Y La Bamba Live At Paper Tiger San Antonio- Live Review

The Paper Tiger in San Antonio is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to see live music in South Texas. In addition to having some of the coolest shows around, they have some of the nicest and most musically knowledgable staff I have ever encountered. While covering a concert a few weeks ago, one of the bartenders suggested I come back on August 14th to check out a band called Y La Bamba. I decided to follow through on his suggestion and ended up having one of the most fun Wednesdays I have had in a while.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”12″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]The night began with some great opening acts as Idyll Green and Lesly Reynaga got the crowd warmed up. Idyll Green is a local San Antonio band who wasted little time laying down some catchy AF Indie Pop. I pretty much bobbed my head up and down to their beats the entire set. Most definitely the type of band I will make a point to see in the near future.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”13″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]Lesly Reynaga hails from Mexico but spoke proudly of her recent approval for Citizenship here in the United States. She is most definitely a strong presence while in front of an audience. You can feel the vibrations of her voice explode through your body as she sings! Lesly’s energy and enthusiasm radiated from the stage and you seriously can’t help from being transfixed on her. I genuinely believe her future in music is a bright one.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”14″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]Admittedly, I am not bilingual and the vast majority of songs by Y La Bamba are sung in Spanish. However, I don’t believe that you need to completely understand the lyrics to feel the music and I most definitely felt the sounds of Y La Bamba. Imagine elements of Cumbia and Mariachi woven into beautiful and lifted harmonies. I have often heard them described as “Dream Pop” and I honestly couldn’t think of a better description. Lead singer, Luz Elena Mendoza had me lost in a literal dream state for the majority of the show. The music was beautiful and hypnotic and even though I could feel myself dancing, my mind was floating along with no real direction. It was difficult to not feel transported into another world altogether and while I wasn’t exactly familiar with my surroundings I felt comfortable and at peace none the less. I cannot wait to hear what they have in store on their upcoming release Entre Los Dos, out 09/20/19. Check this band out if you have the opportunity!

Photos and Review by Derek Jones

For more on Y La Bamba check out:

https://www.ylabamba.com/