July 27th, 2012
Go See It This Weekend: Bomba Estéreo, Hot Club Of Detroit, IDENTITY Festival, And Sigur Rós
Friday, July 27
Bomba Estéreo
Bomba Estéreo, out of Bogotá, Colombia, electro-shocks the shimmery psychedelics of Cumbia, splicing folkloric traditions with funk, hip-hop and strobe-flashing dance. Started by loop manipulator and bassist Simón Mejía about a decade ago, the group turned iconic when Liliana Saumet joined as frontwoman, extravagantly costumed and constantly mobile, chanting, sputtering, insinuating and shouting staccato Spanish into the mic. The band’s international debut, Blow Up, did just that in 2009, on the strength of fiery, hypnotic grooves like “Fuego” and “Raza.” Two years later, an EP offered “Ponte Bomb,” a pummelling, white-hot Latin remake of Technotronic’s “Pump Up the Jam.” Bomba Estéreo shows often extend into the early hours, so you might want to indulge in another Colombian import—relax, we mean coffee—before you go. Jennifer Kelly
7pm. $15-$17. With El Malito. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. 215.222.1400. worldcafelive.com
Saturday, July 28
Hot Club of Detroit
Despite a horrific car accident last year that left bassist Andrew Kratzat and his fiancée both with traumatic brain injuries, the Hot Club of Detroit has thankfully regrouped, readying the release of their fourth album, Junction, next month. This retro fusion/gypsy jazz quintet is inspired by Belgian-born gypsy guitar pioneer Django Reinhardt, who formed the Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1934, named in part for a popular jazz appreciation society there. Several “hot clubs” in the Reinhardt vein have cropped up in other cities, including the Motor City. With Reinhardt’s legacy as their starting point, the Hot Club of Detroit’s sound has evolved to include influences from other jazz greats like Ornette Coleman and Pat Matheny—and this time, they’ve added a female vocalist to the mix. Tonya Pendleton
8pm and 10pm. $20-$22. Chris’ Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131. chrisjazzcafe.com
Critic’s Pick: IDENTITY Festival
If you’re a fan of dance music, you won’t want to miss the IDENTITY Music Festival, this summer’s sole electronic music tour, charged with bringing some of the genre’s biggest names though 15 major U.S. cities—’cause it’s not nearly been hot enough, right? Expect performances from the likes of legendary Swedish DJ-producer Eric Prydz, whose 2004 smash “Call On Me” was the fourth-biggest selling single in U.K. that year, Excision, young French powerhouse Madeon, Showtek and a host of other music masters and manipulators, new and seasoned—all of them guaranteed to induce movement of the voluntary or involuntary kind, leaving you sweaty, energized and thirsty for more. Don’t fret, though: A couple of yummy beverage hawkers are among the fest’s stage sponsors. Glowsticks and hula hoops are welcome, as this is an all-ages party. -Ning Shao
Sun., July 29, 2pm. $60. Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing, N. Columbus Blvd. at Spring Garden St. 856.365.1300. idfestival.com
Sunday, July 29
Sigur Rós
The prodigals return on Valtari as Sigur Rós’ sixth album revisits the dour deliberate soundscapes that first earned them acclaim. The Icelandic quartet’s epic sweep, the icy, distant elegance and fragile beauty of singer “Jonsi” Birgisson’s cooing falsetto coalesced in striking cinematic set pieces with the grandeur of an Albert Bierstadt western landscape. Their last two albums—2006’s Takk… and 2008’s Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust—blew back the grey clouds to reveal a heretofore unwitnessed sunny disposition with concision approaching a buzzcut compared to their prior prodigious lengths. That approach recedes on Valtari, but for a few stray rays of heavenly illumination dancing cross the floor like a prison spotlight. -Chris Parker
8pm. $36. Also on Mon., July 30. Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave. manncenter.org
