This post is from Out the Other's 2009 Bonnaroo Artist Previews, where I will be posting previews of all the musical acts playing the 2009 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Please check out and subscribe to the full site to learn more about all of this year's performers.
Editor's Note: This is a guest preview by Matt Graupman, my cousin and the awesome dude behind Spinadoo Comics, a comic blog and home of the daily journal strip "Stay-At-Home Matt." He can be reached through his site or at spinadoocomics@gmail.com.
I don't want to blow my own horn (so to speak) but I played the violin for four years, from fifth grade through eighth grade. Nevertheless, I'm not what you would call a "musician" despite the fact that I play the Fisher-Price Light-Up piano like a son-of-a-bitch and, given the opportunity, I might wear leather pants (forward any offers to my e-mail). On the spectrum of instrumentalists, I'd say I'm probably better than Sid Vicious but not quite as good as those barking Christmas dogs (they're the bomb!). Rodrigo Y Gabriela (YouTube them, now!), however, are the pinnacle of musicianship. A pair of Mexican metalheads playing gorgeous and rhythmic folk songs, they smack and strum their guitars with the abandon of children doing their best Pete Townshend impressions. I bought their self-titled album from Target and included was an instructional DVD on their techniques; after five minutes of watching those two, I somehow had a broken wrist and ended up on bedrest for two weeks (may have been embellished for effect).
Whatever you do, don't call their music "flamenco;" they claim it's out of respect for "real" flamenco musicians but, really, it's because they have more in common with Metallica than say, I dunno, Charo? Originally from the Mexican thrash metal scene, Rod & Gab decamped to Ireland and struggled as street musicians until catching the ear of fellow busker, Damien Rice (WTF?). An opening slot at Oxegen led to more European festival gigs and soon the band was storming The States, appearing on MTV and numerous talk shows. But that's all background stuff; the real juice is in their music.
I gotta say that Rodrigo Y Gabriela are responsible for my second favorite Led Zeppelin cover (Numero Uno is Tool's version of "No Quarter") with their amazing take on "Stairway To Heaven" (does anyone else think of Wayne's World when they hear that song?). The tune fits in seamlessly with their other songs, full of changes in tempo and volume (i.e. "Orion" and "Juan Loco"). But more than that, the pair looks like they're having fun; with each finger strum or thump of a thumb, Rod & Gab play with a sense of delight that I wish more musicians were willing to display. In an industry full of hipsters in $100 Ed Hardy t-shirts looking pissed that they actually get paid to play music (horror!), Rodrigo Y Gabriela are an infectious (not in a swine flu way) breath of fresh air.
Bonnaroo will be a perfect showcase for Rodrigo Y Gabriela. What's better than dancing and playing air-guitar out in the sunshine with a few hundred thousand sweaty new friends? Just don't wear leather pants (you'll thank me later).
"Stairway to Heaven"
"Juan Loco"
Rodrigo Y Gabriela will play the What Stage on Saturday from 3:30-5 p.m. Check out the full Bonnaroo schedule on the official Bonnaroo website.
