The acoustic guitar duo’s debut at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park was nothing short of masterful — electrifying new and old fans with rhythmic, Latin-hued and rock-driven fervor.
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By John Sinkevics
LocalSpins.com
The spectacle that is live contemporary music can take many forms: the glitz and pyrotechnics of an over-the-top arena show, the sweat-drenched, teeth-rattling roar of a rebellious punk performance, the hypnotic, beat-driven and laser-enhanced power of electronic dance music.
And then there’s Rodrigo Y Gabriela.
Armed with just two acoustic guitars — and a startling cache of talent — the Mexican duo of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero delivered a musical spectacle on Wednesday unlike anything audiences at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park had ever seen before.
Launching the evening with the first two songs (“The Soundmaker” and “Torito”) off of their latest album, “9 Dead Alive,” the pair of acoustic classical guitarists quickly transformed the outdoor amphitheater into a wondrous melting pot of lively Latin rhythms, rock and heavy metal fire and flamenco virtuosity.
With a uniquely rhythmic approach, a dynamic stage presence, tight arrangements and a few special effects, Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s music was almost instantly engaging even for many in the audience who likely had never experienced the wonders of the classical guitar — let alone the boundary-pushing way that this duo redefines that genre.
“It’s like the anti-formula,” Gabriela said of two musicians playing acoustic guitars for an entire evening, mostly without even singing. It’s a formula that works like a charm.
Truth be told, Rodrigo surprised and delighted many in attendance by actually manning the microphone during a seemingly impromptu medley of covers, which included Stone Temple Pilots’ “Plush” and Radiohead’s “Creep.” And dang it if this lightning-quick master guitarist isn’t also a helluva singer.
Of course, to get 1,900 people in a sold-out amphitheater excited about acoustic instrumental music takes a little flash and flair, and that was no problem for these two, who first played together in a heavy metal band in the early 1990s.
MESMERIZING GUITAR WORK, GENRE-BENDING MUSIC
I found myself mesmerized by Gabriela’s deft playing, partly because she proved to be as much a percussionist and master of special effects as a guitarist, alternately using the palm of her hand, knuckles and fingers to pound out rhythms on her guitar. Much of the time, she accomplished this with her eyes closed.
Rodrigo often played with his legs splayed in a classic rock-star stance, using a beer bottle as a slide at one point. Both musicians added occasional pedal effects to give things an electric-guitar vibe, continually upping the ante and further electrifying the crowd with their invigorating display. (Their show followed a solid opening solo set by a tremendous singer, Heather Maloney, who admittedly might have benefited from full-band backing.)
There were a few enhancements during the Rodrigo Y Gabriela set, including a mountains-with-full-moon backdrop that projected video images of the duo performing (visible after darkness began to fall) and lighting that flashed to the beat of the often-percussive music. But mostly this was about two musicians who break the rules in riveting fashion.
A fan who’d seen them perform a wild, rousing show in California had cautioned me ahead of time that some of the staid, uninitiated Meijer Gardens concertgoers stubbornly seated in the front rows wouldn’t know what hit ’em.
While many attempted to remain seated early on despite efforts by devotees to rev things up, Rodrigo shrewdly noted that fans at the duo’s shows usually stand for the performances but any way they wanted to enjoy the concert was fine — which, of course, induced much of the venue to stand for the rest of the night for music that couldn’t help but inspire glee.
As spectacles go, it may have been the most impressive Meijer Gardens concert of the entire summer — the sort of milestone performance that changed attitudes about the classical guitar, about instrumental music, about acoustic duos, even about sitting.
RODRIGO Y GABRIELA, HEATHER MALONEY: THE LOCAL SPINS PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Anthony Norkus
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Copyright 2014, Spins on Music
i saw R y G at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, Cali, and was STANDING in the front row…Your friend stated it accurately about not know what hit them. An incredible fantastic show…besides the GREAT music, i had another “what memories are made of moment”…my friend and i had a couple beers before the show. it was crowded where we were, so the only place to put my empty beer cup was btwn my feet. rodrigo came over and tossed a guitar pick into the audience near me. a bit of a scramble but it was dark on the floor, i couldn’t see anything. a minute or so later, my friend, clinton, turned to me a said, “you know rodrigos pick landed in your beer cup..hahaha good stuff
great take on their show…I’m going to paris in november and have tics to see them at the zenith…gonna be awesome…