Mariachi El Bronx Show at La Cita Bar in Los Angeles, California

Hello!

I had the good fortune of scoring tix to the Mariachi El Bronx record release party at La Cita last Wednesday, and it was a hoot. I don’t write a concert review very often, but I will give it a shot.

La Cita Bar is not a huge place, and the event was sold out, so they closed the bar down, and started letting ticket holders in around 10:00. The bartenders did an impressive job of keeping up with the crowd, and there was a real positive vibe in the place.

There was not a big wait before the opening act, which was the duo of Zander Schloss and Sean Wheeler. This was an acoustic set with Schloss on guitar and vocals and Wheeler on lead vocals, and my god they were awesome. I will have to buy their album, Walk Thee Invisible and write a review.

As I said, it is a small venue, and once the show started everybody from the patio moved inside so it got a little crowded. The stage is also small, and it was packed too but despite the closed spaces it was a great show.

Matt Caughthran is a great frontman, and kept the show moving, and all of the performers seemed comfortable in their roles, which are a bit of a departure from their punk rock roots. BTW, I love the way Matt phrases the English lyrics so they fit in perfectly with the traditional mariachi (norteno, maybe?) sound. One noticeable difference from the usual mariachi performance was the intense drumming of Jorna Vik. He kicked ass and brought the music to a whole new level. Me gusta!

I apologize that I have not included any live pics. It was pretty crowded, and there was no way I was going to stand there like a jackass trying to snap photos with my phone when there was a good show going on. I am not a professional…

If you get the chance to see Mariachi El Bronx (or The Bronx) live, you have to do it. They are on a European tour now, and the next leg of their US tour kicks off in the middle of September. Go to mariachielbronx.com/live for tour dates and ticket info.

Mahalo!