Yerba Buena at Irving Plaza.
They're a good band to see live, though I'm afraid I may not like their new material. They played songs from their new album, and a couple from their previous album. Of course, I haven't heard their new album, as it comes out next week. Nevertheless, there were aspects of the previous album that were extraordinary: infectious melody, heart-thumping beat, mixed syncopated rhythms, multi-part harmonies, danceable groove, and unforgettable songs that mixed humor, sensuality, rap, and soul.
Of course, it is to be expected that certain magic or kind of success cannot be reproduced every time exactly the same. Still, one shows up because of the magic of the past, hoping that to get more of the same.
But in all fairness, I had not heard any of their new material before going to see them perform at Irving Plaza.
Their new songs are more guitar and bass-heavy, or otherwise we could not hear the other instruments. This is true at Irving Plaza: in order to fill the big space, the sound must be amplified enormously, so necessarily there will be an unevenness in the sound of the instruments after they've been amplified. Constant adjustment by the sound engineer notwithstanding, there were times when one could not hear or understand the lead, whether it was a singer or an instrument player. This was the case with the flutist, and to a certain degree with the trumpet player.
The new material seems to have more songs that play up the alliteration. Lots of "la la la la la" and "eh eh ehs". There is even a song called "Bla Bla Bla" (with a cameo from Dubbya), where that is all they sing - all five of the singers - the entire song, from beginning to end. It does have a nice melody, but it could not be appreciated fully this night.
Their mix of different rhythms and instruments continues, as they continue playing boogaloo, with some special guests (el abuelo de Yerba Buena, y el padrino del boogaloo, from the Bronx). They integrated elements of cumbia into two numbers, in the beginning of the show, with possibly the most palatable material for new fans.
 Yerba Buena's new album, Island Life | Fans of their first album, President Alien, were entertained with only three songs from that album: "Wassamatta Baby", "La Gringa", and "Güajira (I Love You Too Much)". Three of the biggest hits from Alien, although one could argue that all the songs from Alien are great.
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This review written by Eduardo De León.
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