I came for Groove Armada, but at KCRW’s world music festival at the Hollywood Bowl last night, Mexico City’s Café Tacuba turned my head. I had no idea who these guys were – I thought they were some hip new norteño band from TJ. Where have I been since 1989? Obviously not paying much attention to Rock en Español. Café Tacuba has been around that long. They are megastars in Latin America, have won Grammys and Latin Grammys. They have collaborated with Kronos Quartet, for crissakes. They are often called the Mexican Beatles, but I heard more Clash last night; I found myself pogoing at one point. The front man, Pinche Juan (F**in’ Juan to his fans) reminded me a bit of a Latin Bono: charismatic, playful, earnest and inspiring but with a way cooler wardrobe. Los Tacubos streaked out on stage in a blaze of black and white and guitars and strobes and videos and then barreled through a set full of punk and ska and Led Zepplin and Nirvana and a whole lot of other folks, all of them dusting it up with an unmistakable Mexico City sensibility. Their encore was inventive and flawless.
This was a great night, and even if it had sucked, there is no better summer party in L.A. than the Hollywood Bowl. People come with their picnics and take up residence in their box seats (even the cheap seats are worth it). Before long it’s a block party. My favorite neighbors this time was the Latino family two boxes over; a woman maybe in her 50s, her grown son and his two young kids. The boy looked to be around 10-11. He loved Groove Armada- he and his little sister jumped up and down to the funky soul mixes nonstop for the entire set. But it was his Tacubos he came for – and evidently so did most of the bowl – he knew the words to every song, he waved a candle in the air during the ballads, and danced his little butt off for the rest of the set. His abuela got into it too – shaking her hips and waving her hands in the air like she just don’t care.
¡Oh mi dios! ¡Los Tacubos me tiene vuelo! Pensé que la roca era muerta hasta que despertaron mi corazón de su slumber. Soy así que mezclado para arriba adentro, perdí mis llaves y mis vecinos tuvieron que venir me ayudan. ¡Mirar qué tú han hecho a mí, mis queridos! ¡Gracias mis amors!
Y ahora para su visión el placer aquí es un acoplamiento para el vídeo para mi canción preferida de la tarde :
Cafe Tacvba – Dejate Caer
(universalmusicgroup no me dejará encajar esto de YouTube)
Vox Pop Sudari 
