JULY!’S TOP FIVE MANA SONGS … EVER —

The date for Mana’s tour stop in Oakland is only a couple of hours away (OK, so, I’m getting ahead of myself here. It’s more like 50 something hours, BUT TIME FLIES!)

The show on the 27th of April will mark my 8th time watching Mana live. And honestly, it’s always felt like the first time. I get that excited. Some bands just, well, they just speak to you.

I wish I was playing when I say I like almost every one of their songs … but it’s true. Above is from my favorite album, Sueños Liquidos. It’s around then, I feel, that they made a real conscious decision to pull away from their Rock en Español label and focus more on making music that spoke to them. It’s actually a stigma and a move that the band carries to this day. Fans who fell in love with their self-titled debut album, through “Donde Jugaran Los Niños” and then “Cuando Los Angeles Lloran” nowadays still expect the same sound. And man, Mana’s sound has changed drastically over the years. It’s for that reason that if you’re a fan of the genre (Rock en tu Idioma), you probably hate Mana and cringe when someone says they’re a Rock en Español band.

They’re not. They’re … f*ck … they’re the best band alive. I debated over a Top 5 list for a bit during my Herman Melville class the other day, but here are the five Mana songs I cannot live without (haha, like, Vivir Sin Aire, but, Vivir Sin Mana … I crack myself up).

5. OYE MI AMOR

It would not be a Mana playlist without arguably their biggest Rock hit.  And please, I dare you to name another opening riff more recognized than the Bm F#m of Oye Mi Amor. … You can’t.

4. COMO UN PERRO ENLOQUECIDO

The first Mana song I ever heard. I “borrowed” the CD from a family friend after falling in love with Alex’s drumming in the first 10 seconds of the song. I returned the CD having not listened to ANY OTHER SONG. Sergio’s guitar solo is among my favorite by any guitarist ever.

3.  CLAVADO EN UN BAR

I take that back, Sergio’s solo in this song is my favorite. I used the non-video version because the radio edit takes out that bit of reggae that comes in the last minute of the song, right after the solo. The hell is that! The album version is so much better.

2. EN EL MUELLE DE SAN BLAS

Hmm … in an image …

1. CUANDO LOS ANGELES LLORAN (VERSION UNPLUGGED)

The first time I saw Mana was back in 2002. The Giants were playing the Braves in the NLDS (if my memory serves me correctly, Bonds hit a couple homers off of Kevin Millwood), and my brother Max and I had to sneak out of house and drive to San Jose’s HP Pavilion to watch Mana. We were still going to church frequently at the time, and there was no way my mother would have approved. We snuck out and took the risk because we both wanted to see them play THIS SONG. THIS WAY. To this day, some seven shows later, I pray this play this song.

 

MANA — 2012 TICKETS (update)

I know I’ve been doing a lot of Mana posts lately, because they’re finally coming to town and such. And just based on the fact that, via the WordPress fantabulous STATS page, people actually come to this blog to find Mana information …

I was told initially by the Mana PR people that tickets for Mana would go on sale today, Feb. 3rd. But it looks like, that date was wrong and the actual sell date is next week, Feb. 10th. Below is the image straight from their Facebook page and website. Links to their official Twitter account lead to it as well.

Looks like we’re waiting another week people. I  can’t really speak on the ticket prices. Based on what I do know though, they’re listed somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 for the top level, to $240 for the VIP packages.

I know, I know, can’t wait. Here, a little video to make you a little more desperate:

MANA — U.S. TOUR DATES (2012)

UPDATE: BEFORE YOU JUMP OFF A BRIDGE …

READ THIS >> http://wp.me/pPOpp-yK

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With the exception of a couple of big name acts, as many of you already know, I love to cover Latino music. I feel it’s something that doesn’t get enough press — plus, as a retired musician, Latino music is probably the genre I’m most familiar with.

Last year, my Latino music adventures took me to Los Angeles to see Mana in concert. I caught the first two shows of a four-night stop at the Staples Center, marking the eighth time Mana has sold out that venue. Last week, to my anticipation (and prediction), Mana announced their return to the U.S. Admittedly, being a Mana fan isn’t what it used to be. But still, I’m super excited to see their show again … something about that first love that always gets you. Here are the U.S. tour dates. Tickets go on sale Feb. 3rd. 

If you’ve never been to a Mana show … go. If you have been … go again. We’ll see you in Oakland on April 19. Perhaps even Sacramento on April 17.

Mana @StaplesCenter — Day 2

So, after attending, covering and then writing about the Opening Night of Mana’s four-night stop in Los Angeles, it was time to do it all over again and attend night number two. Seem excessive? Sure, but his is Mana and these dates are historic and it’s always nice to be a part of history. So to the Staples Center we went for Mana in L.A: Night No. 2 …

There is no official review for the second night, so here are my thoughts: 
Night No. 2 of Mana’s tour stop in Los Angeles kicked Night No. 1’s ass. Honestly, I don’t think it was even close. Not that the band played any differently, or had a higher amount of intensity or joy, it was all about the crowd. Night No. 2 seemed more engaged in the show. I think a lot of it had to do with some modifications to the set list: The first two songs were the same, but then Mana went with “Piez A Cabeza,” which was a great way to keep building the fire (so to speak) and get the crowd more excited. Then they did “Manda Una Señal, which they didn’t do during night one. The change was, for lack of a better word, nice.

Mana still had issues with getting the fans to respond to their newer material. During the interlude when they played three-straight from Drama Y Luz, that lull that I wrote about in night one was still there … but to a lesser degree … more fans stayed in their seats. But it wasn’t like they were singing along, or were engaged by the lyrics. People, YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THAT NEW ALBUM. IT IS TERRIFIC. 

Mana picked it back up though, and so did the crowd, after that interlude. Me Vale was on another level on this night. And, I can’t say enough good things about the acoustic set Friday night. It was Mana Magic at its best. Probably the best rendition of “Si No Te Hubieras Ido” you will EVER hear.

I still take major issues with people and and their cameras. There is nothing wrong with taking one of two shots, see, even I did it! But some fans had their cameras on THE ENTIRE TIME! What, are we shooting a Mana Concert DVD? Documentary? It’s annoying. This one guy sitting across the aisle from me had his camera on THE ENTIRE TIME! Who are you, Spielberg? Ridley Scott? The temptation to walk across, grab his camera and throw it into the crowd was I thought I seriously flirted with.

There are two things that have absolutely ruined Rock shows, Rock en Español shows. When combined, they kill almost all positivity from the show. (1) Cameras/Video capable cameras and (2) Chairs, especially on the main floor. Unfortunately, the ability to sell out four nights at Staples Center is a blessing and a curse: A blessing because YOU SELL 80,000 TICKETS! But a curse because you need to organize the seating and that means chairs on the main floor. You can’t really dance with limited leg room. And 20,000 people means 10,000 plus cameras and that means more picture taking than dancing, which is disappointing. These two things are why Mana concerts are magical, but will never come close to cracking my personal list of Top Concerts of All-Time. As my brother Max said to be after, “I would love to attend a Mana concert in a foreign country,” adding that at least one of the two things that ruin rock shows would probably be eliminated (the chairs). I agreed whole-heartedly.

Here is the playlist from the second night of Mana’s four-night tour stop in Los Angeles. I loved the modifications to it. I don’t know if the band did it because they wanted to switch it up for the second night, or if they sat down after, evaluated what worked and what didn’t. My only peeve? They didn’t do more songs from “Drama Y Luz.” The list is meant to be read from top to bottom, left to right.

• Lluvia Al Corazon          • Me Vale
• Oye Mi Amor                   • Alex Drum Solo
• Piez A Cabeza                 • Donde Jugaran Los Niños
• Dame Una Señal            • Se Me Olvido Otra Vez
• Eres Mi Religion             • Ojala Pudiera Borrarte
• Espejo                                • Si No Te Hubiera Ido
• Sor Maria                          • Vivir Sin Aire
• Paloma                               • Como Te Deseo
• Rayando El Sol                 •Dejame Entrar
• Mariposa Traicionera    • Clavado En Un Bar
• LatinoAmerica                 • Labios Compartidos (encore)
• Corazon Espinado           • Muelle De San Blas (encore)

Overall, I had a terrific time in Los Angeles and I’ve definitely learned a couple of important lessons I will use if I ever decide to go back there. The experience of covering two of Mana’s shows was everything I expected, and then some. If you have yet to read the official Julio Lara Review:

On a side note, and it’ll be the last note of this entry, I had the privilege of meeting this guy.

Who is this guy and why am I so excited? Watch the DVD from The Making of Drama Y Luz to find out. I spotted him walking up the stairs, to grab a beer probably, and immediately said hello, and thanked him for his work on the album. Awesomeness. He shook my hand and asked for my name and said, ‘thanks for the support.’ No no, thank you _______.