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Posted in music on March 18, 2008
el Guincho @ Mercury Lounge was pretty awesome
El Guincho before his Gorilla vs. Booze set, SXSW (GVB)
El Guincho played what I think was his first-ever NYC show last night at Mercury Lounge (March 17). He wasn't originally on the sold-out bill that included Cut Copy as the headliner, and for that reason I think his early set was less crowded than it would have been had tickets been available at the door.
With full command, el Guincho plays a perfectly mixed together set of (I like this description...) "Spanish chanting, thudding tribal rhythms, ghostly harmonies, and the bits and pieces of a thousand as-yet-unwritten pop songs". At first it just seems like someone on stage hitting play on pre-recorded music, and I wanted to hold that against him, but I couldn't. The quality of the tracks, the order he plays them in, and the non-trivial addition of his own voice and drumming definitely help create a unique, live, and very danceable, situation. This review from a SXSW show is good...
The highlight of the evening was Barcelona, Spain's El Guincho which was one dude with a Roland sampler he'd play with his left hand and a drumstick in his right hand playing percussion. "Give me more bass!" He'd command the soundman, "No more bass! I want to feel it! No! No! Mooooore Bass!" That fucker had it right. Once he got the sound he wanted, the thump of the floor tom would simply drive the audience nuts. The percussion was a fast bouncy beat far removed from the more familiar club beats of Fuck Buttons. These were poppy happy "get your ass up and dance" beats. In short, he was a one person Carnival except we weren't parading down a street but hopping up and down in a club. Yes, even I, the non-dancer, found myself bouncing up and down! That is quite an accomplishment.Check him out tonight at Union Pool for free if you can.
Posted on March 18, 2008 5:11 PM
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Comments (8)
I would highly recommend getting their early tonight. Doors open at 9pm, and it is going to be pretty insane.
Posted by unknown | March 18, 2008 5:58 PM
soooooo upset i am missing out on both his nyc shows. his music is so hot. fuck.
Posted by Anonymous | March 18, 2008 6:17 PM
he sounds like an annoying version of Panda Bear.
Posted by Anonymous | March 18, 2008 6:19 PM
I like annoyance then. Live, he was better.
Posted by Eduardo | March 18, 2008 9:32 PM
He was wonderful last night! Everyone kept dancing and dancing till his last "slow" song! What was he trying to say in the beginning? Did anyone catch that? Something about his friend from Spain looking for a cheap film?
Next NY show for him will be at Bowery Ballroom for sure.
Posted by Jonny Greenwood is the man | March 19, 2008 7:47 AM
Amazing show last night at Union Pool. For a minute I felt in a sweaty carnival, and it felt good.
Posted by malasagna | March 19, 2008 10:20 AM
seriously awesome last night. havent danced that much or had that much fun at a show in a while. he talked shit on the crowd at mercury lounge, said they just stood there and watched. "i'm not a jackson pollack"
Posted by Anonymous | March 19, 2008 11:11 AM
yeah best line of the day.....
"people just stared at me, Im not a Jackson Pollock"
Posted by low sugar | March 19, 2008 12:54 PM