07 August 2006

CERATI ROCKS PUERTO RICO


The sudden move from the “Anfi” to the Choliseo due to expected rain
which ironically didn’t show up, kept hundreds of fans waiting from
8:00pm for almost 2 hours until they finished the soundcheck. It’s
kind of absurd that a place so big as the Choliseo had only a few
sections open and lots of people sitting down the aisles which made
it difficult for those who had to go up and down for the bathrooms
and the cantina. After all everything came together and it finally
happened. Mimicking the cover of his latest album, “Ahi Vamos”, the
Argentinean Gustavo Cerati’s shadow was revealed  behind a black &
white mod looking backdrop that came down at 10:30 pm with Al fin
Sucede, a new song from his latest production and very appropriate
for the long wait.

The crowd was automatically euphoric as their idol started to sing
song after song from his latest album Ahi Vamos. Richard Coleman
(guitarist & chorus), Fernando Nalé (bass & chorus) Leandro Fresco
(synthetizers, percussion & chorus) and Fernando Samalea (drums &
percussion) rocked all the way with Cerati. They played with such
energy that I felt their sweat blessing me all the way at the back of
the venue.

With a great flow, the show’s sound was sharp, the light design was
fresh and dramatic, the transitions between songs were smooth and
Gustavo’s sporadic chats with the audience were just perfect “Cómo
están Puerto Rico”…”You want some rock & roll?!”. The modern stage
with a square of bright lights at the center transformed the huge
Choliseo in a surprisingly intimate space for everyone to be in a
Cerati State of Mind. After thanking everyone for dealing so well
with the inconvenience with sudden re-location of the concert, he hit
us with his powerfully poetic, existential and passionate lyrics.
Most of them were accompanied by minimalist geometrically groovy
animations that acted as the stage backdrop. Nine big plasma TV’s
were sorted in a very Mondrian kind of way which made it look post
modern. Looking excited he showed a different choice of wardrobe with
some leather accents along with his signature head of curly hair. A
fan declared the look as  “dramatic in a crazy Mad Max kind of way”.

In contrast to the Siempre es Hoy album that tuned a more electronic
vibe, with this Ahi Vamos show, he went back to his rock roots from
Soda Stereo years and rocked in a more classic way. It felt like he
made an even better impression on his audience who didn’t know
exactly what to expect. In a surprising twist which shows the
influence of  brit rock in his music, Cerati incorporated an excerpt
from David Bowie’s Jean Gennie in Paseo Inmoral, one of his hits from
the album Bocanada. One of the most memorable moments of the night
was when he played Te Para Tres, one of Soda Stereo’s greatest hits
of all time from 1986. Everyone tuned along the melancholic and
haunting lyrics while getting their lighters out.
 Right after Planta the lights of the stage went down, the concert
was apparently over, but no one moved. Waiting for more, people
started clapping, stomping their feet on the benches, singing the
typical “Oe, oe, oe, oe…” Several minutes and a bit of a silence
passed before the excited but tired crowd (as it was already
midnight), started acclaiming “Otra, otra, otra” for his idol.
So He came out showing a different shirt and blast it with Puente
another favorite from his Bocanada Album. After that “Gracias por
venir…” chorus that made the audience stand up and shout along, came
the closing with Jugo de Luna from the latest album and a final
“Gracias Puerto Rico” gave us his blessing and exited the stage.
After all the delays and the seating problems, everything worked out
and it was obvious people loved it. It was so far the one of the best
concerts I’ve attended this year.

By Mimi Vélez

Aquí el link de las fotos: http://flickr.com/photos/ivonne