PRINTSpicy salsa
Band members in exile form local band with a hybrid sound
POLINA YAMSHCHIKOV
Rob “Lava” Lampe and Chris “Memphis” Robinson perform in Peace Park with the members of their band Los Desterrados during Earth Day festivities this year. The band’s hybrid sound is a result of the members’ diverse skills.
May 20, 2009 | 12:00 p.m. CST
Los Desterrados makes music you can move to. It has been described as flamenco blues groove, punk rock salsa and Spanish pirate attack groove. If you’ve never heard that last explanation before, guitarist Walt “Moondog” Goodman says the powerfully percussive music can feel like an oncoming battle. By producing a rare sound and music you can dance to, Los Desterrados isn’t just another undistinguished group of musicians.
The band made its way onto the Columbia music scene in 2004 as a continuation of Los Tigres, Goodman’s original Spanish gypsy band. After collaborating with Chris “Memphis” Robinson, the blues guy, and Luis “Tripi Tri” Vicente, the punk rock pirate, Los Desterrados was born. Translation: exiles or outcasts.
with La Movida, Casey
Reeves and Elco Gitano
Where: The Blue Note
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $5
Call: 874 –1944
Goodman explains that members voluntarily exiled themselves from their musical genre of choice when the band first formed. “Everyone made a choice to do something different than what they normally did,” he says. The core makeup of Los Desterrados now consists of Goodman, Robinson, Vicente and four others: drummer Steve “Animal” Varner, bassist Justin “G-dog” Giles, second percussionist John “Spike” Markovitz and lead guitarist Rob “Lava” Lampe. The band has a thing for nicknames.
Due to obligations such as family and work, some of the band’s musicians are now alumni. Vicente leaves for Puerto Rico at the end of May, and Lampe will rotate in as a new member. “They’re a fun, interesting mix,” Lampe says. “I’m looking forward to some cool chemistry.” In the future, Goodman says he wants to have a reunion with former members. “Una vez un Desterrado, siempre un Desterrado — once in the band, always in the band,” Goodman says.
With their fusion of blues, flamenco and rock, Los Desterrados wasn’t well-known at first. Eventually, Goodman says the fans found them. The crowd usually consists of hippies, fraternity and sorority members, cultural music buffs and people who enjoy blues, Goodman says. But they have one thing in common. “The biggest unifying factor is that everybody seems to want to dance,” Goodman says.
The Forge & Vine is the perfect atmosphere. Assistant Manager Marshall Janish says Los Desterrados recently played at the restaurant, and although the weather was cold, the people were still getting down on the terrace.
Los Desterrados has also performed locally at The Blue Note and Mojo’s but credits its start to two venues. “We were born at the [Cherry Street] Artisan, and we cut our teeth at The Blue Fugue,” Goodman says. Alex Johnson, the director of arts and culture at the Artisan, says Los Desterrados suits the Artisan well because it’s a multidimensional venue. He calls the band friendly and easygoing. “Walt is a genuinely nice guy,” Johnson says. “Anyone who works with him also becomes his friend.” Los Desterrados was a part of the first Roots ’N’ Blues festival and has played at other events such as Rock Against Rape and Earth Day. Goodman says the group will play for any cause the band supports or if there’s a friend in need of music for a party or event.
This eccentric group will continue to make music that gets people on their feet. Goodman says the band has taken on a life of its own. “The sound almost creates itself,” he says. “When our sound is right on, it’s infectious.” Everybody dance now!
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