Nacho and Eddie of Arboles Libres
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Review and photos by Kevin P. Nelson
I headed to PS-14 with a hopeless attitude towards the state of Miami's art; I had just come from the monthly Wynwood Art Walk. But as I stepped into the tiny venue and heard the familiar folk rock sounds coming from a band known as Arboles Libres, I was soon reminded that maybe art wasn’t so monotonously created. Within a span of seven or eight songs, Arboles Libres gave me everything I had been looking for all night.
Arboles Libres is a band that is free from the confines of a genre. What they bring to the stage is a dynamic fusion of folk rock delivered on a plate of mixed English and Spanish. With a hint of blues added as garnish, this rock duo — sometimes trio, sometimes quartet — has such a unique sound that one easily loses his sorrow and becomes enraptured by the music reverberating against the walls of the venue.
With a hint of blues added as garnish, this rock duo — sometimes trio, sometimes quartet — has such a unique sound that one easily loses his sorrow and becomes enraptured by the music reverberating against the walls of the venue.
Drummer Anthony Genovese and guitarist Eddie
The trio started out light, with a heartfelt "Dry Your Tears." But soon they began getting into songs such as "Estoy" and "Father." These are the tracks that allow the group to truly break off and jam. The band was most amazing when Nacho and Eddie stroked a match to their energy levels by strumming and picking at their respected guitars so that it seemed as if only one person was providing the unified twangs being belted into the crowd. Then, the song’s tempo dropped, and the band began a hypnotic breakdown of harmonica blows and guitar tweaks that you wish would never end.
This was the first time I caught them with a drummer, who only made each track that much funkier. There isn’t an aspect of the band that doesn’t work, and they produce rhythms that stay with you beyond the morning after. The slower songs are so beautiful that they make you want to pull over the closest dancing member of your preferred sex for a big fat kiss. Then when both pairs of eyes are opened again, you two smile as you stand atop a golden grass summit of rolling hills that overlooks a valley consuming the sunset — instead of the cramped, muggy space in the center of Miami.
Sure, I exaggerate, but this is where the strength of the band’s music can be found. Arboles Libres has the strength to effortlessly lift you up by the corners of your clothes, and they have the good will to drop you off in a more beautiful state of mind than you came with. The funny thing is, they thank you for showing up to hear them play, yet by the time you leave — you’ll want to thank them.
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