Of the good bands of summer

Dancing to the end of the stage

Last night I was dreadfully late for the last Chill on the Hill of the 2017 season. Sammy had soccer practice but we both wanted to get the the last Chill, because it's a kind reminder that summer is over. You notice it as the sky is way darker than you remember it being all summer early into the headlining band's set, but last night it seemed even darker and I felt like I was arriving later than I was because of this. I was especially worried because De La Buena was on stage and from the sounds of things, they were all warmed up and driving in high gear -- how much had I missed? By the time I made my way to the stage, they were introducing special guest stars and telling the story of a song they were about to do, and as they started that song I remembered why De La Buena is one of the better bands in SE Wisconsin.

Spiritual congas

See, De La Buena frames themselves a Latin/Jazz/Afrofusion band, but while that's the architecture, they can attack anything and make it sound like it was theirs all along. Case in point: most people don't consider Leonard Cohen a Latin Jazz composer, yet as they began "Dance Me to the End of Love" with a scorching, heart wrenching guitar that gave way to a throbbing, emotional cuban salsa, it occurred to me that this song always could have been a Latin Jazz number, wailed appropriately by vocalist Holly Haebig. That's De La Buena's gift: they have sensational originals, but their covers go beyond cover, they're interpretations. It doesn't matter what genre the original came from be it metal, folk, or blues(the night they took on Black Sabbath convinced me that "War Pigs" does sound better in Spanish with the wicked touch of a full horn section). These are crack musicians who could play "Theme From Barney" and and still transport you to a smoky cigar and tequila smelling Havana cabaret.  Song choice isn't the only way they branch out either: I heard elements of 70s urban, funk, the aforementioned Afrofusion, psychedelia, Texas blues, and bebop in the set. I've alluded this band to the Arkestra before, and I stand by it. 

Trading licks

Oh, and they're fun! Bandleaders Cecilio Negron Jr and David Wake are, after all these years, so obviously into it and their enthusiasm is infectious. Wake conducts this orchestra with one hand, and with the other pushes his keyboards through an old Leslie speaker to yield that wavy throbbing organ sound underwear it all. Negron, in the meantime, sings and attacks the congas or the snare like it was a spiritual calling. The whole band is made up of some of the city's best players, and easily attracts top notch guest stars such as fabulous local guitar heroine Angie Swan, who playfully traded licks with Matthew Wilson. 

There's an overall joy and seriousness to the music which was an appropriate way to close out the COTH season. They were allowed to play well past the usual quitting time of 845ish, since this was the last show, and it was like everybody on that hill wanted to stretch it out just a little bit longer, like this whole summer we seem to have been cheated out of, what with our cooler temperatures and constant rain. It's time to head indoors now, (except for the last gasp of street festivals to be provided by the Bay View Bash and the Backyard BBQ) and see more SE Wisconsin music. Labor Day weekend is offering plenty of opportunities to do just that.

Last call at the Humboldt Park band shell