On the rainy night of Tuesday, December 2nd 2014, Live Nation and Radio Toxiko presented a pleasantly easy-on-the-ear eclectic lineup at the historic House of Blues in Hollywood, featuring Daniel Jimenez Afanador, Wonderfox, and Jenny and The Mexicats.
As concert goers trickled into the venue, despite of the rain trickling outside, Daniel Jimenez Afanador took the stage and got the night started. His friendly and welcoming vibe projected positivity with songs like “Until The End,” a soft tune that was used on the short film This is Kelly which touches on the struggle of the heaviest man to ever complete the LA Marathon. “All The Same” a fun reggae/cumbia that promotes equality. Finishing up with “Last One Standing”, where each member left the stage one by one throughout the song, leaving their vocalist Mr. Jimenez as the last one standing before saying goodbye to audience.
Next, came L.A. based, and no-stranger to the House of Blues stage, Wonderfox. The alternative rock band members pranced onto the stage with impeccable fashion and style to switch up the tone and bring an edgy sound. Vocalist Isabel Valencia rocked her guitar and her signature killer heels while her bassist Freddy Aguirre kept the band anchored and kept them from flying off the stage. Guitarist Carlos Marin accompanied their front-woman with his vocals and guitar chops and Andy Hermosillo was a killer machine pounding on his drums. Wonderfrox dominated the stage with songs like “Tiempo,” and “Miedo”. “Juntos” brought out the love but still carried a heavy sound and they finalized with “Final” before the quartet lined up at front stage, flashed some smiles, and bowed to their listeners.
Soon after, the stage was graced with a long, blue, flowing dress, a black and white standup base, a blue mohak, and a drumstick-less drum set. A slender, tall, and blonde Jenny Ball strutted up to the microphone while holding a trumpet on hand, Luis Diaz (Icho) and Alfonso Acosta (Pantera) strapped on their base and guitars and David Gonzales sat to play the drums with his bare hands. The group, formed in Madrid and now residing in Mexico, stopped by Los Angeles fresh out of performing for President Obama and the troops at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC the night before. There was an abundance of variety in languages and sounds: from a cumbia beat on “Boulevard” and “Me Voy a Ir,” to soft love songs on “No Dejes de Quererme” and “Head in my Heart”. A crowd favorite was “Starting Something”, which starts softly with a strong guitar background, then briefly brakes into a reggae beat and ends with a ska-ish bang. “Back to Basics” provided some beautiful vocals with a single guitar to accompany it and after 17 songs; they ended the night with a tropical beat with “Verde Mas Alla.”
It was a perfect mixture of sounds and cultures, making it a perfect night of music.
Photos: Laura Pelayo & Angel Aguilar
