After a 10 year absence, La Ley have reformed and have been playing to enthusiastic crowds in South American and Mexico, and last week, La Ley brought their Retour tour to California where they had sold out shows in San Francisco and San Diego and at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, over 5,000 people cheered, danced and sang to the songs that helped the band become an icon of Spanish rock.
As the lights went down, a giant screen at the back of the stage began showing computerized images that fit in perfectly to an electronic intro to their mega hit “Dia Cero”. From the first chorus, the fans joined in and became an integral part of the show.
Beto Cuevas strutted all over the stage with sensual moves that took the female audience to the brink of delirium, while other times, Beto’s Jagger-esque moves blended perfectly with the beats being punctuated by Mauricio Clavería on his drum kit as Pedro Frugone carefully weaved in and out with his guitar while at other times he crashed down those power chords that took the rockers in the audience to guitar heaven.
The barrage of hits continued and songs like “Hombre”, “Tejedores de Ilusion”, “Prisioneros De La Piel”, “Animal”, “1-800 Dual” and “Aqui” amongst many others made the set list. An updated version of “Doble Opuesto” featured some guitar licks which appeared to have been taken right from the guitar arsenal of U2’s guitarist, The Edge.
Without a doubt one of the highlights of the show was their rendition of “El Duelo” which after the song featured the beautiful voice of Eli Guerra on their MTV Unplugged performance, it has taken a whole new life and now it has the need for a female voice and in this occasion that task fell down to one of our own, Isabel Valencia, a young and talented Colombian singer and leader of one of L.A.’s most exciting live bands, Wonderfox. For those of us who know and have followed Wonderfox, it was a proud moment to see Isabel up on that stage rubbing elbows with the elite of Spanish rock.
The show was a greatest hits show with only one new song, which is actually a cover of Chris Issac’s “Wicked Games” and re-titled “Sin Ti”, which gave start to the encores that included “Mentira” and Delirando.
Out of the 13 remaining tour dates, the group announced that the show scheduled in Austin, Texas, on October 30, will be postponed until beginning of 2015. Due to reasons that were beyond the group and promoter’s control, the show at The Coliseum had to be suspended this time because of logistical issues having to do with the international Nascar race, a mega event that will require the use of all the facilities, parking and public streets in the areas surrounding the venue where La Ley was supposed to perform. Both the promoter as well as the group are working together to clear a new date on their calendars. In the meantime, the October 30 show scheduled for Austin will be replaced by a concert in McAllen, Texas, where the group will perform at the Opera Teatro Bar.
Below are the rest of the remaining dates of the American leg of the Retour tour:
OCT. 22 – TUCSON, AZ – The Rialto
Opening Guest Band: Rifle
OCT. 23 – EL PASO, TX – Don Haskins Center
OCT. 24 – HOUSTON, TX – House of Blues
OCT. 26 – DALLAS, TX – House of Blues
OCT. 29 – SAN ANTONIO, TX – The Aztec Theater
OCT. 30 – McALLEN, TX – Opera Teatro Bar
NOV. 1 – MONTERREY, NL – Pa’l Norte Festival
NOV. 6 – CHARLOTTE, NC – The Fillmore
NOV. 9 – SILVER SPRING, MD – The Fillmore
NOV. 10 – NEW YORK, NY – Irving Plaza
Opening Guest Artist: DJ Lobo
NOV. 15 – SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – El Coliseo
NOV. 16 – CHICAGO, IL – Concord Music Hall
NOV. 19 – ORLANDO, FL – House of Blues
NOV. 21 – MIAMI, FL – The Fillmore
La Ley Retour
*Photos by Angel Aguilar
