I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: January 16, 2025] Zeta

I saw Zeta open for Sparta in 2023 and I as blown away by them.  I knew I’d want to see them again and since my son was home, I dragged him along to see a band he’d never heard of.

Before the first band came on, Zeta was setting up the merch and we had a long chat with drummer Chino Sandoval, who was super friendly and excited to show off the new merch.

We waited on the main floor for Zeta to come on, but when I looked to see what was happening, there was a massive wall of tall people standing in front of the stage already!  (including Bear from mannequin Pussy and GG from Soul Glo!).

It sucked that I couldn’t see them very well, but the sound was great.

Unlike the two previous bands, all four members crowded onto the little stage.

Zeta opened the song with two songs from their fantastic album Because I don’t speak great Spanish and couldn’t really hear the words that well, I assumed they played the whole record (which is about 20 minutes long).

What I had forgotten last time was that the drums were front and center and it was so much fun watching Chino Sandoval go absolutely berserk.  He had so much energy and threw in all kinds of fills and.

The songs segued into each other and suddenly Privilege had Juan Chi singing in English (with great backing vocals)

La flor de la palabra has a great three note bassline that runs through the song.  Antonio Pereira loomed behind the drums,  I love the way the song slows down to some group singing and then takes off on a wild instrumental jam, with Daniel Hernandez making amazing sounds (he had a rack of effects at waist level and was having a field day messing around with them).

When I saw them last time, they played these three songs in a row, and this time was the same, with Completar following and seguing into La flor del tiempo.  Completar opens with some wild drumming and both Juan Chi and Daniel Hernandez singing and screaming the lyrics.  The intensity of these two is fantastic.  As the song morphs into “tiempo,” Chi hops on the bongos and Hernandez plays his own small drum kit and the percussion takes off.

Then came two songs from the new album.  It was sometime around here when Hernandez’ microphone stand either fell over or loosened up.  Someone in the front row crouched down and held it up for him, which was fun to see and a great testament to small clubs.

And then came the insanity of Yo el peor de todos a song that absolutely thrashes into existence and pretty much never stops for 8 minutes. The drumming is relentless and the band is completely intense.

After two more great songs from the new album, they began their set ending juggernaut.  Starting with a flurry of drums and guitars the song launches and doesn’t let up for about a minute, when everyone settles down into a cool trippy mellow section.  Chi sings while the rest of the band keeps things chill.  The song takes off again and settles down again and then Hernandez hit a chord on the guitar that echoed while he played with the effects.  Then all the music cut out and he walked to his drums.  Chi went to his congas.  Pereira grabbed a tambourine and yelled encouragement (or something) and was somehow audible over the drumming.   They played a full band drum grand finale for about two minutes and it was joyous and amazing.

After the show we bought some super cool merch and had a lovely chat with two of the guys.

My son is a fan of the band and we’re both fans of Foto Club.

¿ Was It Medicine to You? (2025)
@ Todo Bailarlo (2022)
∞ Magia infinita (2018)/reissued 2024
£ L’Antiteoria del Todo (2016)
§ single (2013)

from the new album, they did not play the opening instrumental or Purple Noise (another instrumental).