Crucecita Rocks

It's been said that nothing much goes on in Huatulco but it has everything I need. We had an outstanding rock concert in Sector T a week ago. Students were selling tickets but I waited until the last minute before committing because it had been a wet week. The rain came down so hard on the day of the show I finally invested in a decent raincoat. It didn't bode well for the show but everything cleared by nightfall.
People were still busy setting up the lights and concessions when I arrived. I hung out with other early birds; Franco, singer frontman for Cannabis, and his girl friend, talking music until the show kicked off with a reggae band.

There I was standing in the dark, enjoying the tunes with an empty plastic beer cup folded in my pocket when out of the darkness I was almost jumped by three of the best friends I hadn't known were coming; Mike passing me a fresh cold one as he came into focus. It was a cool moment.


Lots of my students were that night.
This is Amaury; singer, guitar player and frontman for Rock Mata Pop and all around cool guy.

It was a quality night. I had my fingers crossed that it would be and I wouldn't have to lie and tell my students how great they were. They were fantastic. They had that essential attitude and spirit that makes all the difference between posers and real rockers.
Cannabis on stage.


Eventually Mike and this other guy got a small moshpit/circle thing happening but most of us were too timid for the rougher side of audience participation.


I lost half a beer down the front of my shirt when they came shooting past. That was okay. I was getting to that point in the evening when I crave cold water.
The way everyone cleared a path for them took me back to a night in the Horseshoe years ago when I made an ill-conceived move closer to the stage at a Reverend Horton Heat show just before they returned to the stage. There had been way too much moshing before and the boys had been playing rough. A lot of them showed up in retro fifties rockabilly gear, totally into it, and ready for a rumble. There had been a couple of fights. The bouncers earned their pay that night. The band returned to the stage and so did all the rockabilly fanatics. Crap. I thought they'd all gone home, worn out from crashing shoulders and butting heads. It must have been a pee break. The Rev. screamed "It's a psychobilly freak-out!" and I suddenly felt as helpless as Wile E. Coyote with the shadow of a giant rock growing around him. On cue, the rough boys exploded and the next thing I knew a hand reached out to the collar of my shirt and yanked me back to safety. Wow. It was a shaver. I looked back gratefully to this beautiful fast thinking young woman with warm angelic eyes and mouthed a sincere "Thank you." Never saw her again.

OK. Back to the present. Mexico. This is Rock Mata Pop. My spelling may be off.


Here's a video of Rock Mata Pop. It was recorded with my little Sony digital so don't expect wonders of sound and vision. The stage lights were dim but even if they weren't, these cameras aren't made for capturing live acts. Still, it's worth a peek even if it doesn't do the moment justice.