Baja California

A Night Out in Tijuana's Indie Music Scene

Reviewing local Tijuana band Jardín's newly released EP named "Todo es Temporal"

Sometimes I wish I had Hermione Granger's Time-Turner. Things would be so much easier and I could be in multiple places at the same time, never letting down friends or family members with those pesky family reunions, but we live in the real world and magic does not exist.

Still that recurring thought came to me this Saturday evening, when there were multiple gigs happening at the same time in Tijuana and of course being the melomaniac that I am, I wanted to go to all of them.

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There was a techno/house DJ set show at WhereHouse, a TIJUANA RUMBLE FEST showcase at Moustache Bar, where local up-and-comer Grenda with his down tempo hip hop beats (by the way he recently played a set in Tijuana's first Boiler Room) and local Some Kind of Lizard performed along with two other bands hailing from the U.S. and of course, Jardín's EP release show at La Caja Fuerte, an independent cultural square room (hence the name) inside Pasaje Rodríguez.

With no definite plans and no one to go out with, my cold night was starting to become a Netflix & Chill kind of night. I was also starting to get too overwhelmed by everything when all of a sudden, one of my music loving friends hits me up to hang out and after some deliberation, we decided to go to Pasaje Rodríguez. Once we got there I noticed a lot of people gathering around the small venue's entrance, some with beers, I assume purchased at the nearby OXXO, since the venue wasn't selling drinks.

With animated Czech film, Fimfárum Jana Wericha, projected in the background, the venue was packed to the point where the cold weather wasn't felt at all.

Piel Divina opened the night (stylized as PL DVNA on their Facebook page), a local band whose sound resembles a mixture of minimalist electronic ambient sounds with some jazzy tones, something that got my attention instantly being the jazz aficionado that I am; definitely a band that I will check out more often.

Entre Desiertos followed, a local quintet (and personal favorite), led by guitar riffs and a jazzy sound provided by a trumpet and drums that give that improvised feeling you get from a jazz ensemble, with only seven songs, they kept saying song after song that it was their last one, but the people wanted more so they ended up doing what felt like three "encores", something I didn't mind.

Entre Desiertos - Edgar Martínez
Entre Desiertos - Edgar Martínez
Entre Desiertos - Edgar Martínez
Entre Desiertos - Edgar Martínez

Still, the main band was due and my expectations were high, especially after listening/watching the recently released music video of what the mainstream music industry would catalogue as a "single".

VIDEO | Jardín - Monte de Venus

Now to be honest, all of the songs on their new EP are just as good as "Monte de Venus", the opening song on Todo es Temporal, a heart-break song where the singer has given up on love and decides to move on, something we've all experience, surely.

This song started the journey down their 7 track EP performance, ending with Bello Cielo, a song that emits a Madvillain-esque vibe along with dreamy lyrics that talk about what one has to offer to their significant other/crush. One big surprise for me was the addition of a new song (which name I didn't catch) to their setlist, a song that required clapping by the audience, an act that filled the air with positive vibes and showed just how appreciative the band members were with the response they got on their big night.

Jardín - Edgar Martínez
Jardín - Edgar Martínez
Jardín - Edgar Martínez
Jardín - Edgar Martínez

After the show, I decided to show my support in the best way possible, by buying their EP. I wasn't alone in this surprisingly enough, since local showgoers are known for trying to get into shows for free because they know a friend of a friend and never buying any merch even if it's a $50 pesos cover. This wasn't the case since the show was free. Still, my friend and others followed and some even bought their t-shirts.

Jardín and Entre Desiertos' merch - Edgar Martínez
Jardín and Entre Desiertos' merch - Edgar Martínez

So far, the disc has been on constant replay, I even chose it over my Spotify playlists this morning on my way to work, a moody album perfect for these cold rainy days, helping calm down my road rage.

All in all, Tijuana's indie music scene seems to be alive and prospering, with local talent that is worthy of national and international recognition and should be played on Mexican airwaves instead of the seemingly limited and played-out Mexican alternative music, the likes of Zoé, Café Tacvba or even local Nortec Collective, a group that doesn't even exist anymore and reflects a Tijuana that appeals to older generations and that "Tequila, Sexo y Marihuana" image that locals have struggled to get rid of.

You can listen to Jardín's Todo es Temporal here,

Entre Desiertos' music here

and Piel Divina's music here.

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edgar.martinez@sandiegored.com

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