Free Outdoor Concert, 21+ only. Concert will start at 8pm. Presented by Wonky Power.
Divino Niño are no strangers to bold reinvention. When Camilo Medina and Javier Forero—friends whose bond dates back to their childhoods in Bogotá, Colombia—moved to Chicago and recruited guitarist Guillermo Rodriguez to form a band, they were psych-pop outsiders playing live shows with a drum machine. With the addition of drummer Pierce Codina, their 2019 breakthrough and debut LP for Winspear, Foam, solidified their place as local indie rock mainstays. Soon after, multi-instrumentalist Justin Vittori joined to round out their lineup. Once again, with their masterful, unpredictable, and eminently danceable new album, the band has done something radical: They totally upended the way they write songs, eschewing practice room jams for unrelentingly collaborative beats, implied grooves for immersive dance floor heaters, and mellow vibes for frenetic doses of reggaeton, electropop, and trap on their most adventurous and ambitious work to date. Welcome to the Last Spa on Earth. LISTEN / WATCH
The biggest Cumbia party in Houston returns on July 14th with another fiery lineup! Free entry, 21+ presented by Wonky Power. Arrive early and stay late! 7pm-1:30am. Presented by Wonky Power.
“Cumbia is the new punk” - LA Times
While the band puts a rocking twist on traditional cumbias, its influences are much broader. There are elements of rumba, chicha, son jarocho, hardcore and even some ZZ Top. Be sure to check out one of the most buzzed about bands from Mexico City @sonrompera performs live in Houston on Saturday, March 18th here for our Axelrad Concert Series. Free entry! 7pm
"Son Rompe Pera was founded by a set of three brothers, the Gamas, who wanted to keep their family tradition of marimba alive. As kids, they played alongside their dad at local events. But they also played in punk bands as teenagers. At the group's live shows, you see and hear both of those sides: their sound is really polished cumbia, but their look and energy is very punk-metal.” - @NPR
Born and raised in the deep outskirts of Mexico City, the Gama brothers are keeping alive the rich legacy of marimba music running through their family with their band, Son Rompe Pera. While firmly rooted in the tradition of this historic instrument, their fresh take on this folk icon challenges its limits as never before, moving it into the garage/punk world of urban misfits and firmly planting it in the 21st century.
Their live shows are a sweaty mess of dancing fans, and this garage-cumbia-marimba-punk band (the only band of its kind in the world) never disappoints on stage. Their authenticity shines through as they give their modern interpretation 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.
Free Outdoor Concert. Rain or Shine 21+ only. Concert will start at 8pm. Presented by Wonky Power.
Jalen Ngonda is one of the most captivating performers on today’s soul scene. His voice, equal
parts raw feeling and elegance, exudes confidence and charm. At 28, his resume reads more
like that of a seasoned veteran: He has performed at New York City’s Summer Stage Festival,
Picktathon, Newport Folk Festival, opened for Laura Mvula and Lauryn Hill at the Montreal Jazz
Festival and sold-out houses on his own in Germany, the UK and Switzerland. Most recently,
Jalen thrilled audiences and garnered rave reviews with his powerful solo performance in
support of Thee Sacred Souls’ US tour. Now with a pair of widely revered singles under his belt
at his new home, Daptone Records, Jalen prepares for the release of his debut LP, Come
Around and Love Me.
Free Concert Series, 21+ presented by Wonky Power. Rain or Shine
Sonido Gallo Negro (Black Rooster Sound) is a stunning 9-piece, instrumental combo from east Mexico City that channels both the mystique and mysticism of 1960’s Peruvian cumbia. The band integrates styles like Amazonian cumbia, huayno, cumbia sonidera, boogaloo and chicha (Peruvian cumbia) with electric guitars, Farfisa organ, theremin, flute and of course fluid Latin percussion. Spaghetti western soundtracks, psychedelia and surf music also echo in their compositions. Sonido Gallo Negro’s music proposal enrichens and cultivates this musical genre with its exotic sui generis version that integrates outstanding visuals performed live by designer Dr. Alderete, who illustrates in real time.
PREVIOUS PERFORMERS INCLUDE
Ruben Albarran de Cafe Tacvba, Thee Sacred Souls, Lower Dens, Adan Jodorowsky, Washed Out, Neon Indian, Twin Shadow, Nite Jewel, Paul Banks, The Octopus Project, Black Pumas, The Chamanas, Chancha Via Circuito, The Red Pears, Kermit Ruffins, Midnight Generation, and more.
