Saw Calexico Monday night at the Bowery Ballroom – my absolute favorites. They’re an Americana, Tex-Mex, indie rock band with strong influences from traditional Latin sounds of mariachi /conjunto /cumbia /Tejano. They’re from Tucson, Arizona and have been described as “desert noir”.  If you are into this kind of music, make sure you catch them on their summer tour.  My only caveat is that their newer rock stuff is not as good as their Latin sounds. They are a very collaborative band with great drop-in musicians.  I had never heard of Gaby Moreno who opened for them (and also joined them during their set) and she was fabulous!

I didn’t get any good video but this youtube performance from a few years ago is largely the same lineup and gives you a good feel for their style.

More pics from the Bowery Ballroom performance below.

Joey Burns, Founding Member of Calexico

Gaby Moreno and Joey Burns

The guys on trumpets are phenomenal

Calexico is a Tucson, Arizona-based Americana / Tex-Mex / indie rock band. The band’s two main members, Joey Burns and John Convertino, first played together in Los Angeles as part of the group Giant Sand. The band is named for the border town of Calexico, California.