I ran into Matt Caughthran in the swag room and asked him, “So, how do I explain to my friend that I'm leaving her birthday party to go see Mariachi El Bronx?” He responded immediately with a big smile, “You don't, you just go.” How do I explain to Caughthran that if it weren't for Mariachi El Bronx, I'd be too intimidated to talk to him because of his aggressive stage persona with The Bronx?
At the festival, people are still trying to figure out this Mariachi El Bronx thing. “It's a joke, right? A punk band going mariachi? I heard it was a joke.” I looked at the guy talking and said, “Hells no. It's not a joke.” Who would spend thousands of dollars on real mariachi uniforms for a joke? These aren't Halloween costumes, they're custom made. They spared no expense on little details like actually having the ties embroidered with MARIACHI EL BRONX. They're as authentic as street cart tacos made before your very eyes, only on the street in LA.
There are more than a few El Bronx fans who would be happy to kick your ass for saying it's a joke, and they look pretty tough considering that some also like The Bronx. There are also a few Bronx fans who want to kick the very asses of the band for starting this “mariachi thing.”
Some of them probably blame the “mariachi thing” for guitarist/trumpet player Brad getting a shave and a hair cut. The long hair and mustache was really cool. Now he looks like a skater kid wearing a BRAD belt buckle. Wait, he's, um...he's...kinda handsome. Caughthran asked, “How do you guys like Brad's new haircut?” Someone in the audience yelled, “Grow it back!”
If The Bronx pissed a few people off, they're proud of it, and they're having a blast. Mariachi in English? Hells yeah! Someone probably got offended by that. While performing at Spaceland, Matt Caughthran waxed rhapsodic about The Bronx having done a residency there a few years ago. He shared why he thought this band is perfect for a festival called Culture Collide.
“Last week we played the Pure Aryan Children's Festival. We didn't go over so well.” The audience laughed knowing full well about punk's association with the skinhead movement. And while Caughthran looks a bit like a skinhead on the outside, he certainly isn't one on the inside.
A few months ago, Mariachi El Bronx played the El Rey as their own opening act for The Bronx. Back then they seemed as if they weren't completely comfortable with their new act. They played well, but when they thanked the audience Caughthran expressed thanks with a Sally Field aura of, “You like me. You really like me!” Now they play with great confidence. They've booked a UK tour as El Bronx and played at La Linea: the London Latin music festival. Last week they opened for Primus at Club Nokia.
Before they were mild Anaheim chiles, now they've matured into hot jalapeños. They now have their own increasing set of devoted fans who hold their beers high and sing along loudly at shows to, “My Brother, the Gun” with its Spanish refrain, “mi hermano, la pistola.” Or the jailbird anthem, “Cellmates.”
If you wonder about the crowd, think of the mishmash of cultures that are in LA. There are plenty of Mexican kids caught between two cultures who grew up listening to mariachi tunes at every wedding, every quinceañera, and every party. But they also grew up listening to the same punk rock as those gringos in The Bronx. And living in LA, the gringos really can't escape hearing a few mariachi tunes.
And rather than whatever the gringos usually chant at concerts, as the set closed there were cries en Español. “Otra! Otra! Otra!” But Monotonix from Israel was already setting up their stuff.
Many already know that Bronx guitarist Ken Horne is Japanese-American. El Bronx's female guitarrón player is Mexican-American. She exited the tiny backstage area wearing a Morrissey t-shirt. And their violinist? Turns out he's Chinese-American. Yep, Culture Collides here.
Please Tweet, Facebook, leave a comment below or write an email to DianaDiazSing@yahoo.com. Click on the Culture Collide Festival tag to see all of the acts that were covered.
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