Rodrigo y Gabriela / Ida Mae @ South Side Music Hall, Dallas, TX

Words and photos by Duane Clawson

Sorry for the delay, MTC MAG followers. I’m a bit late with this review! Let's get caught up, shall we? Recently, I was on a brief vacation in Dallas and had the rare opportunity of catching Rodrigo y Gabriela on the second night of their Mettavolution Tour. A few years back I stumbled upon this duo’s acoustic, Flamenco-styled guitar playing and have been a fan ever since! Earlier in 2019 they released the album which is the tour’s namesake.

Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have quietly built a large following over their 20-year career. A career that has led them to collaborate with Hans Zimmer on a “Pirates of the Caribbean” soundtrack, performing for President Obama at the White House, and spots on “The Tonight Show” and “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson". Those that are in the know, know this is a great band.

Opening for Rodrigo y Gabriela was another duo, Ida Mae. Ida Mae consists of Chris Turpin and his wife, Stephanie Jean. Stephanie and Chris have only resided in America for a little over a year, but they have made great use of their time. Opening spots for Greta Van Fleet and Blackberry Smoke were both a great use of time. Ida Mae could easily be a direct descendant of the White Stripes with the blues-heavy sound they produce. The couple’s excitement of playing the music they want to play, where they want to play it, definitely shined through during their set.

The spark of Ida Mae turned into a full-blown, four-alarm fire with the opening notes from Rodrigo y Gabriela’s guitars. No backing band was needed, as both guitarist pounded on their instruments, replacing spots normally reserved for bass and drums. The groups limited English was fully understood when they spoke. Gabriela received a big cheer when she announced they would be playingn Mettavolution in its entirety! To give you an idea of how hard these two play guitar, the band had to go on hiatus in 2010 due to Gabriela’s percussive style of playing.

A large portion of their stage time is dedicated to a jaw-dropping cover of “Echoes”. Gabriela prefaces the Pink Floyd classic by stating, “this song was written in 1971 but it just have as easily been written in 2019”. I’m almost positive Rodrigo y Gabriela could not have chosen a better song to showcase their talent! As a bit of a teaser, Rodrigo plays a snippet from their upcoming EP, Mettal. The EP is a three-song nod to Rod’s rock roots, Slayer’s “Seasons in the Abyss”, Metallica’s “Battery”, and Megadeth’s “Holy Wars” are all covered. “Terracentric”, the nights closing number, is an all-encompassing virtuoso piece of music. A mixed bag of Latin feels blended neat with rock vibes place the exclamation point on this night of fantastic music!

Thanks to Rodrigo y Gabriela’s management for allowing MTC MAG to be in the moment. And South Side Music Hall for their Texas hospitality! Photos of the show are below: