Ozo at the Showbox

On the Saturday following Thanksgiving, Ozomatli did their thing at the Showbox. It was hard to decide at first between their show and the Coupe, who were playing at Neumo’s on the same night. I like both groups, but I LOVE Ozomatli! I’ve seen them all up and down the West Coast over the last few years and I have a certain special space in my heart for their rhythms, rhymes and stage presence. The Coupe drop a lot of truth-knowledge, but I had to needed to feel free for a while so I put my loyalties with Ozo.Mel & I met the crew at the Whiskey Bar for a couple drinks and then a quick bite at the Pike Brewery. It was an all-ages gig, and sometimes that is a great thing! It is fun to be there with people from all walks of life and see how Ozo appeals to the multi-generational - always a good sign to me. Their ability to switch from a Latin rhythm to Hip-Hop to Polka makes for an eclectic and utterly energetic experience. Needless to say, we danced ourselves into exhaustion and then some.

At the closing of every show (and sometime at the start as well) Ozomatli will bring the music to the dance floor. This is always where the party gets kicked into gear and everyone goes bonkers. Hands down one of my top 10 choices for live musicians to experience.Elated, we grabbed our coats and poured out the door into the streets filled with scents of hot dogs and cigarettes. Three identical events occurred at this show that reminded me of the last time I saw them play at the Roseland Ballroom. One was that I’d brought a brother who’d never seen nor heard of this band. The next was that, when Ozo came down to the floor, they bee-lined for spot I was standing. The third was that at both shows, someone who was with me had been ejected from the show (not from violence, mind you, because “no one fights at an Ozomatli show”). Coincidence? You decide!