Hardcore Mexican music fans might not like it, but do you know who’s the hottest Mexican act touring the world nowadays? It’s not Cafe Tacuba, it’s not Mana, it’s not Los Tigres Del Norte. It’s a couple of acoustic guitar players from D.F. who actually come from Dublin, Ireland. Yup.
Since their surprisingly big entrance into the music world in 2007, Rodrigo y Gabriela haven’t stopped amazing festival crowds and packing arenas both sides of the Atlantic and have sold over a million copies of their self-titled debut album, released on a small label at a time when, supposedly, nobody is buying albums any more. Oh! And they’ve also recently performed at the White House alongside Beyonce.
How is this possible? How can Rodrigo y Gabriela, two guitar players with no amplification, no back-up band, and no sing-along choruses, get so much buzz and perform anywhere other than a hotel lobby? Well, for starters, they created their own style of music fusing flamenco guitar techniques with their background in trash metal. Also, they both have amazing skills–you gotta see Gabriela’s hands moving at the speed of light during one of her percussion solos!
But the most important reason for their success: they somehow manage to magically fill a whole stage with just two people and two guitars and a lot of charisma. With almost no talking at all, they communicate with the stadium crowds in ways most other experienced rockstars would envy. And when they do talk, their Mexican-Irish accents are so cute that you wanna kidnap them and take them home to read bedtime stories to your kids. Sorry, personal fantasy.
11:11 is the title of their latest album and they’ll be touring the US promoting it throughout the summer (schedule below). So if you haven’t seen them live yet, this is your chance to see what the buzz is all about. Believe the hype!
Check out Rodrigo y Gabriela’s new video for “Hanuman” below, the first single from 11:11.
US TOUR
8/13 – Redmond, WA – Marymoor Amphitheater
8/14 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield
8/16 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s
8/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
8/20 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/21 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
8/24 – Vienna, VA – Filene Center at Wolf Trap
8/26 – Boston, MA – Opera House
8/28 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival
8/30 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Concert Pavilion
8/31 – Knoxville, TN – UT Knoxville
9/2 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
9/3 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre