining.
Free.
And the collectivo home stops right behind the stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDLTlU4Ogn0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5p-z4PYd34
Ries
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My last tuesday night at La Grande, for a while.
I am going north to work for most of the year, so I can make enough money to go see bands in Buenos Aires.
Axel Krygier was special guest, playing with the house band all night. He was having fun.
Several rappers sat in. Multiple visiting drummers. A couple of amazing horn players- a great trumpet player, and a very tall skinny scandanavian looking trombone player who was very good as well.
In between sets, Villa Diamante and Pato Smink Dj'ed.
If you arent going to La Grande every tuesday (and I can only assume you arent, as my wife and I are usually the only non-argentines there, except for the odd columbian or chilean) then you are missing out.
I am going north to work for most of the year, so I can make enough money to go see bands in Buenos Aires.
Axel Krygier was special guest, playing with the house band all night. He was having fun.
Several rappers sat in. Multiple visiting drummers. A couple of amazing horn players- a great trumpet player, and a very tall skinny scandanavian looking trombone player who was very good as well.
In between sets, Villa Diamante and Pato Smink Dj'ed.
If you arent going to La Grande every tuesday (and I can only assume you arent, as my wife and I are usually the only non-argentines there, except for the odd columbian or chilean) then you are missing out.
