Presented by Westword
Levitt’s Free Concert Series
Saturday, May 27th, 2023
All Ages | Rain or Shine
VIP Doors Open: 5:30 PM
GA Doors Open: 6:00 PM | Show Start: 7:00 PM
Free RSVP / VIP Opens March 10th at 10am MT
Son Rompe Pera
Mexico City’s Son Rompe Pera began performing at local events alongside their father when they were kids, accompanying him on the traditional Mexican marimba. Today, they are at the forefront of the contemporary international cumbia scene, as they take what they learned in their youth to new heights and push the marimba to its limits. Their absolutely unique blend of sounds comes as the result of a typical youthful rebellion, when as teenagers they left behind their marimba upbringing and began to play in various punk and psychobilly bands. Now they´ve come full circle, incorporating the marimba together with their rock influences, giving it a new twist never before seen.
The live shows of this garage-cumbia-marimba-punk band (the only band of its kind in the world) never disappoint, and always manage to fill the dance floor with a sweaty mess of dancing fans. Their authenticity shines through as they give their modern interpretations of Mexican, Peruvian, and Colombian classics, as well as their own original material and some surprise covers. The contrast of the traditional marimba with their youthful attitude and street sense connects the audience to the past while they dance into the future. They have toured the United States twice with such luminaries as PANTEON ROCOCO and are slated for many international festivals in the coming year.
The band released their debut LP in March 2020 on the international cult label AYA Records (subsidiary of the legendary electro-cumbia label ZZK Records) right as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, making it impossible to tour behind what many have called one of the best records of last year. Their last live show was at the iconic Vive Latino Festival in Mexico City, where they performed alongside the Chilean cumbia superstars Chico Trujillo (whose lead singer produced their album), and then of course their tours in the US, Europe, and Mexico were all cancelled. But the global lockdown didn’t stop them from growing their fanbase, as they were present in virtual events like Mole de Mayo in Chicago and the World Music Institute´s end-of-year celebration, as well as online festivals in Ecuador, Italy, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia.
With their name growing bit by bit, they were invited to do an “at home” session of Live on KEXP, the ultra-viral live performances from the prestigious Seattle radio station, as well as being selected as an official band at the 2020 WOMEX international music conference.
SRP have currently released two projects: “Bootleg Cumbia Vol. 1”, the 5-song EP from their Live on KEXP (at home) session (available only through Bandcamp), as well as a new collaboration (out August 6th) on the track “Ay! Ke Cumbión” by the iconic Mexican riot grrrl Ali Gua Gua (Los Ultrasonicos, Las Kumbia Queers) for her upcoming album Menos Pause, which also features one of the fiercest next-generation rappers in Latin America, Mare Advertencia Lirika. Also, a new album will be released in October. One of the most interesting young bands to emerge from Latin America, a Son Rompe Pera show is a must-see for fans of all ages who want to spice up their summer with some cumbia punk!
Brian Lopez
Shining bright from under the Tuscon, Arizona sun, Brian Lopez is a lead player in crafting the sound of the Southwest indie scene for the past two decades. Navigating the space between a classically-trained guitarist and a crooner-style singer, his projects have fluxed between solo projects and co-fronting the Tuscon-based Psych Rock/Cumbia band XIXA. Additionally, his musical talents have been lent to touring with the likes of KT Tunstall, Giant Sand, Mexican Institute Of Sound, Orkesta Mendoza, and is currently with Calexico, while his voice has been featured on many recordings including Amos Lee's "Windows Are Rolled Down" and KT Tunstall's album "Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon."
Beginning his professional career as the lead singer/guitarist for 3-piece prog-rock group Mostly Bears in 2007, he went on to release his first solo album," Ultra" in 2011 which garnered much international acclaim, including Rolling Stone Germany which described the project “Psychedelic chamber-pop with the surrealist touch of Dalí.” After touring across Europe and the US as the opening act for KT Tunstall, Giant Sand and Heartless Bastards, he released Static Noise in 2014, in which European tastemaker Musikexpress called exclaimed “Lopez is without a doubt one of the best songwriters of his generation,” previously naming him “...the missing link between Devendra Banhart and Roy Orbison” and rating how first two projects a phenomenal 4.5/5 stars. 2015 annotated a new chapter for Lopez, as he shifted sights from his solo career to focusing on the development of his new psych/cumbia band, XIXA, before Lopez returned to his solo work in 2018 when he independently released his 3rd album, Prelude, a 10-song lo-fi experimental album written and recorded in his bedroom during a two-week period.
Previewing his latest era, Lopez has teased his latest project and 4th studio album TIDAL with the release of singles “3000 Stories” which Popmatters called “indie rock and folk this side of Elliott Smith, finding its mellow vibe in subtle, undulating synths, guitar tones, and soft-sung vocals” and “Road To Avalon” featuring KT Tunstall which Blood Makes Noise proclaimed “It's weird when you mostly review lo-fi stuff to come across something so hi-fi and perfect. It's cinematic in its approach, a slow build into a very classic sounding song.”
The latest project marks a creative reset and represents a sort-of coming home to himself journey after taking some time away from his solo career. TIDAL is a record about a man falling in love with music again and channels the glee and rush of excitement he felt as a child holding his first guitar. Finding a newfound freedom too. It's a record that proves that Tucson’s famed desert romantic has lost none of his unique magnetism or Southwestern psychedelic tendencies. TIDAL, recorded at Dustin Stone Recording Studio in Tuscon, Arizona, will be released this summer via Cosmica Artists.