Os paralamas hit SF
Folks, if you missed Os Paralamas do Successo last Tuesday in San
Francisco, you missed a great Brazilian pop moment. Ska, reggae, and
rock dominated -- not samba.
Their songbook is thick and rich, allowing the band to plow through
number after number, eventually working the packed crowd at The
Mezzanine into a bit of a frenzy. Singer Herbert Vianna (in a
wheelchair following the crash of his ultralight plane in 2001) was
cool and calm, only occasionally flashing a smile, but often
emotional. (Patriotic ferver before the world cup seems to be running
high.)
Perhaps because I was indifferent to the new rock-only material, I
thought things improved greatly toward the end with everyone in the
room was swept up in the swinging, ska-driven numbers. By the way, the
crowd was virtually all Brazilian -- apparently this well-known pop
group remains unknown to Americans, even in a hip place like SF.
Photos are up at
http://www.sfmpb.com/galleries.html
Francisco, you missed a great Brazilian pop moment. Ska, reggae, and
rock dominated -- not samba.
Their songbook is thick and rich, allowing the band to plow through
number after number, eventually working the packed crowd at The
Mezzanine into a bit of a frenzy. Singer Herbert Vianna (in a
wheelchair following the crash of his ultralight plane in 2001) was
cool and calm, only occasionally flashing a smile, but often
emotional. (Patriotic ferver before the world cup seems to be running
high.)
Perhaps because I was indifferent to the new rock-only material, I
thought things improved greatly toward the end with everyone in the
room was swept up in the swinging, ska-driven numbers. By the way, the
crowd was virtually all Brazilian -- apparently this well-known pop
group remains unknown to Americans, even in a hip place like SF.
Photos are up at
http://www.sfmpb.com/galleries.html
