Brothers David and Rene Pacheco are the core of the band Tropa Magica. David sings, writes the songs and plays guitar, and Rene plays drums. They describe their music as “psychedelic cumbia punk,” which is a pretty good way of capturing the range of sounds they come up with.
The siblings take the cumbia and ranchera music that was the “soundtrack of their youth” while growing up in East Los Angeles, and throw it in a blender with everything else they’ve heard since then. The product is distinctive, lively and ridiculously fun. Back in 2019, they even put out an EP featuring their cumbia versions of Nirvana songs.
Tropa Magica’s most recent album “III,” came out in 2022 and shows off a version of its sound that is simultaneously rawer (in production) and more refined (in songwriting). They are dedicated touring veterans who know how to put on an energetic live show.
Currently, they’re on a major tour of the western U.S. along with the Amsterdam-based Mauskovic Dance Band, who explore a similar blend of influences, with some disco and Afro-Caribbean vibes integrated as well. That tour will be making a stop Monday, March 27, at the WinkWink Boutique event space. It’s an all-ages show and should be an absolute nonstop party.
Speaking of East LA, it looks like there are also tickets still available for the older generation legends of that scene, Los Lobos, who are at the Mount Baker Theatre on Friday, March 24.
The news this week is making me excited for summer. Stones Throw has announced its first two block parties, Saturday, April 1 with The Naughty Blokes and High Mountain String Band, and Friday, April 28 with GrooveBot. It will be great to see outdoor live music starting to return.
The Bellingham Bells announced that Petty or Not will be playing a concert at Joe Martin Field after the game on June 23. A little further afield, Port Townsend’s Thing Festival announced its lineup for the year, and the headliners there include Fleet Foxes, Lil Yachty and Sylvan Esso, all at Fort Worden, Aug. 25–27.
For folks in the eastern part of Whatcom County, the Van Zandt Community Hall is going to be hosting an open mic on the third Thursday of every month. This Monday is also the “season finale” for the Lip Sync Battles at the Wild Buffalo, so go cheer on your favorite contestant.
If you’re still in an Irish frame of mind from St. Patrick’s Day, Gallowglass just launched a Kickstarter to help them record its new album, so consider supporting that.
Local rockers Girls Know have a new single, “Bliss,” another fantastic slice of noisy pop. Finally, good luck to Cat Valley, representing Bellingham at Boise’s Treefort Music Fest this weekend!
Live music listings
Tuesday, March 21
Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam
Wednesday, March 22
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Mike Allen Trio (jazz)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Fidalgo Swing
Shakedown: 8 p.m., Koffin Kats, The Drowns, Crazy and the Brains (punk)
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Adrian & Phil (roots/country/blues)
Wild Buffalo: 8 p.m., Thunderstorm Artis, Veronica North, Kacey Lind
Thursday, March 23
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic; 8 p.m., Jam:30 (open jam)
Brown Lantern: 8:30 p.m., Open Mic
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Larry Baeder Band (blues/jazz)
Guemes Island General Store: 5:20 p.m., 7:20 String Band (folk)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Yin (vocal improvisation)
Shakedown: 8:30 p.m., Apes of the State, Dana Skully and the Tiger Sharks, Pigeon Pit, Ellie Gordon (folk punk)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Twin Sisters: 5:30 p.m., The Penny Stinkers (acoustic covers)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Jon Casey, Korra the Kid, Lotus Drops, more (electronic)
Zeeks: 7 p.m., The Naughty Blokes (rock)
Friday, March 24
Aslan: 8 p.m., Cardova (funk/R&B)
Beach Cat: 6 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Blue Room: 8 p.m., The Groovy Nobody, Laguna Largo, Serafina & The Shakedowns (rock)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Wayne Hayton
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Steve Webb and the Great Mad Swirl (folk/rock)
Fireside: 7 p.m., Song Wranglers (acoustic Americana)
Guemes Island General Store: 5:30 p.m., Ben Starner on piano
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Andy’s Whatcom Co. Mainlanders (folk/Hawaiian)
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., PS Webster, Les Ailes, Tuesday’s Refuge (rock)
Mount Baker Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Los Lobos, Gaby Moreno (rock)
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., Aloha Danny (acoustic covers)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., 40 Oz. to Freedom (Sublime tribute)
Saturday, March 25
Blue Room: 8 p.m., Hockey Teeth, Conk Creet, Mom Sport, Giving Up On Georgia (rock)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Queen’s Bluegrass
Bourbon: 8:30 p.m., Sunset Superman (classic rock)
Brown Lantern: 9 p.m., Ebb, Slack, & Flood (reggae/rock/funk)
Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Pacific Twang (country)
Downtime: 6 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Fireside 4 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Gateway1890: 7 p.m., Ron Hardt & Jimmy Wright
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Quickdraw String Band (folk)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Sarah Goodin (singer-songwriter)
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., The Sheen, Kelli Frances Corrado, Worldwide Levitation (experimental rock)
Main Street: 8:30 p.m., Dad Co., Paper Heart (rock covers)
Mount Baker Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Mary Gauthier (sold out!)
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Jimmy Mac All Stars (blues/rock)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Beautiful Freaks, Girls Know, G.L.U. (rock)
Skagit Cellars: 6 p.m., Ryan Higgins (blues/rock)
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., Odd Mood Jam Band
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Vince Bigos (acoustic covers)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Nite Wave (’80s covers)
Sunday, March 26
FireHouse: 4 p.m., John Stowell & Brian Cunningham (jazz)
Kulshan: 5 p.m., Cardova (funk/R&B)
Main Street: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Mindport: 11 a.m., Rebekah Hood-Sava (original cello compositions with looping)
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., The Bow Diddlers
Shakedown: 8 p.m., North By North, The Hobby, The Wyrds (rock)
Monday, March 27
Blue Room: 7 p.m., Monday Night Jazz
FireHouse: 3:30 p.m., The Song Wranglers (acoustic Americana)
Kulshan: 6 p.m., The Sweet Goodbyes (folk)
Lincoln Theatre: 7:30 p.m., John McCutcheon (folk)
Shakedown: 8 p.m., High on Fire, Hoaxed, Mount Saturn (sold out!)
WinkWink: 7:30 p.m., Tropa Magica, Mauskovic Dance Band
Tuesday, March 28
Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam
Ranch Room: 9 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Before heading out to listen to live music, check with individual venues to make sure the event is still taking place as scheduled.
Jesse Stanton’s music column, The Beat Goes On, runs Wednesdays. Email: jsbhammusic@gmail.com or Twitter: @JSBhamMusic.
