Cumbia began as a style of music on the Caribbean coasts of Latin America. Since then the genre has expanded to other parts of the world and integrated other influences. The latest buzz band on the scene in Los Angeles is Thee Commons and they describe their hybrid as psychedelic cumbia-punk. They play at Gasa Gasa on Tuesday night.
Singing in both Spanish and English, the group takes the dance beats associated with cumbia and marries them to the raucous energy and irreverent lyrics of punk. Their live shows have garnered critical raves since the band began playing their high-energy sets in 2012.
Chris Ziegler, founder of LA Record, wrote about Thee Commons, “Live, they’re fearless, confident, and ready to go off-script at a moment’s inspiration. It’s wild stuff, just as it absolutely should be.” To which Chris Kissel of LA Weekly further commented, “If Thee Commons aren’t the best live band in Los Angeles, they’re damn near the top.”
That’s quite a statement, but based on what I have heard and seen, they put on quite a show. Besides their own compelling original material which includes songs with cheeky titles like “Salena’s Butt” and “Leonard Cohen in the Sky,” they have also been known to cover Nirvana’s “Love Buzz” and perform a punk version of Selena’s “Baila Esta Cumbia.”
The group has also embraced the vinyl revival. Their debut in 2013 was a 7-inch vinyl EP paradoxically titled Sunburn at Midnight. In 2016, their sophomore album Loteria Tribal appeared on limited edition flexi vinyl. That same year, they released two new 7-inches including their refreshing cover of Los Saico’s “Demolicion” and a single of “La Fiesta,” an obscure, swinging Mexican cover song backed with a grungy cover of Selena’s “La Carcancha.”
Show time is 9 PM. Kuwaisiana opens. Tickets are available here.
