I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: March 20, 2026] Zeta

I’ve been a big fan of Zeta since I encountered them about 3 years ago.  I’ve now seen them 4 times and they never disappoint.  This was a tour for their tenth year of touring the US (when they left Venezuela).  I spoke to drummer Chino (who is their merch guy too) and said I was impressed that they were doing this for ten years and he said, they’d been touring the US for ten years but they’ve been a band since 2003 (which by my calculation, means he started the band when he was 13).

My son came with me to their previous headline show and really liked them.  This time I didn’t get him a ticket because we were going to Hanabie the next night.  But his plans changed and he wanted to come with me to this show, which was awesome.

By the time Zeta went on, the crowd had filled in somewhat (but, oof, what a large venue to have about 50 people show up).  Despite the small crowd, the band put on a killer show.

But the first surprise was that they were playing as a trio.  After a song, Bassist Antonio Pereira told us that Dani (their exciting guitarist/keyboardist) was staying in Venezuela because of the new T**** immigration policies.  Fuck, man, that guy ruins everything.  So, that meant the band had to redesign their songs for the stage without their most versatile member.

As a trio, the band played harder and louder and, frankly, they sounded great.  But I missed Dani’s bouncy fun (and his extra percussion).  Juan Chi seemed even more passionate in his singing than ever.  We were right in front of Tony on bass and it was fun to be able to see him up close (he usually hangs out behind the drum kit.    And of course, Chino was a beast on the drum kit.  He is so fast and heavy and intense it’s just a ton of fun watching him.

I’m basing the setlist on the one from the night before.  I took clips of their songs but it’s not always clear when one song starts or ends.  The show before, it suggested that they played a 20 minute suite, but I’m quite certain they didn’t play it for us.  In fact, their set was only about 50 minutes.  But it was 50 intense minutes.  I wondered if they played less for us because there were fewer people or if they’ve just been playing a shorter set.

They played a couple of songs that I hadn’t seen them play before, like the super intense Puniare and Resignar.  I hope to see them again in a venue with a really good sound system. I feel like thier ontenseity tends to blow away small rooms.  And when I see them again, I hope they have a room full of people to watch them.

After the show I asked Tony if it was had to work to make a setlist that worked without Dani and he said yea, but that they still got to play with him outside of the U.S.  It’s just one more reason why our country sucks right now.

¿ Was It Medicine to You? (2025)
@ Todo Bailarlo (2022)
⊗ Mochima (2019)
∞ Magia infinita (2018)/reissued 2024
£ L’Antiteoria del Todo (2016)
§ single (2013)