Café Tacvba brought their 20Re – CT25 tour to the south land for two amazing shows at the Fox Theater in Pomona on Friday October 31st and the Wiltern in Los Angeles on November 2nd.
The 20Re – CT25 Tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of their classic album, Re and also the 25th anniversary of the band.
The threat of imminent rain did not dampen the spirits of the fans who from an early hour filled up the beautiful Fox Theater in Pomona. Some fans showed up dressed in their Halloween customs which added to the already festive atmosphere inside the venue.
As the lights darkened, the members of the band walked on stage along with their guest musicians, a second guitar player and second keyboardist who also doubled up on electronic percussions. Starting with a very simple lighting scheme; which as the show went on, became more intricate and exciting with a laser display that left people in awe. The band performed the album Re in its entirety and after a short break, the band came back to the stage to delight the fans with old favorites
The next stop was at the corner of Wishire Blvd. and Western Ave. at the historic Wiltern in Los Angeles. The line of anxious fans stretched around the corner from the venue’s entrance early in the evening, which undoubtedly included some who came to get a second or third dose of the Tacvbos.
Café Tacvba immediately got down to business with “El Aparato” and “La Ingrata” and it didn’t take long before front man Ruben Albarrán began to bounce around all over the stage. An amazing light show commenced and illuminated the venue and its goers as they played “24 Horas” and “Ixtepec”. The Wiltern vibrated and turned into a massive choir during “Las Flores”. The crowd sang along to its entirety while being accompanied by fast lights and lasers that harmonized with the perky pace of the song. The band took a moment to pay respects to the 43 students that have disappeared in Mexico at the hands of the government and dedicated “La Pinta” to them.
The eccentric and bright wardrobe changes came and went throughout the night including aprons, miner’s helmets and headlights and Ruben releasing his horn-like hairdo into a luscious, long mane. After 20 epic songs, the band left the stage, but they reappeared shortly after at the demanded of an encore. Emmanuel “Meme” Del Real stepped down from his ivory keys and took the microphone to begin their encore with “Eres.” They pleased their fans with six more songs including the new hit “Olita del Altamar”, “Chilanga Banda”, and a cover of Leo Dan’s “Como te Extraño”. All four band members left their perspective stations during their last song “Dejate Caer,” to do their now famous dance routine that mimicked moves from Saturday Night Fever.
Although the sets for both nights were almost the same, as was to be expected since a major part of the show was dedicated to the album Re, for those who had the opportunity to catch these two shows or even the one in Santa Barbara, it didn’t matter, because Café Tacvba proved that after 25 years in the business, they are still one of the most exciting live bands in the world and it doesn’t matter if they are playing old favorites or trying out new material, Café Tacvba and their fans are ready for the next 25 years.
