Rodrigo y Gabriela have struck gold where many other musicians have struck out. Combining musical styles – in this case, metal and classical Spanish-style guitar – and performing entire sets and albums without one single lyric. In doing so, they not only have amassed a following, but a fervent one. Such was evident at their sold-out performance last Friday at Chicago’s Riviera Theater.
Here’s a sign that you’re doing it right: A check on craigslist for tickets weeks prior to the concert showed a massive disproportion. There were dozens of postings from people desperately looking for tickets to the show – just one posting actually selling tickets. Did ticket brokers miss the boat? Possibly. More likely, Rod Gab fans anticipated their arrival very early and made sure they scored tickets. And once they had them, they weren’t letting them go. That’s refreshing.
On to the show. We won’t spend a lot of time here talking about the magic of Rodrigo y Gabriela. If you’re not yet familiar, read this post from our review of a Rodrigo y Gabriela concert in Milwaukee. Besides, all you need to do is watch a little video – you won’t need convincing from me.
The highlight of the night (and one of this year’s best concert moments) came as a stunning surprise. Between songs, Rodrigo teased the audience about a special guest, then introduced Rob Trujillo – bass player for Metallica. It turned into perfect synergy (well, almost perfect – you’ll see) between the two styles of music represented by Rod Gab – their mind-blowing classical chops fused with their metal influences and inspiration while they jam Metallica’s “Orion.” It was the icing on an already sinfully outstanding cake. And the fans … let’s just say you can expect to hear them loud and clear as the music grapevine grows. Check out the crowd reaction at the end of the video “Part 2″ and you’ll understand.
Enjoy the video below. It’s excellent and comes courtesy of TP1134. Below that are two more videos shot by Sound Citizen, if you want more Trujillo. Also, check out TP1134′s account for more of the concert from an excellent vantage point. An outstanding job.
Only three dates remain on their U.S. tour schedule: Oct. 20 in Austin, TX, Oct. 22 in Philadelphia, Oct. 23 in Boston and Oct. 24 in Baltimore. If they’re coming through your area, you’d be an irresponsible Sound Citizen not to go. No excuses. Overseas? Check out more tour dates below the videos.
| 26-Oct-09 | Teatro Metropólitan | México, Mexico |
| 11-Nov-09 | La Carriere | Nantes, France |
| 12-Nov-09 | Casino de Paris – SOLD OUT | Paris, France |
| 13-Nov-09 | Aeronef | Lille, France |
| 15-Nov-09 | Vicar Street | Dublin, Ireland |
| 16-Nov-09 | Olympia Theatre – Sold Out | Dublin, Ireland |
| 18-Nov-09 | Les Docks – SOLD OUT | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| 20-Nov-09 | Ancienne Belgique – SOLD OUT | Brussels, Belgium |
| 21-Nov-09 | Watt | Rotterdam, Holland |
| 23-Nov-09 | HMV Hammersmith Apollo | London, United Kingdom |
| 24-Nov-09 | O2 Academy, Birmingham | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
| 26-Nov-09 | O2 Academy Glasgow | Glasgow, United Kingdom |
| 28-Nov-09 | Manchester Apollo | Manchester, United Kingdom |
| 29-Nov-09 | Colston Hall | Bristol, United Kingdom |
| 3-Dec-09 | Alcatraz | Milan, Italy |
| 30-Dec-09 | Falls Festival Marion Bay | Marion Bay, Australia |
| 31-Dec-09 | Falls Festival Lorne, VIC | Lorne, Australia |
| 3-Jan-10 | Enmore Theatre | Sydney, Australia |
| 5-Jan-10 | Palais Theatre | St. Kilda, Australia |
| 6-Jan-10 | Sunset Sounds Festival | Brisbane, Australia |
| 8-Jan-10 | Southbound Festival | Busselton, Australia |
| 11-Jan-10 | Aotea Center | Auckland, New Zealand |
| 14-Jan-10 | ZEPP | Tokyo, Japan |
| 15-Jan-10 | CLUB Diamond Hall | Nagoya, Japan |
| 16-Jan-10 | IMP HALL | Osaka, Japan |
| 18-Jan-10 | TOKYO | Tokyo, Japan |
| 10-Apr-10 | Olympia Theatre | Paris, France |
| 11-Apr-10 | Olympia Theatre | Paris, France |
(Video and tour dates included) Rodrigo y Gabriela is elusive. They don’t tour the States often, spending most of their time overseas. So when the opportunity presented itself to take a 90-mile drive to Milwaukee to go see them, it was an easy decision. Past Six Flags Great America, past the Mars Cheese Castle, the porn shop and the fireworks stands, and $15 later, five Sound Citizens were standing on bleachers, four rows from center stage.
For those of you who do not yet know Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero), the short version goes like this: They met in a thrash metal band in Mexico City, made their way to Grafton Street in Ireland and got discovered by Damien Rice. But somewhere along the way they morphed into world-class musicians, blending metal with classical Spanish guitar, resulting in a self-titled album that entered the Irish album charts at #1. From there they got stronger. And they continue to develop, which is one of the exciting parts of seeing them live – you get the sense that they’re growing before your eyes and ears.
I could attempt to explain their style, but I wouldn’t do it justice. I’ll just say this: it’s something you will have a hard time not being mesmerized by. Watch the video and you’ll see.
Rodrigo y Gabriela is also inspiring, evidenced by crowd. While it was mixed, it was decidedly a young group. While unexpected, I’m more than pleased that so many young people are so excited about this style of music. Hopefully, this show will go a long way to spawning a new generation of worldly musicians.
We didn’t buy tickets two months in advance, we didn’t wait in line and we didn’t have to stand behind thousands of people. It doesn’t seem fair. Thankfully, life isn’t always fair.
Rodrigo y Gabriela will release their latest album “11:11″ on September 7, 2009. They will also go on tour. Although the majority of their shows are in Europe, they will play five dates in the U.S. Tour dates are at the bottom of this post, and tickets are available through the Rodrigo y Gabriela website.
Below are two videos. The first is a compilation of various songs throughout the show, including “Orion,” “Diablo Rojo” and “Tamacun.” The second video is a clip of Rodrigo playing some “Master of Puppets” and demonstrating a new sound he’s been working on – acoustic wa-wa. Pay attention to the screen behind them. It’s live video from small cameras mounted in front of them and on Rodrigo’s guitar. If it’s a little shaky, that’s because people (like me) were dancing on the bleachers.
Enjoy.
| Jul 4 2009 | 8:00P | Rock Werchter (Main stage) | Werchter, Belgium |
| Jul 5 2009 | 8:00P | Eurockeennes (Main stage) | Belfort, France |
| Jul 15 2009 | 8:00P | Jazz Festival | Gent, Belgium |
| Jul 17 2009 | 8:00P | Festival Les Suds (Old Arena) | Arles, France |
| Jul 19 2009 | 8:00P | Lovebox ( 2nd stage), Victoria Park, Hackney | London, UK |
| Jul 21 2009 | 8:00P | Blue Balls Festival | Lucerne, Switzerland |
| Jul 23 2009 | 8:00P | Paleo Festival (Chapiteau Stage) | Nyon, Switzerland |
| Jul 24 2009 | 8:00P | Les 3 Elephants Festival (Main Stage) | Laval, France |
| Jul 26 2009 | 8:00P | Secret Garden Party (Main stage) | Cambridge, UK |
| Jul 28 2009 | 8:00P | Dolans Warehouse | Limerick, Ireland |
| Jul 29 2009 | 8:00P | School of Music | Cork, Ireland |
| Aug 1 2009 | 8:00P | Presqu’ile de Crozon Festival | Crozon, France |
| Sep 4 2009 | 8:00P | Electric Picnic Festival, Stradbally | Laois, Ireland |
| Sep 16 2009 | 8:00P | Terminal 5 | NY, New York |
| Sep 19 2009 | 8:00P | Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre | Denver, Colorado |
| Sep 21 2009 | 8:00P | Moore Theatre | Seattle, Washington |
| Sep 23 2009 | 8:00P | Fox Theatre | Oakland, California |
| Sep 25 2009 | 8:00P | Orpheum Theatre | Los Angeles, California |
