After an afternoon of painting my friend Chelsey's room and a delicious pasta dinner, the two of us were up in the air on how we wanted to spend our Saturday night. We both agreed that we weren't really up for a club night so when a friend texted Chelsey with a live band option we were intrigued.When she asked what kind of band it was, her friend replied "cumbia/ska punk--a ton of fun, jumping around dancing all night." I had no idea what to expect from the description but I was in the mood for something different so we decided to go for it.
And this was nothing if not "something different." For some reason I was under the impression this was going to be some no name band, perhaps headed up by one of the guys friends or something. Turns out, these guys Chico Trujillo are one of the most popular bands in Chile. Luck was on our side because just as we roll up the bouncer calls out that only the next twelve people in line would get tickets. We literally snagged the last of them.
Adding to my confusion was the venue, Las Tejas. Never in my life would I have picked it for a place to host a world-touring group. The place looked like--no scratch that, was--a diner/deli. Literally, we got our drinks--terremotos, a cocktail that deserve its own posting--from a kitchen window. The guardia ropa (coat check) converted into the snack bar, selling fries, empanadas, an all other variety of greasy, alcohol absorbing food perfect for satisfying the munchies of the party-goers. (And those munchies were induced by more than just alcohol, anything went at this hole in the wall, if you know what I mean.) Once you walked a little farther back though, the space opened up into a huge room with a stage at the front. The chilean I was with said Las Tejas was what Chileans call a "picada," and told me that during the day the big club/dance floor area had tables. At any given lunch hour at Las Tejas, he said, "you'll see a university student having lunch a table over from an old drunk man. And before you know it they'll be buddied up, drinking together." Last night though, the space was transformed into a concert hall, and the energy was electric, the room packed with Chilenos waiting anxiously for Chico Trujillo.
There were a couple opening acts, reggae bands, to get everyone pumped up and in the mood, and around 1 am, Chico finally came on. The "jumping up and down" description of Chelsey's friend was certainly accurate; the crowd's enthusiasm was amusing and totally contagious. Every time the beat would pick up the chileans would go wild, throwing their hands in the air in their own version of the fist pump (palm open, and facing towards them). Definitely check out their Myspace page and give them a listen. I'm getting more and more excited for the September 18th Independence Day celebrations when it's cumbia all day and all night for a week straight!
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