Last night was a blast at The Echoplex! The show: Nortec Collective! Nortec Collective hails from northern Mexico. Their fusion of traditional Mexican beats and techno makes for the best freakin’dance music in the world! It’s fun, sweaty, loud, and at times you hurt yourself from the non-stop dancing, but well worth the pain. The crowd diversity is one to note, it’s not everyday you go to a show and the crowd is as multifarious as a movie theatre, which made for an interesting night.

Last night, the enthusiasm for Nortec Collective to come onstage was beyond belief. We were so pumped up! The fact that the crowd was already breaking a sweat while dancing to the opening act was an indicator that the night was going to be noteworthy. Nortec Collective went onstage around 10:45ish and it was all over from there… I mean once the horn section played it’s first notes, the frenzy began and did not let up until they were offstage. Nortec Collective gives you much for your money, and in this day, we all appreciate a spanking performance when we have so little to spend.

They must have played for at least an hour and 45 minutes and that is rare for me to witness. They never showed signs of fatigue or depressed quality and neither did we! Just when I thought it would be their last song, and totally bummed out that it might be, they started up on the next one! Super exciting! Not only did they have a fun, extensive set, but they encored for us. Their encore included an encore of “Tijuana Sound Machine” and the second time around was just as boisterous. Their backdrop projected a lively montage of images that precisely depict what they convey through their music: old culture meets new culture. I’ll definitely be crossing my fingers for them on Grammy night and can hardly wait until they are back in California next month!

C. Sanchez
www.loudvine.com