The highly anticipated Supersonico music festival finally arrived and it definitely delivered, as 10,000 people filled the grounds of the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall to enjoy different types of music, from cumbias, hip-hop, alternative, punk, and “rock en español”.
From an early hour, hipsters, rockers, skaters, young, old, Asians, Anglos, African Americans and of course, all types of Latinos, wandered the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall checking out the different stages like the “Illuminati Lounge, which concentrated on DJ’s, the indoor stage which showcased mostly up and coming bands and the main stage outdoors, which hosted some newer bands and the headliners Calle 13 and Café Tacvba.
At the beginning the set up seemed perfect, as it was easy to maneuver between the different stages, one could easily catch at least some of the over lapping sets like La Santa Cecilia who were playing the outdoor stage and Ceci Bastida playing the indoor stage. La Santa Cecilia quickly got the crowd going with high energy cumbias but definitely, the highlight was their rendition of the Beatle’s “Strawberry Fields Forever” which had everyone singing along.
As the crowd grew larger, maneuvering between the stages became troublesome as the lines for beer and food trucks extended across the width of the outdoor stage set up, which was not only inconvenient for those trying to walk across the lines but for those standing in line for up to an hour just to get some tacos.
Nonetheless, the logistic problems didn’t dampen the overall vibe of the festival and people managed to enjoy the music of the bombastic Tokyo Ska Parade Orchestra who were one of the most anticipated new acts as people were chanting their name as they began to set up. Once the Japanese band took the stage, organized mayhem quickly over took the front of the main stage as the first “slam dancing” began. The band had a short but highly energetic set which left the audience aching for more as they kept chanting for them to play one more song.
The Colombian band Bomba Estereo exploded on the main stage with their pulsating rhythms and the magnetic presence of their lead singer, the beautiful Liliana Saumet, who riled up the crowd with her stage antics. Chilean hip-hop star, Ana Tijoux kept the momentum going with her live band which helped her plow through a strong set which featured her highly regarded latest album, “Vengo”.
The acts in the indoor stage were no less exciting as they kept everyone on their feet dancing and jumping and many running back and forth between the indoor and outdoor stage. Los Rakas got people into a dancing mood with their reggaeton tinted grooves; while Venezuela’s La Vide Boheme gave a thundering performance filled with intoxicating rhythms aided by electronic sounds and thrashing guitars and meaningful lyrics.
Unfortunately, what turned out to be the low point of the evening musically and logistically was the performance by Boricua punker, AJ Davila, not the AJ Davila and his band gave a bad show, the problem is that only a handful of people were able to experience his act since he was scheduled right smack in the middle of Calle 13’s presentation, nevertheless, AJ Davila and his band put on a riveting performance.
Closing out the indoor stage was the highly acclaimed Nortec Collective Presents Bostich + Fussible, who were able to drag away a large number of people from the end of the Calle 13’s presentation and put on an almost hypnotic performance mixing electronic beats with their familiar norteño sounds which were provided live by a accordion, bajo sexto, tuba and trumpet players.
Going back out to the main stage outdoors, Calle 13 delivered a high caliber performance which featured several songs from their multi nominated Latin Grammy album, “Multi-Viral”, but other hits like “Latinoamerica”, “Fiesta De Locos” and others also made the set.
Without a doubt, the band everyone was waiting for was the iconic Café Tacvba who gave a performance for the ages. Playing for almost two hours, the band not only played the hits everyone wanted to hear, but also brought out some special jewels like “Olita Del Altamar” and “Pajaros” from their latest album, “El Objeto Antes Llamado Disco”. Classic songs from the Café Tacvba repertoire like “El Baile Y El Salon”, “Como Te Extraño Mi Amor”, “La Ingrata”, “Chilanga Banda” and many others kept the, by then and tired audience, still dancing, jumping and singing. I was actually surprised to hear many young people say that this was their first time seeing the band, which only goes to show that legacy of a band like Café Tacvba continues to be written and there’s more to come as they have just announced the beginning of their upcoming tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band and the 20th anniversary of their second album “Re” which they will perform in its entirety during this tour.
At the end of a long day of music, I think we can all agree that Supersonico was an overall success. Yes, there were some logistical problems, but we also need to remember that this was the first edition of the festival and the organizers have already owned up and accepted the complaints of the masses about the long lines for food and drinks and I am sure they will try to remedy that for the 2015 and 2016 editions which they announced they have already began planning.
Supersonico Festival Photos
