Barbès in Brooklyn

Las Rubias del Norte

I've become the typical obnoxious Manhattanite. I rarely venture into Bridge & Tunnel land and these days only a friend or function makes me brave the F train. Met up with a friend out in South Slope, Brooklyn to listen to an eclectic musical group, Las Rubias del Norte playing at Barbès. The two lead female singers are rather good, playing off each others strengths. Allyssa Lamb is more the brains behind the band, bouncing from high noted vocals to piano to other strange instruments. Emily Hurst plays percussion, including the glockenspiel, and sings lower vocals - and she has some nice cleavage to bring in the visually motivated crowd. The band includes a variety of men playing a wide range of instruments nicely surrounding any female vocals with a strong, solid tune and culturally rich sound. One of the bar owners, Olivier Conan, also plays the quatro and other instruments in the band. Overall the sound is a blend of Cuban and Latin American with classical and cowboy folk thrown in. Their sound reminds me a bit of Pink Martini's without the large orchestral backing. My friend really loves their interpretation of Motzart's Confutatis but my favorite is a Spanish version of Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Quizas, Quizas, Quizas. The drums were too loud for the intimate small space and at times the bravado of individual instruments got in the way of serving the song. These flaws were compensated by the atmosphere, energy, and fluid composition of the pieces. Wonderful sound and band that can only get better the more professional the venue and sound engineer. Why don't I get out to Brooklyn more? Oh yeah, the frinkin' 2 hour ride home when the subway slows to a snail's pace after 11 pm!