Guitar Heroes - Rodrigo y Gabriela

Discovering new artists seems to be the theme for this summer, and once again I found another gem. I had heard of Rodrigo y Gabriela before, but I had never listened to their music and wasn't really sure what to expect other than great guitar playing. I was definitely in for a surprise! The guitar duo of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Sanchez started their career in Ireland, playing in local pubs and bars. They released their first demo in 2002 and starred to gain popularity by playing festivals across Europe. They have since built up a decent following around the world and have played for David Letterman, Jay Leno, and even President Obama. The best part of the music is that even though it's all acoustic, it sounds nothing like typical soft acoustic music. I've never seen two musicians make so many different kinds of noises on one instrument, nor have I seen someone play a guitar quite like they did. Their sound borders between flamenco and straight up rock and their live performances are particularly exhilarating. Their fingerpicking is unbelievable and their barre chord strumming is just incredible. I listened to one of their albums before the show but I think they really shine during their live shows and got the crowd going more than probably any other artist we've had this year. It was a very memorable night and Rodrigo y Gabriela are no doubt a top act.

While this show was pretty busy, it wasn't a complete sell-out and I wasn't thinking it was going to be a hard night. Unfortunately, the crowd was more lively than I've ever seen and it was hard to kind of keep everyone in line. People were dancing all over the place and causing a general ruckus (sorry for sounding like an old person) but I honestly thought it was pretty awesome! No one got hurt or anything and it was really fun seeing everyone so into the music. As always, looking forward to more shows in the future!

The best part of the show for me was when the two players took turns doing their own solo performance. It really showcased their individual skills and I was once again in awe of their masterful work on the guitar. Great show!

DC

Would give Clapton and Page  a run for their money!