It took me 3 hours to get from Santa Barbara to the Hollywood Bowl (no more than 85 miles!). I was really worried I’d miss part of the concert and was asking mi tía Macaria* to work her magic. Either LA traffic on the 101 was really good for a Sunday afternoon, or la tía Macaria came through. Even though there was a lot of traffic in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, once I got in to LA County, I was speeding along at 70-75 mph all the way to the Hollywood Bowl. Either traffic was just good, or la tía Macaria’s magic came through.

I met up with Ralph at Hollywood and Highland shuttle stop to the Bowl. We got to our seats before the opening act, Groove Armada, even began. Some wine helped calm my nerves and get me back in the right mood to enjoy Café Tacuba.

It had been 2 years since I last saw Café Tacuba perform, way too long in my book. The show was well worth the 3 hour drive and traffic. The band was dressed all in white and black. Rubén Albarán, the lead singer, wore a white suit and black t-shirt. He had his mid-length hair in two braids and wore a large white bowler hat with eyeholes cut out so he could see.

I was on my show the whole way through, but most of the people up front were sitting down. Rubén made fun of them for sitting down, but they probably didn’t know it as most of the people in the box seats probably weren’t the big fans and didn’t speak Spanish. All the cheers and dancing were in the cheaper seats at the back of the Bowl. I remember Rubén mentioning that he felt bad because he couldn’t address the audience in English. I yelled out that he shouldn’t care, he should just speak Spanish since we were in LA, after all.

Café Tacuba played from about 8:45 to 10 p.m. (including their 4-song encore).

The setlist:

1. No Controles
2. Cero y Uno
3. Las Flores (my favorite!)
4. Mediodía
5. New song (it was the same song I posted here a few weeks ago. They mentioned the name, but I didn’t hear it. I’ll post videos of the two new songs on YouTube)
6. La Ingrata
7. Chilanga Banda
8. La Chica Banda
9. Déjate Caer

Encore

10. Eres
11. El Baile y el Salón
12. New song (not sure if they mentioned the name or not)
13. Como Te Extraño Mi Amor

I only have one criticism: the shows are pretty predictable. I’ve seen Café Tacuba enough times to know that they’ll end their show and then come out for a four song encore. I also knew that the encore would include their cover of Leo Dan’s classic, Como Te Extraño Mi Amor.

Overall, I’m glad I made it. I need my Café Tacuba fix. The summer just doesn’t feel right without them.

*La tía Macaria is a great-great aunt on Mamá Toni’s side. Supposedly, she was a very pious, generous and saintly woman. My mom is a big fan of tía Macaria, which is the reason we often ask for her help in tough situations . These days, we ask “las ánimas de mi tía Macaria” for everything from a good outcome from a surgery to clearing up traffic so I can make a very important concert! She doesn’t help much when it comes to sports, or else the Dodgers would be winning the pennant — or at least a playoff game — every year.

Patience isn’t easy. I don’t like waiting in long lines or sitting in traffic.

I also struggle with patience when it comes to music and my favorite band, Café Tacuba. They haven’t released a new album since 2003. I haven’t seen them play live since 2005. Last year I bumped in to three of the band members at a concert and they told me they were working on a new album. I hope it comes out soon. I need it. For now, I’ll just listen to this untitled new song they played at the Festival Vive Latino in Mexico City last month.

And yeah, this song is definitely part of my summer 2007 mixtape.

I’m becoming too predictable.

The lineup for this year’s Coachella Valley Music Festival (April 27-29) was released this past weekend. Once again, I scanned the lineup list and drooled at the thought of seeing bands I hadn’t seen in years and seeing others live for the first time.

Rage! Julieta! Ozomatli! Manu Chao!

And then I realized that I’d probably skip the event again despite that some of my favorite bands will be performing. If I take my qualifying exams in the spring, I can’t afford to spend a day or two or three in the desert. My cousin is getting married in April, but I can’t remember what day. Tickets are expensive, it’s hot, the festival is expensive, I get antsy in big crowds, and did I mention that the festival is in the middle of the desert?

The two good things that came out of the Coachella line up release are the possibility of seeing Rage Against the Machine play a live show outside the festival and my introduction to Rodrigo y Gabriela (myspace). Say all you want about the evils of MySpace, but you can’t deny that it’s a great way to check out a new band.

It finally happened. I gave in to my desires.

Thanks to my sister and Mikey, I now own an iPod. It’s black, shiny and loaded with music, some episodes of Lost season 2 and a smattering of podcasts. I named her Cindylunares. I like it. A lot.

Two years ago, I dealt with my little white cord envy by simply telling myself the following things:

1. I couldn’t afford an iPod. I was, and still am, a poor graduate student.
2. Getting an iPod would mean constant auditory stimulation. Silence – or at least relative silence – would be a good thing for me.
3. I don’t like ear buds, they don’t fit right in my ears and are rather uncomfortable.
4. My money would be better spent on concert tickets and more new music.

But for everyone of those reasons, I was able to rattle off many other reasons for the usefulness of an iPod. I needed to clear some of the music off my hard drive. I wanted my music collection to be mobile so I could take it with me on my many trips.

I also wanted to have the perfect song at the perfect moment. I had one of those moments earlier this year. The song was deliberately chosen and it complimented the ambience perfectly.

I’m now one of those students on campus with the conspicuous little white cord going from her ears to pocket.

I like it that way. After all, the world makes more sense when Los Amigos Invisbles’ “Gerundio” (mp3) is playing as I walk VR and the smog has transformed a boring sunset into pink and orange.

I learned last night that I should never leave my camera in my car simply because I don’t want to have to carry anything on me at a concert. When I locked up my car, I had my friend, Jeanalee put my ID, money and keys in her pocket. At the last minute, she changed her flight to leave Oakland with me and return to LA on Saturday night. Jeanalee agreed to come with me to see Los Liquits (sorry, we missed Los Abandoned) at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, and I know she’s glad she made the choice.

I could have taken some great shots of Los Liquits guys in action. The Knitting Factory is a small venue, and the show wasn’t too crowded so even though I arrived a couple songs after they had started, I still could have made my way to the stage with no trouble. Los Liquits’ shows are just like their music: fun and a little weird, but the fun kind of weird. The guys have a great stage presence. Photos of Los Liquits would have been nice, but their music is good enough for me.

I really missed my camera when a minute after entering the room, I found myself standing next to Enrique “Quique” Rángel. Yes, the bassist from Café Tacuba. When I saw him, he looked really familiar, but he looked too normal to be a major rock star. He was just standing there watching the show, drink in hand. He wore an off white sweater vest, a white shirt underneath, dark pants and carried what looked like a camera bag. His hair is what gave him away. He had long bangs to the right, a little curly. He actually looked younger than I thought.

When some other kids came up to him, I realized I was right. He was Quique. I told Jeanalee who thought it was cool. A little later, Quique went back to the bar and I was surprised once again. To my left walking near the stairs to the second floor I saw a man dressed in black with shoulder-length hair straight hair. His height and lanky frame gave him away. It was Emmanuel “Meme” del Real.

Once again, I yelled in to Jeanalee’s ear while dancing to “Desde Que” that Meme was here too. It made sense, I told her since Meme produced some of Jardín and two years ago when I saw them in San Diego, Los Liquits opened up or them and Maldita Vecindad. Behind me, other kids had noticed los Tacubos and were snapping pictures with them. It was then that I felt dumb, but I tried to rationalize leaving my camera in my car by telling myself that I already have a photo with los Tacubos and seeing them at the same small show was great enough.

The night only got better. Los Liquits rocked, of course, and played all my favorites. And Joselo showed up with a woman (his wife? girlfriend?). He stood a few feet behind Jeanalee and I. Quique and Meme stood out somewhat simply bsaed on age… and the fact that people kept pointing at them and asking them for photos. However, Joselo can’t really hide. He has glasses and dreadlocks, something not common among Mexican and Chicana/o kids in LA. Once again, I pointed him out to Jeanalee and she noted that the other two could be a little incognito, but not Joselo. She was right.

A few songs later, Liquits ended their show, but most people didn’t empty the room. Would you leave the room where your favorite band was just chilling and having drinks?

I didn’t know what to do. Should I talk to them? What would I say?

I got the nerve to talk to Meme (at the time Joselo and his girlfriend were with Quique and they were talking to some guys). This was the best part, of course.

I was so starstruck, which I’m sure didn’t help my pocha Spanish, yet Meme was totally chill, nice and rather humble. I introduced myself and tried to introduce Jeanalee but momentarily forgot her name. She stood by my side as I asked Meme a few questions and then proceeded to gush on about how their music means so much to me.

I asked Meme about when they would release their next album. He confirmed what I had read and said that they were currently working on something which would be released next year. I was confused, did he mean 2007 or 2008? He cleared it up, 2007. I then asked when they’d be on tour again and he said after the release of the new album (duh). I told him that my year felt incomplete without seeing them play.

I told Meme that Café Tacuba’s music really means a lot to me. I don’t think I can voice the impact it’s had on my life, either in English or in Spanish. In particular though, Meme’s words have touched me even more. He wrote “Las Flores” a rather short 2 minute and 12 second song that oozes pure high-energy happiness. I love Las Flores, it’s my favorite song of all time, just as Re is my favorite album. I told Meme about my love of “Las Flores” and he just nodded. I continued in Spanish, “I don’t know if you guys know what your music means to your fans, how it makes them feel.” Meme replied, “we don’t know what you feel.” I hope he does now, at least from me.

I thanked Meme again. Mucho gusto seemed like an understatement. My knees were weak (really, they were), and I was still so amazed. I’ve met Café Tacuba before, but it was so rushed. All we got was a picture. Cool enough, but this was better.

Thanks to Jeanalee who found a friend from school in the audience, we got a picture with other Tacubos. A friend of a friend took a picture and soon Jeanalee and I will have a photo to remind us of the night we found ourselves enjoying the same music in a small venue with the greatest Mexican rock band.

On my way home, I called anyone I thought would appreciate the excitement of meeting Café Tacuba. I called my cousin Rene, roommate Isa who was with Gabby, another good friend. I called Lori and Adrian and left messages. Gabby was funny, “that would be like me meeting Chris Martin at McDonalds.”

Jeanalee and I listened to Re on the way home. We were tired, but so happy. I dropped her off at her Westwood apartment and then went home, still with the goofy smile on my face.

I was almost home when I realized something. I didn’t get to see Café Tacuba play, but meeting them and actually having a short conversation with Meme was better. My year is complete.