The Show On The Road – Chicano Batman

This week, The Show On The Road features a conversation with members of LA’s Latin roots-rock heroes Chicano BatmanThe band came together in 2008 and is comprised of Eduardo Arenas (bass, guitar, vocals), Carlos Arévalo (guitars), Bardo Martinez (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar) and Gabriel Villa (drums).

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Host Z. Lupetin was able to catch up with Bardo Martinez and Eduardo Arenas while they sheltered in place at home in LA. In the past you may have seen Chicano Batman at music festivals like Coachella dressing up in matching Mariachi outfits or crooning in a colorful mashup of Spanish and English on previous standout records like the dreamy Cycles of Existential Rhyme and the rebellious Freedom Is Free.  

Their newest work, Invisible People, is their most personal, political, and downright danceable release to date. The traditional Mariachi outfits may be tucked away in storage, but their playful vibe remains, even as the musicianship and pop-tightness took a big jump forward.

After twelve years of expanding and fine-tuning their sound and finding a devoted national audience, Chicano Batman is no longer the oddball, upstart band. While they now focus mainly on English lyrics, they know as songwriters and performers that they’ve become role models for Los Angeles’s vibrant Latin-roots rock renaissance, acting as springboards to a whole new scene that may not have a genre or name yet.


 

LISTEN: Boroughs, ‘Give It Time’

Artist: Boroughs
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Song: "Give It Time"
Album: Boroughs
Release Date: December 4

In Their Words: “This song focuses on a decision someone else made to be with me, even though I’m not always easy to be with. The verses acknowledge rocky points and shortcomings in our relationship, while the chorus simply encourages this person to give it time. If we can hold on a bit longer, maybe we can get back to a place where we remember why we started this thing in the first place.” — Kyle Neal

Instructions: Remember, dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.


Photo credit: David Linder