Grupo Fantasma

I had only heard of Chicha Libre and Grupo Fantasma, so this was my first time seeing them live. Wow!! They were awesome! They had so many people dancing in the aisles and bopping their heads in their seats! Unfortunately, half of the the theater (Royce Hall) was empty!! It was so empty that they led all people (regardless of what seats you had purchased) to sit as close to the stage as possible. Although it was great being able to sit closer to the stage, It was also very saddening that it was so empty....not only sad for the bands, but also for those who did not get to experience their wonderful music! Not sure what happened...maybe not enough publicity was done for this show? I have been to Royce hall for a few shows within the last few months (Bebel Gilberto and Bajofondo), and a few in years past, and it has always been a full house. What a shame this was not the case on this night.

The boys from Austin were fantastic. They arrived onstage dressed for Halloween and performed a terrific salsa version of "Thriller," complete with MJ choreography. The only thing that kept it from being a five-star experience was the extremely lame opening band that was a half-hour late taking the stage and played way too long. Next time, let's either have a kick-butt opener or just Grupo Fantasma for longer!