The new year has been a great one for the independent art scene in Puerto Rico, and the west-coast of the island has had its fair share of cultural activities to back this up. Among multiple events, there has been the Noches de Galeria celebrated in San German and Mayaguez, the Rincon Art Walk, and the 5th Year Anniversary of Vox Populi: Puerto Rico. However, the most frequent events celebrated in the west have been rock shows. Among these were the Labajura/Dogos presentation in Cafe 413 and Corre Forrest!’s album presentation in Off The Wall. Thus, naturally, the party went on and this past Saturday, March 3rd, gave the people a diverse rock show filled with dancing, head banging, and, of course, mosh pits.
(promo for the show)
The event kicked off with the young Sniffing Colors, a band whose indie-rock influenced sound had the crowd dancing and head banging every now and then. It was a nice and slow start to the show. The ensemble pumped the audience just enough to start going a little crazier for the next band up, the garage-rock trio Redneck Buddha.
(picture of Sniffing Colors by Atabex Gonzalez)
After performing the previous night in Off The Wall alongside Late Night Drive, the trio, known for their mixture of punk and garage-rock, performed a familiar set which included the songs “Whiz Bang,” “The Siren and the Sailor”, and “Sewer Rat.” As always, Redneck Buddha’s music made the crowd head bang to the beat of the drummer Eri Quinones, jam to the guitar played by Hector Ramos, and dance to bass and vocals of Julian P. Sundaram. “The Siren and the Sailor” had the people dancing like it was prom night, while “Sewer Rat” made them slowly start mosh-pitting. Buddha gave the crowd a bit more of the energy they wanted to continue going strong.
(picture of Redneck Buddha by Alan Valle)
Alma Nebula, another of the power-trios of the west, continued the March Madness Band Show with their highly pop-rock influenced soundscapes. The trio, known for mixing things up, not only demonstrated their pop-rock inspirations, but also others such as hard rock and swing music. This was the group’s first show in a while and, sadly, it was noticeable. Nevertheless, the band marched on and delivered a lighter performance to what would transform into a night filled with hardcore-punk and mosh pits.
(picture of Alma Nebula by Alan Valle)
After Alma Nebula’s demonstration, Jauria took the stage. A band made up of musicians who have been in hardcore-punk bands in the past, Jauria is a fast-paced foursome that delivers political messages of freedom, resistance, and depression. Their performance was an adrenaline-fueled presentation that immediately started a mosh pit which had people doing everything from dancing to jumping and even throwing punches. However, while Jauria’s show was a powerful one which provoked intense manifestation, it honestly didn’t compare to what the next band would start.
(picture of Jauria by Alan Valle)
Jauria’s performance was a mere light to the fuse that hardcore outfit Grim Addiction would start. After a brief hiatus, the band, led by singer Walter Armstrong, performed a set which included songs like “Punishment is Due” and “Rage is the Key.” Tracks like these energized the intense and powerful mosh pit which made the crowd go wild. A mixture of dancing, jumping, pushing, punches, and kicks, the manifestation fueled by Addiction’s hardcore sound was truly a powerful one. It was a performance to remember and an example of how crazy things can get when such brutal energy takes over the human body.
(picture of Grim Addiction by Alan Valle)
The rock show celebrated last Saturday in La Tertulia en mi Tierra was an escalation of energy. Starting off with Sniffing Colors’ indie-rock sound and ending with Grim Addiction’s hardcore was a fantastic strategy which left the audience with enough energy so they could drive back home safely. The event was truly a demonstration of the talent found in Puerto Rico’s west-coast and how diverse it can be.
Listen to the bands: