Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
– LOS ANGELES – I still remember catching the headlining Y La Bamba night at The Echo back in 2019. First up was Vanessa Zamora who got the undivided attention of the crowd with a singer-songwriter set. Then Rituals of Mine hit the stage with a pulsating industrial rock set. At the time, I remember thinking that this might be an indication of Y La Bamba’s sound.
I first came across the band in 2017 at the Music Tastes Good festival and remembered the chill experimental folk sounds provided by lead singer Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos. That night at The Echo, the band had indeed not changed up their sound and I was just as enamored as I was in 2017. During that night, I came to the conclusion that Mendoza Ramos must have an eclectic taste in music and that won me over all the more.
Fast forward to 2024 and I happened to notice that they were going to be part of the summer concerts series at the Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles. I immediately circled the date on my calendar. I was not the only one who had made this a must be destination for a Saturday night. A multi-racial crowd made up largely of Millennials and Gen Z packed the front of the stage to catch the long-time Portland based band, though Mendoza Ramos has since moved to Mexico City, which apparently has a vibrant indie music scene. Read our Meth Math review here.
The band’s one hour set focused mainly on songs from their 2023 album “Lucha” and 2019 album “Mujeres.” Highlights included “Crema de Melón,” a 2024 single release, that had heads bobbing. “Boca Llena” had Mendoza Ramos fiddling with their guitar strings, perhaps trying to get the rhythm just right. They gave the nod for the drummer to start up the song and then they could be heard saying, “Oh shit, oh no.” The final song “Caminos” highlighted the vocal chants that had me first falling for this band.
Mendoza Ramos let their vulnerability out when they stopped the set to say that they are a very shy individual. Looking off to the side of the stage, they continued, “Every single time before I play a show, I get so nervous. It has been such a journey. Thank you so much for showing up. For holding a space for me. For all the sensitivity . . . . I can’t even look at the crowd.” The crowd couldn’t help but scream out their love.
Opening up the night was Buyepongo, a Los Angeles based band. While Y La Bamba had the crowd mesmerized at the front of the stage, Buyepongo had the crowd dancing to their Afro-Latin fusion sounds. There were more than a handful of people with their smartphones in hand, showing off their dance skills on social media. If people weren’t dancing, those in the crowd would attempt to encourage the individuals to dance a few moves.
Levitt Pavilion will continue to have free Saturday night concerts for the rest of August. Y La Bamba will be doing a Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California tour for 3 weeks starting in mid October which includes a Los Angeles stop at The Paramount on October 26th. Dancing shoes will be required on August 24th at The Paramount, as well, when Buyepongo headlines the night.
Y La Bamba setlist: Dibujos De Mi Alma, Serpente, Mas Manos, Crema de Melón, Gabriel, Nunca, Cuatro Crazy, Damned, Se Escucha, Walk Along, Boca Llena, Bruja de Brujas, Caminos
Buyepongo setlist: Por La Vida, La Vida Buena, Alivio, Miri, Musica Alegre, Negra Punta, Melodiosa, Mi Tesoro, Cantarito, Sueltan Fuego, Soñar
