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Ozomatli played a great show to a sold out crowd of 590 at Santa Barbara’s
Club 634, on March 3rd. Formed in Los Angeles five years ago, Ozomatli’s music displays the diversity of their hometown by combing elements of Latin,funk, hip-hop, and ska music. Their set varied from funky Spanish grooves to heavy rap tunes. It was a great treat to see Ozomatli in such a small and intimate setting, because the last time I saw them, they were playing in a 50,000 seat arena.
Ozomatli book-ended the show the way they usually do by forming a drum line, which began and ended the show by marching through the crowd. This
really engaged the audience who danced and grooved the entire night. The atmosphere was laid back, and aside from the few drunken fools who were given the boot out the back door, everyone seemed to be having a great time.
While the second opening act, hip-hop band Burning Star, failed to move me, the first opening act, Telepathy, was unbelievable. Telepathy are a jamband that have their own unique sound, appealing to both music enthusiasts and the masses.
This was one of Telepathy’s first shows out side of LA, where they are
quickly becoming well established and respected in the local scene. While their set was only a half-our long, Telepathy were somehow able play 8 songs without sounding too rushed. This was impressive considering the fact that they often fit that many songs into an hour during their live shows, which always include a lot of improvising.
I look forward to seeing both Ozomatli and Telepathy again in the future. The show was a blast and everyone had a great time.
Robert Lambert
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