Balthvs rode the wild psychedelic cumbia surf at the Quartyard with Spacehall Sound Machine blasting off with all things cosmic
The Colombian psychedelic funk trio, Balthvs, thrilled a sold out crowd at Quartyard in San Diego last week. The trio presented their unique take on psychedelic cumbia, fusing flawless surf-funk guitar with the smoothest of basslines over impeccably timed rhythms. While the comparisons to Khruangbin are inescapable and some what warranted, echoes of Moon Duo and other modern motorik maestros drift through their songs, laid out in full-on disco riffs alongside extended psychedelic jams. Above all, Balthvs proved to be purveyors of the hypnotic groove, setting all the dancers in motion.
Kicking the night off early, local psychedelic world groove maestros Spacehall Sound Machine lined the Quartyard stage with bandleader Matt Bozzone’s kit in the shadows of stage left! Undeterred by the dark, he effortlessly drove the sound machine’s beat along with Mitchum Yacoub on percussion. While Luke Henning held down the low end from the back, Dan Rabb’s synths hummed from far stage right, and the guitar interplay of John Joyce and Jesse Orlando got the crowd’s dancing feet moving! Their hypnotic grooves quickly enraptured the audience who, despite anticipating the headliner, joyously called for more as the last notes faded, earning these local legends some new fans that night.
Born in the lockdown daze of 2020 when they sought refuge in the countryside, Balthvs aimed to blend their sound with their serene surroundings. Balthazar Aguirre (Guitar, Vocals) and Santiago Lizcano (Drums, Vocals) previously played in Aguirre Cosmico and their musical partnership now goes back almost a decade. After meeting Johanna Mercuriana (Bass, Vocals) when she opened a show as a singer-songwriter of Andean/Peruvian folk songs with charango accompaniment, the die was cast though there were obstacles to their initial success. As unlikely as it seems, Johanna had never played bass before, Santiago had yet to purchase his first proper drum kit, and Balthazar had already embarked on a career in law! Fortune favors the bold, however, and the three worked tirelessly to make Balthvs appear so effortless. Seeing them now, it’s hard to imagine that the trio weren’t simply born into this configuration, creating this sound from the get go.
With an early weekday curfew looming at Quartyard, Balthvs wasted no time during changeover and took to the stage, ready to let their sound writhe in time to the lights through the haze. From the first note, they had the crowd in the palm of their hand, their infectious rhythms and vibrant energy awakening that irresistible urge to dance. Seamlessly transitioned between high-energy cumbia jams and more introspective, psychedelic moments, Balthvs’ performance demonstrated their deep understanding of their role as sonic shaman for the evening. At once familiar yet achingly new, the twangy guitars, driving percussion, and mesmerizing vocals created a sonic tapestry that the San Diego crowd was ready to be wrapped up in. The crowd called for and got an enthusiastic encore, one final, deep groove before heading out into the night, both satiated and hungry for more.
