GipsyKings.net

U.S./World TOUR 2006

Boston, Massachusetts - July 8
The Boston concert was great! Well, I could be picky about a few things, but, the guys were fantastic! Pablo wasn't there, Patchai has a new short haircut, and Canut was especially "hot", his hair was free -- and as the people behind me commented more than once, "the one with the tight jeans".

Tonino was as GREAT as always....... when the video screen was on him strumming, there were times when it was just a "blur" as the filming was not being shot on a high enough speed to keep up with him! it was just great!! It was different to see them this early in Boston - I wonder if they changed that because of how cold the nights were when they performed in September.... So it was a little different "lighting-wise" as it was still light outside ..... Lots of new songs, GREAT of Nicholas singing "un amor" and of course, our encore was Bamboleo..... The crowd could only stand/dance during the 2nd set.... and I think that was after Patchai's prompting....... It was a warm, humid night in Boston, with an occasional breeze off the water every now and then...... everyone was sweatin'!! wooo hoooo!! How great for all of you that have a concert coming up! It will be great!

All of the guys were great! Did I mention how great Tonino is?

~ joni


Sorry to disagree with you so much, Joni, but that concert is the first one I've ever been to that I would have probably had a better time sitting at home and listening to "Sorpresa de Navidad" on my stereo...

"Gipsy Kings Sort Of Play Boston"

So I read last year's review before writing this one, in order to get some perspective. It contained the phrase, "Over the last few years, I have come to the sad realization that I have already seen the best GK concerts I will ever see." Never before was that statement truer than at Saturday's concert in Boston. I am sure the Kings still got game, but they were warming the bench this time.

The weather was certainly better than last year (75 and sunny with a nice breeeze now and then). As we (my wife and I) were waiting outside for the gates to open, we could hear the Kings tuning up and doing their sound check. They played snippets of various songs, including, brace yourself, La Bamba. No sh*t. I was really scared that we might be subjected to that later on, but fortunately they did not play it during the actual concert. We went in about 15 minutes after the gates were supposed to open and found our seats, about 20 rows back.

The GK, from left to right, were Andre, Patchai, Nicholas, Tonino, Paco, and Canut (who sported the ugliest pair of acid-washed jeans in the history of the universe). No Diego, no Pablo. The backup band was, as it has been for several years, "Pacheco and the Other Guys".

The crowd was in a good mood (except for the dorks sitting 5 seats down from us who kept gesturing angrily to anyone in front of them who tried to stand up to dance), but I think would have been better if Pablo had been around to get everyone amped up.

I could count on one hand (and maybe my other thumb) the number of songs they played that I recognized. Literally, they played 90% new material. Or maybe versions of things from Roots that were so concertized that I didn't recognize them at all. Worse, of the new songs, I thought most were blah, although Canut sang one that was pretty neat.

Last year, Tonino was on fire, playing a great version of Pharaon, but this time he phoned in his performance "all the way from Arles and Montpelier in the South of France". The Hermanos Reyes all sounded fine, and Andre, Nicholas, Canut and Patchai all spent a couple of songs at the lead mic, Nicholas trading spots with the lead singer when it wasn't him, as last year. The backup band was competent, sure, but great? Not hardly. Actually, even Pacheco was kind of blah this year, sort of... restrained (an adjective I though I would NEVER have to apply to that man).

At least the sound quality was great. Go, FleetBankBostonOfAmericaHarborlights Pavilion staff! :-)

They did play "Todos, Todos, Todos, OLE!" (I know it's not the song's real name, but it should be) which was good, and they played a very nice Un Amor, which I finally got to listen to in concert with my sweetie. Somebody (Andre I think; I wasn't paying attention) sang La Dona, my third-least-favorite GK tune, and Patchai closed out the first set with Djobi Djoblah (sic).

After the break, the Kings sleepwalked through the second set. For some reason, they followed up every good bouncy tune with a slow number, thereby totally killing the momentum and crowd energy. They closed out the second set with Baila Me, a good crowd tune but still not my favorite and one I wish they'd retire in order to play, for example, Pedir a tu Corazon or Vamos a Bailar. For the first time in probably 5 years, they did not play Montana or A Tu Vera. The backup band did their solos, if you could call them that, during some sad instrumental number that was the penultimate song of the second set. The GK came back out to wild applause (which is when I started bracing for La Bamba) but Andre sang a stirring rendition of Bamboleo, featuring the Return of the Girl on Stage (at least she knew how to dance). Thankfully, we were in a Volare-free zone.

Oh well, maybe next year, but probably not (see Paragraph 1)

-Jeremy


I saw them in Boston Saturday night-FANTASTIC!!! as usual!

Hail to the Kings!!


…And the Kings are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T’was a fabulous night, great concert (Jeremy, did you and I really attend the same concert???????). Last year’s insane monsoon weather was replaced with stunning skies and perfect overall conditions for such a great outdoors performance. I found the Kings inspired and rejuvenated, they sang tons of great new material from their soon-to-be released new album (late August in the States). We missed Paul and Diego who unfortunately could not be there. Paco was there though!!!! Canut, Patchai and Andre all seem to be increasing their singing presence over the years and they sounded fabulous. Patchai must have been a cheerleader in a previous life because there is no one who can get a crowd up on its feet and roaring like he does! You go Patchai!!!!! Andre sang and sounded fabulous, looked confident and loved the crowd who loved him back. Everyone seemed very impressed with that! And Canut was his usual fabulous self! We did miss Montana but there is a new ballad in the new album that he sang that sounded extremely promising!!! He always does very well with the heartfelt mid-tempo ballads. Fabulous Nicholas did a very inspired “Un Amor” (with Patchai and/or Andre doing back vocals which made the song even richer than usual!), he has been singing it a bit differently over the last few years, focusing more on building up the emotional intensity of the song, which was great and keeps the song exciting even after all this time.

The highlight of the concert to me was definitely the new material. I’ve often heard that “Roots” is their best album ever and I’m not sure how I feel about that statement. I do love “Roots” and I definitely wish they would perform more songs from it while touring (Legende, Soledad, etc)… But one thing that came out of the concert was the possibility that the new album may even surpass “Roots” talent. I was really excited with the band’s recent inspiration, the new material includes new beats, new voices (Andre particularly and more of Canut), a new energy, which can only mean one thing…more touring down the road!!!!

Wolftrap concert in Vienna, VA tomorrow night, I cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Helen