[ATTENDED: December 15, 2021] Los Retros / Le Butcherettes / Inner Wave / Crumb [rescheduled from May 3, 2020 and June 16, 2021]
This band had several different opening acts planned over the many different shows. I knew Le Butcherettes, but not Inner Wave or Crumb. When I walked in, I wasn’t even sure who was opening, although I did note that the signs announced Los Retros.
Los Retros is Mauri Tapia, from Oxnard CA. For this show, he had a bassist and a drummer (my little brother) with him.
Tapia started on guitar and I could hear right away why they were called Los Retros. They played a retro sound–shimmery guitars and a soft rocking sound. The three of them were very tight with the bassist keeping a nice low end while Tapia plays some really wicked solos. The songs varied between upbeat and slower–but the vibe was the same.
I was amazed to see that all of the people around me were singing along.
After three or so songs on guitar Tapia switched to keyboards and the rest of the set took on a very different feel–more of a smooth, soft rock vibe. One that I didn’t like as much (I really didn’t like his keyboard sound).
But that’s because the retro in the name doesn’t apply to me.
Al Dia News notes:
The name ‘Los Retros’ pays homage to the Chilean pop group, Los Ángeles Negros — “the black angels” in English — which originally formed in 1968. … Los Retros had a quick rise to stardom after the release of his single “Someone To Spend Time With.”
I didn’t enjoye the second half as much, but the first half of the set was great–Tapia’s guitar chops are right on.
~~~
Le Butcherettes I also know from a Tiny Desk Concert. Teri Gender Bender is a great punk front woman. She channels different vocal styles and can rock with the best of them. She is also unafraid to stare at the audience. I imagine she’d be an intense experience.
Inner Wave is a five-piece ensemble, and three of the bandmates – lead vocalist and guitarist Pablo Sotelo, bassist and vocalist Jean Pierre Narvaez, and guitarist and keyboard player Elijah Trujillo – go all the way back to middle school. Some back-in-the-day homies left the band in 2016, and keyboardist Chris Runners and drummer Luis Portillo joined the group. But their departure from the original line up hasn’t thrown off the band’s energy in the slightest, as evident in their most recent full-length release, last summer’s Underwater Pipe Dreams. The 18-track LP is the best testament to Inner Wave as they are now: an indie rock quintet who seamlessly float between psychedelic and synthwave sounds, poised for a breakthrough.
Indie Current described Crumb‘s sound on ‘Locket’ as psychedelic slacker-rock.[11] Paste Magazine called their sound a meld of “60s psych, loose jazz, and freeform indie rock into a soothing pop amalgamation.” Others describe them as psychedelic jazzy Lofi dream pop.
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This show has been bounced around now to three different venues. I was sure I’d finally get to see The Beths, but then this new uptick pushed their tour back. I don’t know how wise pushing back a show for one month is during this pandemic nonsense. Especially since they’re saying the spike will drop away in mid-March, but darnit, I really want to see The Beths.
