Concert Review: Chicano Batman Turn Irving Plaza Into A Music Gotham
Now more than ever, we, Latinos, need a Chicano Batman to fly over Gotham and give positivity to our day. Chicano Batman are a band unafraid to get funky, passionate, and, dare I say, politically compassionate. With a picture of a woman receiving light from above, Chicano Batman proved that getting rowdy is to get enlightened.
Although framed as “Trop-Punk” or “Latin Rock”, even those genres seem too confining for Chicano Batman’s style. This is a band that focuses on the term “alternative” and stretches it for its very human and sonic significance. With bow-ties and funkadelia pouring out of the very finger-tips they use to play their instruments, Chicano Batman felt like a cross between a Woodstock Act and a 1950’s soul group; think The Temptations meets Jimi Hendrix and then drives over to hangout with Mana, Willie Colon, and Juan Luis Guerra. Yup, that whole lot hung out to give us Chicano Batman, and make sure the crowd knew they are a band you see when you want to feel free to feel good. Lead vocalist, Bardo Martinez is simply the chillest guy in the world. He completely understands that a person feels vibrant when they feel at peace, and that you can rile a crowd up with infectious joy. As he happily danced for and leaped at the crowd, he crooned his high-ranging vocals like he was delivering love songs rather than think pieces. Tracks like, “Friendship (Is a Small Boat in a Storm)”, “Cycles of Existential Rhyme”, and “A Hundred Dead and Loving Souls” felt like the diary pages of a genius trying to turn down his over-thoughts to let love into his heart. As an “over-thinker” myself, a self-proclaimed “smarty”, and a person who watches WAY TOO MUCH news, I felt the message loud and clear. It is hard to get out of your head and step into your heart when you are so bombarded with information that “feelings” feel like an unnecessary door to open.
Chicano Batman – Freedom Is Free (Official Video)
Chicano Batman arise as a band and Latinx symbol by presenting positive thoughtfulness, and giving songs that feel like urban legends forewarning listeners what happens when you fail to see you must think smart for your heart. Your mind and your feelings should work together to process and better who you are: not separately. Through glossed and blitzed chords, their “trop-rock” melodies feel like they were made by confetti, palm trees, and sunshine such as in, “Flecha A Sol” and “The Ballad of Raymundo Jacquez”. Confetti and rock music may sound contrasting, but the point is that Chicano Batman make noise but also make light. Every sound, no matter how raucous, comes with a brighter, psychedelic image, and, for that, I would totally welcome Chicano Batman to protect Gotham. For More Information On Chicano Batman Click Here.
Chicano Batman – Friendship (Is A Small Boat In A Storm) (Official Video)
