Tonight was all about adding a little spice to your musical palate. Out here as a part of the Sydney Festival the show opened with Venezuelan group The Victor Valdes Trio. Firstly they’re a four piece, secondly they play South American music that got all the sexy girls in the crowd shaking their booty.
Their Latin rhythms were complete with some amazing harp playing and my personal highlight, a maraca solo! The group certainly are fantastic musicians and the crowd appreciated their set.
It only seemed fitting that I should watch Los Lobos with a Corona in hand. Playing their brand of Tex-Mex blend of folk/rock/pop/country for 40 years you knew you were in for a real musical treat. The band maybe older (probably well into their 50’s) and a little bit larger but they can still bring it live with smooth songs and genuine cool that only some could ever hope to achieve.
With such a long career, it’s almost impossible to restrict it to a 90 minute set, especially with a new album out Tin Can Trust. But they tried to cover all their basis. New material, some English, some Spanish, some classics thrown in as well. (although I was hoping they’d play the track from Tarantino’s “Dusk Til Dawn” movie – the one played during Salma Hayek’s snake dance)
They knew when to get the tempo up and people dancing and knew when to simmer it down with more mellow tracks. I felt like the Enmore was too large a venue for them. I kept imagining how awesome it would be to see them play in a little club in New Orleans, where the atmosphere is hot and the tequila flowing. Regardless, the band were flawless in their performance.
