9:30 INTERVIEW: Carlos Arevalo of Chicano Batman
9:30 Club got the chance to chat with Carlos Arevalo, guitarist of “LA’s House Band,” Chicano Batman, who will be playing the venue this Wednesday, October 4.
Erin Jones [9:30 Club]: For those who don’t know your music, how would you describe your style?
Carlos Arévalo [Chicano Batman]: It’s a mix of soul, psychedelia, rock, and funk. Our influences range from Os Mutantes, Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Television to Rigo Tovar, Fela Kuti, and William Onyeabor to name a few.
Most of you are from Los Angeles, except Gabriel Villa. What catalyzed the creation of your ensemble?
Bardo formed the band with Gabriel and Eduardo after meeting at various music venues and parties in Los Angeles. They bonded musically over their love for latin soul ballads, oldies, caetano veloso, and cumbia and decided to make a band in 2008. I was asked to join the band in 2011 so Bardo could focus more on singing and playing organ live and in the studio.
Some people consider being Jack White’s touring support as the turning point in your career - do you agree or disagree? How have things changed since then?
We’d agree, it was a turning point. We went from being a regional favorite selling out tiny clubs to a national touring band playing in front of up to 12,000 people a night in basketball arenas during the Jack White tour. We gained national attention in the press for being selected to open his shows and that helped turn new fans on to us. Simultaneously, we also landed a spot at Coachella 2015 which had a similar effect of raising our profile nationally. After years of honing our craft in LA, the universe dealt us a hand signifying the time was right to go and take music and show to the next level.
Let’s talk about Freedom is Free, your most recent album. What are some of the themes explored on this politically-charged piece of work?
The overarching thesis of Freedom Is Free is to remain fearless and free in your mind, body, and soul in the face of oppression or adversity. It’s meant to be a message promoting positivity and empowerment. Other specific themes addressed on the new record are police brutality in the song “La Jura” and environmental injustice in the song “The Taker Story.” There are also more traditional themes like love and loss explored on the record as well.
Can you talk about your creative process, in terms of who writes and how the songs come to be?
We all write music in the band. Bardo writes most of the lyrics save for the songs Eduardo sings, in that case Eduardo usually writes the lyrics, except for “La Jura,” in which they both wrote the lyrics. For this album the process began with Bardo and I getting together and going over many of his demos and some of my demos of songs we felt would make a collective statement for the album. Once we tightened up the guitar and organ parts and his lyrics, we brought the songs to Gabriel and Eduardo and we completed the initial arrangement process and brought the songs to life. Additionally, this album differed from our others in that Leon Michels, the producer, lent his ideas on how to make our songs better and we listened to him.
You have played both D.C. and 9:30 Club before. Do you have anything in particular that you are excited for with your upcoming headlining visit?
We’ve played D.C. several times and each time the shows have been sold out! Our first humble show took place at a Salvadoran restaurant, called Haydees in Mount Pleasant in 2014, that was followed by two shows at the 9:30 Club opening for Gogol Bordello on New Year’s 2016, then DC9 in summer 2016, and then lastly we played Rock & Roll Hotel in early 2017 when Freedom Is Free came out.
We are humbled and excited to be playing the 9:30 Club as headliners. It is a standout venue in the US. The staff is very nice, the stage and sound is great, and they serve you cupcakes backstage. I rarely buy merch from venues but I had to get my 9:30 Club shirt because the experience was so great when we last played. Every time I wear that shirt people always stop me and mention how awesome the venue is.
What can you tell us about what’s next for Chicano Batman?
There will be more touring next year and in our time off the road we’ll get started on writing the next record.
-Erin Jones
Get tickets here to see Chicano Batman / Khruangbin with The Shacks at 9:30 Club this Wednesday, October 4.
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INTOWN REPORT for 12/5/19 – 12/11/19
THURSDAY, 12/5
5 Star Bar – Telekinetic Yeti, Darvaza, + Hexicon
1720 – Lousi Futon
Alex's – Five Guys...One Cover Band, Glitter Wizard, + Crimewave
The Belasco – Daughters, Protomartyr, + Show Me The Body
Bluespade 75 Studios (E.L.A.) - The Virus, Cinderblock, The Venomous Pinks, + HeadNoise
Bootleg – Lisa Prank, Rose Melberg, + Worriers
Doll Hut – Slaughterhousers, The Pawns, + The Tragic Radicals
Dynasty Typewriter – Michelle Buteau
Echo – Magic Sword, + Go Dark
Echoplex – Saint JHN
Fonda – Sasha Sloan, + Winnetka Bowling League
The Hi Hat – Bonavega, Brasko, + Mood Killer
Harvard & Stone – Baby A, + The Emerald
House of Blues - Gryffin
House of Machines – Love Nothing EP release, Deep Fields, New Balance, + Lindsay B
Largo at the Coronet – Anthony Jeselnik
Little Joy – No Exits, Programmed For Pleasure, + Del Lucrii
Malone's - Big Rig Dollhouse, Ascent, + Tragic Radicals
Maui Sugar Mill – Midnight Cloud, John Thompson, High Grass,+Carry On Band
Moroccan – Moon Hooch, + Coco Columbia
Observatory – The Hu, + Crown Lands; From Indian Lakes, Queen of Jeans, + Yummm (Constellation Room)
The Palace – Vagabon, + Angel Olsen (also Friday)
Petie's Place - The Kitty Litter Disco Show Band, Review Killer Lords (Tribute to The Lords of the New Church) + The Flutterbyes, free entry with a toy donation for Children's Hospital LA
Redwood Bar – The Tearaways (feat.Clem Burke), The Reflectors, + Mogg
Satellite – Salute to Lou Reed with Angie Bowie, LoveyDove, The Dick & Jane Family Orchestra, + Mary Woronov
The Smell – Banny Grove, Pregnant, + Brendan Eder Ensemble Theater at Ace Hotel – The Revolution (Prince's former band) Troubadour – Alex Cameron, + Holiday Sidewinder (also Friday) Wiltern – Snoop Dogg, + more
Zebulon – The Make-Up, + Seth Bogart
FRIDAY, 12/6
5 Star Bar – Endless Struggle, Destruction Made Simple, Dead77, Gob Patrol, + Dcon
1720 - Graves
Bootleg Theater – Madison Cunningham, Johanna Samuels, + Pet Dress
Doll Hut – Reagan Youth, Functional Lunatics, The Lewd, Damaged, Justified Anger, Ciphors of Transcendence, Krovak, The Order of Nine Angels, The Outskirts, Pig City, 6pm
El Rey – Dreamers, Arrested Youth, + American Teeth
Garden Amp – The Adolescents, The Zeros, The Crowd, + more!
Glass House – The Hu, + Crown Lands
The Hi Hat – Sonny & the Sunsets, + The Gonks
Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Drab Majesty, + Body of Light
House of Blues - Thrice
House of Machines – The Dickies, Cheap Tissue, + DM Tina & The Bumps The Lash – Body of Light, + DJ Drab Majesty
Lodge Room – Surfbot, Dumb F**ks, + Nice
Maui Sugar Mill – Dr. Savage &The Shrunken Heads, Super Villian, + Caroshi Moroccan – Kills Birds, Daisy, + The Living Roomers
Observatory – The Wrecks
Pappy & Harriet's – Ryley Walker, + Black Mountain
Petie's Place – Dickwad (also Sat.)
Redwood Bar – Drug Front, Dante HH, + Graveyard Bandits
Regent – The Slackers, Viernes 13, Soul Ska, + Gabriela Penka
Teragram – Marco Benevento, + The Mattson 2
Zebulon – Judge, Regional Justice Center, Section HB, + Down to Nothing
SATURDAY, 12/7
5 Star Bar – A Darker Bright
1720 – Minty Boi, Twin Tribes, + She Past Away
Alex's – Boyo, Dustin Lovelis, Nik Freitas, Tino Drima, + Emily Edrosa
Alpine Village - 7th Annual Krampus Ball with Rosemary's Billygoat, Hammerstein Band, Totendanse, + Krammpstein
American Legion Post 206 (Highland Park) – Master Cylander, Sapphic Musk, Somos Mysteriosos, Ley Valentine, + Stars at Night
Bootleg – Mike Krol, Night Shop, + Jess Cornelius
Catch One – Reagan Youth, The Voids, The Skeptix, The Virus, Defiance, Cheap Sex, Thulsa Doom, + more! 2:00pm
Doll Hut – Punxmas Toy Drive with Ravens Moreland, Big Mess, The Whining Pussies, The Pawns, Shubees, SLOKA, Mr. Firley, Dirty Hammer, + Time Kats (entry with 1 unwrapped toy)
EB's at The Farmer's Market – The Stardust Ramblers The Echo - Glades
El Cid – Eyedress, + Natia & The Renaissance Family El Rey – Greyson Chance
The Factory- Daisy Chain, Lunch Lady, Silky & the Scopers, + Dummy Glass House – Aly & AJ, + Armors
The Hi Hat – Fitness, + Somme
Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Mount Eerie, + Julie Doiron
LEM HQ (835 N La Brea Ave.LA) – Crisis Actor, Safeword, Le Face,+DJsTerminal A Lexington – Drop Top Jesus, Wagemaker, Mountains of Delusion,+Living Darkness Lodge Room – Louis Cole
Maui Sugar Mill – Punk Rock Karaoke, + Shiner's Club
Meltdown (1644 S La Cienega, Unit 4, LA) – Justus Profitt, Poll Tax Riot,+Noah Salem Moroccan – From Indian Lakes, Queen of Jeans, + Yummm
Observatory – Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, Glitter Wizard, + Masked Intruder Pappy & Harriet's – KOLARS, + Soft White Sixties
The Paramount – Very Be Careful
Permenant Records Roadhouse (former location of Cafe Nela) – DJ Frankie & the Witch Fingers
Redwood Bar – Tramp For the Lord, + Jason Heath & The Greedy Souls Regent – High On Fire, Power Trip, Devil Master, + Creeping Death (sold out) Roxy – Black Flag, + The Linecutters
Silverlake Lounge – Dangerously Sleazy, Fox Medicine, + Cosmic Kitten Teragram – Defeater, + Modern Life is War
Troubadour – Lindsay Eli
Wiltern – Snoh Aalegra
Zebulon – Frankie & the Witch Fingers, Kevin, + Perfection
SUNDAY, 12/8
Alex's Bar – Headless Palms, The Sleeping Sea Kings, + Boom Years
All Star Lanes – Boy In the Water, Margeaux Sippell, Jack Rabbit,+Arch Stanton
Bootleg Theater – Tow'rs, + B.R. Lively
C.I.A. - Angela Bowie, Cat Museum, + The Chelsea Club
The Echo – Myles Parrish
Echoplex – Nothing, Launder, No Swoon, + Sprain
Fonda - Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, Glitter Wizard, + Masked Intruder
The Hi Hat – Tribute to Jim Morrison by The Burning Doors, + John Lennon Memorial Celebration
Lodge Room – Jason Lytle
Moroccan – Spindrift, Federale, Roselit Bone, Sir Woman, + Dylan Meek Observatory – High on Fire, Power Trip, Devil Master, + Creeping Death The Pike (L.B.) - Hamapple
Redwood Bar – Blood Wisdom, Beatnik Party, + Calico Sky
Roxy – With Confidence, Seaway, Between You & Me, + Doll Skin Teragram – Ours, Chris Shinn, + Black Angel
The Wiltern – CHVRCHES, + Dominic Fike
MONDAY, 12/9
4th Street Vine – The Cure & Friends
Aratani Theatre at JACCC – An evening with Flea
Bootleg – Henry Hall, Polyplastic, + Corvax
Echo – Courtship
Echoplex – Trap Girl, Agenda, Strangers, La Pregunta, Skirt Cocaine,+DJ Bat Slave The El Rey – The Pineapple Thief
Fonda – Fabio Frizzi
Moroccan Lounge – Halfnoise, Blackpaw, + And That
Zebulon – Shannon Lay, + Earth Girl Helen Brown
TUESDAY, 12/10
5 Star Bar – We Were Giants, + Next Door to Heaven 1720 – Unearth, + Darkest Hour
Bootleg – Erin Anne, Potty Mouth, + Cartalk Echo – Say Sue Me, + The Pantones Echoplex – Madame Gandhi
El Rey - Zhavia
Fonda – The Hu, + Crown Lands
The Hi Hat – Georgi Kay, Esbie Fonte, + Psychic Twin
Lodge Room – Rob Bell
Moroccan – Channel Tres, + The Briggs
Novo – Cindi Lauper, Belinda Carlisle, Bily Porter, Brandi Carlile, Carol Leifer, Charlie Musselwhite, Emily Estefan, Henry Rollins, Perry Farrell, Marilyn Manson Lily Tomlin, Margaret Cho, + more! (Home for the Holidays benefit)
Redwood – Thee Idylls, Dylan Champion, Kid Bandit,+The Path of Most Resistance Resident – Stalley
Roxy – Divinio Nino, Bardo Martinez, + DJ Venus
Zebulon – William Tyler, + Xylouris White
WEDNESDAY, 12/11
4th Street Vine – Downtown, Sleeperz, + Calm Kill
Alex's – Las Chicas Tristas, White Woods, Slice, Sea Moya,+DJ Caliate Y Escucho Bootleg – The Monolators, Soft Sailors, + Saint Heartbreak
The Echo – Khemmis, UN, + Future Usses
El Rey – Berhana, + Pomo
Fonda – Conan Gray, + Denee
Highland Park Bowl – Emmitt James, JeremyJones, + Shaelle
The Hi Hat – Mothica, Cannons, HUX, + Velvey Starlings
House of Blues – Falling In Reverse
Lodge Room – Rob Bell
Moroccan – Channel Tres
Observatory – Allah-Las, Mapache, + Tim Hill
Redwood Bar – Here Lies Man, Sissy Brown, + Mars Rodriguez
Roxy – Role Models, + Jackie Hayes
Teragram – Fruit Bats, + Kacey Johansing
Troubadour – Beouine
Zebulon – Xylouris White
LIVE ON LIVATION, WEDNESDAY NIGHTS FROM MIDNIGHT TO 2AM THURSDAY MORNINGS (PST) ON KXLU 88.9FM, LOS ANGELES & KXLU.COM
12/11 – Otniel y Los Condors
12/18 – Dangerously Sleazy
12/20 – Livation fills in for Demolisten with special guest Bruce Duff, 6-8pm
12/25 – Lucky Otis
12/27 – Livation fills in for Demolisten with Clifton AKA DJ Soft Touch
1/1/2020 – Buzz Clic Adventure
1/8 – Crisis Actor
1/15 – PR Shake
1/22 - Jason Paul & The Knowitalls
2/12 – Ley Valentine
2/19 - Cheap Tissue
2/26 - JesuCrisis
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