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 |
Rodrigo y Gabriela have released their third studio album titled 11:11 (recorded in Ixtapa, Mexico) and it’s poised to make their current tour (dates listed below) one of the hottest live tickets this fall. If you’re not yet familiar with them, here’s the short version of the story: The duo met in Mexico in a thrash metal band. They soon moved to Ireland and, as a matter of convenience, switched to acoustic so they could tour the pubs without hauling heavy gear. Then they found their sound – a mix of rock, metal and Spanish-style guitar. It’s just the two of them, no percussion. What you hear that sounds like drums is them slapping, knocking and pounding on their guitars. It’s mesmerizing.
So what can you expect from the new album? They keep with the stuff that earned Rodrigo y Gabriela a loyal following but are clearly growing and exploring new territory. There are some new sounds teased in an earlier U.S. tour stop, like the distortion in “Buster Voodoo” ala Jimi Hendrix – all recreated on stage with no loops, no back-door tricks. Some other influences Rodrigo y Gabriela list on this album include Carlos Santana, Hendrix, Paco De Lucia, Pink Floyd and Pantera lead guitarist Dimebag Darrell.
We saw Rodrigo y Gabriela in Milwaukee this summer and it was easily one of the best shows of the year. Check out the footage. And don’t miss them when they come through town. It’s as must-see as it gets. I’ve also included a video of one of their new songs I found on YouTube, “Hanuman.”
JET also released an album this week titled Shaka Rock and it sucks. So, I’m not going to spend much time on it. Basically, JET hit their high-water mark when they had that iPod commercial for “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” and they’ve been going downhill ever since. They’re boring and sound uninspired. It feels like they’re attempting to break out of their early mold, but instead dig themselves a deeper hole. Listening through the new album, I was reminded of 80’s Great White. No kidding. About the only use I see for JET anymore is a beginners level song on Rock Band.
Rodrigo y Gabriela, “Hanuman” live at Festival Eurockéennes
| 9-Sep-09 | Alhambra – SOLD OUT | Paris, France |
| 12-Sep-09 | Town Square | Caen, France |
| 16-Sep-09 | Terminal 5 | New York, NY |
| 19-Sep-09 | The Buell Theatre | Denver, CO |
| 21-Sep-09 | Moore Theatre | Seattle, WA |
| 23-Sep-09 | Fox Theater | Oakland, CA |
| 25-Sep-09 | Orpheum Theatre | Los Angeles, CA |
| 10-Oct-09 | 4th and B | San Diego, CA |
| 12-Oct-09 | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | Portland, OR |
| 14-Oct-09 | Pabst Theatre | Milwaukee, WI |
| 16-Oct-09 | Riviera Theatre | Chicago, IL |
| 16-Oct-09 | Riveria Theater | Chicago, IL |
| 19-Oct-09 | House of Blues Dallas | Dallas, TX |
| 20-Oct-09 | Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre | Austin, TX |
| 22-Oct-09 | The Electric Factory | Philadelphia, PA |
| 23-Oct-09 | Orpheum Theatre | Boston, MA |
| 24-Oct-09 | Rams Head Live! | Baltimore, MD |
| 26-Oct-09 | Teatro Metropólitan | México, Mexico |
| 11-Nov-09 | La Carriere | Nantes, France |
| 12-Nov-09 | Casino de Paris | Paris, France |
| 13-Nov-09 | Aeronef | Lille, France |
| 16-Nov-09 | Olympia Theatre | Dublin, Ireland |
| 18-Nov-09 | Les Docks | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| 20-Nov-09 | Ancienne Belgique | 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 |
| 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 |
(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 |
The Web is freakishly fantastic place to listen to music. There are any number of sites from which to choose, but the two best shine in their simplicity. Whether you’re into jazz, metal, classical or rock & roll, the following websites will keep your feet tapping as long as you want them to. And the best part … they’re easy to use and 100% free. Hopefully it stays that way.
1. Pandora.com (requires e-mail signup)
There are tons of good music recommendation sites online, but none as simple as Pandora. It works like this: Type in a band you like or even a song and Pandora will start playing that music, followed by tunes with similar qualities. That’s it. Pandora will stream music – some you will already know, some will be new to you – with limited interruption. There’s a commercial every dozen songs or so, but other than that, you can just sit back and listen.
When you’re ready for a change, type in something new and Pandora will create a new “station.” You can further customize your stations by voting thumbs up or down – a thumbs up will repeat the track later on, while a thumbs down will never play that song again on that station.
Pandora also has some other cool features if you want to interact. There are band bios while a song plays, as well as album information, lyrics, suggested similar artists and more. You can bookmark artists and buy songs too.
I find Pandora particularly useful at work. Plug in your headphones and click a button and you have your day’s soundtrack. Same goes for parties, if you’re iPod is a little stale and you have a good sound system with your computer.
2. Songza.com (no registration required)
Songza is basically the Google of music. Enter a song and you’ll see a list of choices. Through community voting, usually the best recording is at or near the top of the list. But you’ll also find live recordings and video will play, if there’s one available.
Songza can’t be beat for when you wake up with that killer tune in your head and just have to hear it. Once you find it, you have a few interactive options. You can rate the recording, to influence ranking results. You can also get a link to the song, post it to your Facebook profile it, send it as a Twitter update, or e-mail it to a friend. Like Pandora, you can also buy the song.
One nice feature for you bloggers out there, is that you can embed the song or video – like you’ll see below of “Diablo Rojo” (it’s about a roller coaster) by the amazing duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. If you haven’t seen it – watch it.
If you sign up with Songza, you can also create and save playlists. You can also listen to other users’ playlists.
Two quick tips: First, try typing in the name of an artist instead of a song. You’ll get a long list of that band’s songs. Hit “play” on the first one and they will all stream back-to-back. Second, if you have trouble finding a song (which is rare) type the song and the artist in the search box. If you absolutely can’t find the song you want, head to Grooveshark.com. They have a large library, but the site is slow and a bit cumbersome.
That’s it. Two sites that should be cemented in every music fan’s browser. Enjoy.
Have your own favorite music sites? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
