Final show of a busy week for me and Calexico’s final show of their European tour. Despite the London transport system doing its best to stop me getting there with two trains and four tubes later I arrive at our rendezvous point. It’s an early start with previous set lists running at over twenty songs. Tonight is no exception kicking off with title track off of their new album ‘El Mirador’. The rest of the set leans to a lot of tracks from the new album but then a great cross section from down their vast back catalogue.
The new album is certainly a little more up tempo and that’s reflected in the show tonight. There’s a real energy from the band and that transmits itself to the audience who are grooving all night. It certainly makes a massive difference seeing this band in a standing environment as seated venues can suck a little of the tempo from the show.
The band are as always on fire and clearly a pre requisite to join Messrs Burns and Convertino on stage is the ability to play at least three instruments. Special props to the moody sixties styled Dylan look alike Brian Lopez on lead guitar and it wouldn’t have been out of place if he had broken out into a Mariachi version of ‘Corinna, Corinna’ or the like.
After me joking about the poor lighting during the first track with just some spotlights shining out into the crowd I had to eat humble pie as they must have found the light effects on switch and it certainly added to the show complementing the music perfectly.
It’s a long set but they is no down time as they belt out classic tune after tune but you are still left wanting more. On a night of highlights their cover of ‘Alone Again Or’ was first class along with a great version of 'Crystal Frontier' but for me the solo acoustic Joey Burns performing ‘Fortune Teller’ with a single spot light shining diagonally down onto the stage was a real goose bumps moment.
Definitely the best I have seen these guys down the years.
Keep on mariachi rockin’ y’all.