My Sonic Castaways experience started months before my mom
entered the picture, after a Rolling Stones concert when I met the band’s frontman,
Alejandro Cortes Ardila. Alejandro had sprinted
20 minutes from FedEx Field to make the last Metro of the night. The two of us started talking and ended up
being the best conversation I’ve ever had on a Metro. It led to us talking a bunch of times online
after that, and me checking out his band at the Songbyrd.
From the opening song, I was impressed by the enunciation and
flair. They sounded like a flamenco Franz Ferdinand. I also liked the smoky jam
session, how one performer came into the audience, and how two performers were
back-to-back -- like Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons. It was cool that the ladrones/sangre song
added another style. It was both contemplative and propulsive --
shades of The Shins’ “Sleeping Lessons,” especially the second half.
The main thing holding the show back was the fact that I had not
been able to hear the songs beforehand. Bits
and pieces came through: “musica vino de Africa,” “en la valla vovaha”? With no
album, though, I could not come in with emotional connections or understand a lot of
the Spanish lyrics.
Fortunately, Alejandro said an album is definitely in the
works, and I look forward to a second concert.
Joining me at the concert will likely be Danny Ibañez, my awesome friend
from Oaxaca, Mexico. She was part of my host
family in Oaxaca and is supposed to be in DC taking English classes soon. Fingers crossed…
Grade: B+/A-
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