Manu Chao
Date: July 7, 2007 Radio Bemba Four days in, this year's incarnation of Bluesfest remained short on bands that I would have called myself a fan of. After Manu Chao's excellent effort as the main stage headliner, though, I was left wondering if I hadn't just witnessed the set of the festival. At the least, I can't imagine that any band will be a greater surprise for me, as Manu Chao was yet another act that I had known only by reputation. I started the weekend slowly, only allowing myself enough time to see Mute Math and Manu Chao. I opted for Mute Math on a suggestion from a friend; and while I'm still not sure if they're my kind of band, I felt that they put on a solid show. The New Orleans four-piece definitely had its share of technical snags to overcome. After starting a few minutes late, the band ended up halting three songs in to fix a speaker problem. Shortly after that, the drummer toppled his hi-hat at the start of a long song; and the bassist broke a string late in the set. Nonetheless, the band rolled through with a good performance. Although I still wasn't a fan by the end of their show, I found the songs more interesting as the set went on, with the group moving into less conventional territory. Mute Math drew a decent number of fans, skewing young and energetic. The band itself was even more energetic, prowling the stage and switching up the instrumentation. Frontman Paul Meany was particularly notable, actually performing somersaults over his electric piano and ending the set by passing a strange-looking instrument into the front row of fans. I took a brief look at perennial festival attendee Michael Franti, who had the crowd singing along to the Sesame Street theme song, before finding a spot at the opposite end of the field in anticipation of Manu Chao. This was yet another Bluesfest performer I didn't really know prior to the live show but the buzz around this concert had my interest piqued. As it turns out, that buzz was understated in proportion to the excellent set that followed. Manu Chao offered a stew of musical styles, with tinges of rock, punk, reggae, and Latin influence among the mix. Manu Chao's own guitar work and singing were backed by a talented line-up of players handling guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and percussion. However, the awesome energy on stage was as important as the musicianship. The band was constantly jumping around and clapping the beat, while encouraging the audience to do likewise. The large crowd was certainly receptive, with people clapping along to every song in a long set. Even though the material was unfamiliar to me, every song hit its mark, with tight grooves always leading to manic uptempo stretches that had thousands of heads bobbing and fists pumping. Even with few of his songs being in English, Manu Chao kept people enthralled with his vocals. Perhaps the biggest compliment that I can give Manu Chao is that despite the tight squeeze on the crowded field, the energy that I was expending jumping around, and a slate of songs that I had never heard before, I never grew tired of the set. Every song was such a treat that I didn't want the band to end. Fortunately for me, I falsely predicted that the end of the concert was imminent about five times before the group finally wrapped up a set that brushed against the two-hour mark. Neither Chao's brief departure to the side of the stage, nor an introduction of each band member, nor the first encore, nor a group bow signaled the end, much to my delight. If not for a festival cut-off time of 11:00, I wonder if Chao could have ever been taken off the stage, given the fun that he, his band, and the fans were having. When Manu Chao finished their epic set, no-one could say that they didn't get their money's worth. In fact, I'd say that the whole festival was worthwhile just to participate in that amazing experience. <--Prev (Kid Koala) | Next (The White Stripes)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |