A Threefold 'Thank You' to Los Angeles
Canter's & Ice Cream Sandwich Could Live in Perfect Harmony
Dear Los Angeles: I'm Thankful For...
-thumb-110x110-213475.jpg)
A Photo Gallery of the Things I am Grateful for This Year
7 Reasons to Love L.A.
Last night's flamenco show at the Echoplex (that's underneath The Echo, for those people who ask me all the time) was awesome. I'm a new fan of flamenco, having the privilege to work with some acts at my current job, and last night's performers Son de la Frontera from Seville are not the stereotypical/cheesy idea you may have of flamenco, with the men each yelling louder than the next and the female dancers in their over-the-top dresses. Given that traditional Spanish flamenco began in small villages, with families and friends gathered around, taking turns dancing and singing, it is only natural that the roles are taken by both males and females, and elaborate costumes are not necessary. Immersed in the style that originated in a town called Morón de la Frontera, which is the home of a renowned gypsy guitarist Diego del Gastor, Son de la Frontera's performance last night exhibited very little melodrama and ego, and a whole lot of heartfelt passion for the music, which was really cool to see. The five gentlemen in their suits are technically excellent, intertwining Spanish guitar and a Cuban tres, the instrument for which the group is considered unique, and they paced their set so well that the dynamics of the songs kept me fascinated, and my feet tapping, the entire time.
Their dancer was a lot of fun to watch, although the camera man filming for the large screens placed around the venue was having a little too much fun with the effects for me to always see him properly. There was some split screen action going on to focus on both his feet and his face, which sounds like a good idea in theory, but was actually a little frustrating because I wanted to see his whole figure dancing. The only other thing that marred the evening was the lack of enough chairs for the seated ticket-buyers, who were apparently causing a fuss in the aisles in the front during the opening act. I missed the name of the openers, but they played several Latin and Cuban-sounding songs I did actually recognize.
Having only seen indie rock acts at the Echoplex before last night, it was interesting to see the place packed with more of a European-jetsetter-looking crowd, and yes, older folks. I asked one of the door guys how often the venue has shows like that, where they actually bring seats out, and he replied about three or four times a week. ...Hmmph. So apparently the world doesn't revolve around my little music scene. If you're going to be up north this weekend and feel like broadening your own horizons, Son de la Frontera is also playing in Carmel and San Francisco.
Photo via Son de la Frontera's myspace
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Post a comment (Comment Policy)