I Went To See A Band...

[Ries]

Sunday, at Konex- Onda Vaga.
When I bought their first disco, years ago, they were pretty unknown- my wife saw them once at some little club with a hundred people. Now, they sell out Luna Park.
Konex was packed. All the chicas knew all the words.
And they had a special holiday edition of the band- 11 muscians, in all, including a horn section, with a tuba. Cumbia Tuba, man, it rocks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hUuQdKgabs

 

[Ries]

Its early in the week, not a lot of choices yet, but this one was a winner- tonight, early, at the Auditorium in Malba, Isol y Zypce.
She used to sing with Entre Rios, but she is most known as an illustrator and childrens book authore, and he can play anything- sandpaper, no problem- tonight, he was playing electric sparks, bent sheet metal, the bell you ring in a store to summon service, guitar strings stretched on miniature suspension bridges with violin bows, and, for the encore, the entire band took out their mobiles and played ringtones.
The elegant 70 year old woman in the seat in front of me rocked out during the loud electric guitar and feedbacky synth songs.

The entire performance was based on the Liliana Porter sculpture currently on exhibit there. And, I think I appreciate the sculpture a lot more after hearing this, than if I had just gone to look at it cold. I have seen a LOT of modern and contemporary art in the last 50 years, more than most mortals, and my attention span is short- I think I would have given the piece a minute, max. But the moody hour long concert, with huge video closeups of the piece, and songs matched to various parts of it,have made my appreciation of it much more than it would have been before, seeing the piece cold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKjUbpEwmao

 

[Ries]

Last night, a light breeze and a beautiful clear night, the moon was almost full. I was up on a private terrassa, for a private pop-up club, featuring food, drink, maybe fifty people, and a cast of three musicians who played separately and jammed together, changing each song.
Fede Cabral, a sort of techno-folk singer, Lu Martinez, who normally plays bass with Alvy Singer Big Band, last night channelling Janis Joplin and Ani Difranco in her New Cumbia Blues phase, and the phenomenal Kabusacki, guitarist extraordinaire.

It was a perfect Buenos Aires night.

Kabusacki sat before a vast array of pedals and electronics, and made his guitar sound like every instrument known to man, improvising everything.

 

[Ries]

More Kabusacki. Dude can play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzbgwBn33yQ

 

[Ries]

Matienzo.
2 Am.
Kumbia Queers.
All the womyn were definitely in the house.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGNll2RQc6g

 

[Ries]

I cant stay away from the new matienzo. beer is cheap, its close to my house, new sound system and lights, its low key and friendly, you can even get a pizza.
Plus, the music is great. All kinds of different bands, all kinds of different crowds.

Last night I went to see Villa Diamante jam with Miloo Moya, Patricio Smink, and one member each of Frikstallers and Tremor.
It defied description.
Plus, it had a good beat, and you could dance to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6zH6xf9tDc

 

[Ries]

I havent been out much lately- most venues were closed for a week or two over the holidays, my dance card was full of asados and Jewish Christmas Dinner of Chinese Takeout, a road trip to Tandil, and, it was HOT.
I did try to sneak down to Pool Fiction, a crazy underground dance club in a tiny pool hall in Retiro, but the DJ I wanted to see wasnt coming on until some indeterminate time between 2 and 9am, and it was about 200 degrees down there.

But now, bands are starting to play again.
Last night, I went to see Tomi Lebrero at Cafe Vinilo. He is playing every Weds in January there, with the latest version of his band, Puchero Mysterioso.

Its a great band- piano, electric guitar, bass and drums, 2 women, 2 men, and they can go slow and low, and back his neo-country crooning, or totally rock out.
He is really into a sort of NewCountry Gaucho meets HeeHaw performance these days, dressed in his finest thrift store Gaucho getup, but he does let his inner Jim Morrison out on a few songs too.

here is a video of him with half of the band- its a bit mellower than he is with the full band, where, live, he gets crazier in all directions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnzfG9iHJtk#t=228

 

[Ries]

The late show at Thelonius last night was Yamille Burich, who plays sax. She had a different band from this video, but all the musicians were excellent. A bit retro, in that she kind of pretends Ornette didnt rip the lid off of things in 1960, and nothing that has happened in jazz since then is important- but she can really play, and Thelonius, as always, was cool, in every meaning of the word, up there in the trees, above the heat of the street.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5kPYsggdMY

 

[Ries]

Jazz Weekend.
Proyecto Nacarola at Matienzo.
I am like ol Krazy Kat, always expecting flowers, and getting the brick from Ignatz instead- I go, an hour or two after the announced show time, hopeful that the music might actually begin, and still end up waiting until 1:30 or 2:00 am before any sign of activity on stage. You would think I would learn.
Anyway, these guys did finally start, close to 2, when showtime was 23:30...

and they were great- an incredibly tight horn section, great drummer, really good standup bass. It was big band swing, kinda, but it was illuminated by funk and disco and Chic and Sly and Robbie, too. No trombone last night, but a baritone sax played by a giant. And the singer, Carolina Gonzalez, is very good.

 

[Ries]

Tuesday Night, Marina Fages opened for the film at Konex, and did a 40 minute set, live, solo, acoustic.
She is one of the partners at Mercurio, the indie record store in Patio Del Liceo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye_qulY71QI