Reminder: Tomas Verdes between melancholy, nostalgia and a small reunion of Americania – Revista Ladosis

The Venezuelan singer-songwriter living in Madrid, Armando Áñez, premiered his second album Tomas Verdes live, together with an exceptional band

Reminder
Concert in Clamores Hall, Madrid

(September 29, 2022)

Since his relocation to Spain, Armando Añez He hasn’t stopped making music. The complicated thing about migrating lowered the hype to hear what’s new from the ex americaniaafter the great success of slippery logic (2015), his great solo debut under the name of Reminder.

Between Barcelona and Madrid, the man from Caracas has been on several stages armed only with his acoustic guitar or a keyboard, and has also had time to work with Jose Ignacio Benitez (the genius behind sunday in flames, the scolding and half of the duo Augusto Bracho and Moises de Martin beside Gustavo Guerrero) in a project called The Musical Garden of Earthly Delightswhere through Patreon they offered a window to the musical composition to their patrons in exchange for a monthly payment.

All this process has allowed Armando to find a new musical self, and to shape green shots (2022), his long-awaited second musical work, already available on digital platforms and in a limited edition on LP, which he finally presented, for the first time in full band format, in the beautiful Sala Clamores in the historic Madrid neighborhood of Chamberí.

Daniela Barbaritocurrent collaborator of Añez, opened the concert as a guest, leaving a collection of playful compositions performed with her theatrical voice and a very peculiar charisma, which she interspersed with children’s songs or other artists, such as “Modern Yerberito” of Celia Cruz. A nice surprise, who debuted that night on a stage. The public responded well. She left smiling, as she did throughout her performance.

A few minutes later, the show began. Reminderwhich opened almost impromptu with “snow in spring”, fourth song of green shots. She followed himblack day”, one of the singles that we were able to hear from said production, which culminated in presenting his band for the night, made up of Jimena Diaz on the guitar, Rafael Giner (Toflang) on ​​drums, Jose Ignacio Benitez in the low and Javier Oleaga (ex joe the queen) on keyboards.

Understanding Armando’s meticulousness with his music, the delay in finally forming a band with which he felt comfortable live is understandable. It is not about doing things for the sake of doing them, but about reaching a point of comfort and of sufficient quality to do things as they should be done.

the precious”already tomorrow” was still in the repertoire, followed by “Bad memory”, one of the few from the previous album that would open up space in the night’s repertoire. He followed “I did not mean to hurt you”, the song that opens the new album, where he talks about regret and pain after a break with the poetic intention that has characterized the music of Reminderespecially on this second album.

One of the best performances of the night came with “Chances”, sixth song of green shotswhere he sings of repentance and the patience involved in the process of forgetting someone, which was succeeded by “Ant”, lead single from slippery logic, but in a version played for four and guitar together with Daniela Barbaritowho returned to the stage to present the arrangement he had made for this song.

“dose of present”, “The mountain (I think it calls us)” Y “the song of the moment” (another high point of the night), also of green shotswere still on the setlist before the big surprise of the night: the planets aligned and Armando finally agreed with Alvaro Houses and Italo Pizzolante in the same city.

The members of americania They returned to the stage -officially- after more than 7 years, to interpret a beautiful version of “Emily”, track that opens The Drama King Partythe impeccable second album by the trio from the capital.

The audience, ecstatic, was left wanting more and, despite not being pleased, applauded as much as possible after witnessing the fleeting return of a group that, whether many like it or not, marked a whole generation of followers of the musical movement Venezuelan.

Announcing that the concert was coming to an end, Armando and company headed to play “Port”, one of the most beautiful and melancholy songs of slippery logicwhich would give way to “she came to save me”, track that closes green shots and that left, as usual in concerts, the public asking for one last song.

The clamor of the people would be heard, and the quintet would return to the stage to play the homonymous track to the first plate of Armando, slippery logicwhich culminated in a small jamming with which they finally got off the stage to applause and a general feeling of satisfaction among the audience.

The only mole of the concert would be more than justified: there was a lack of dynamism during the show. Many dead times in silence, lost between tuning and the nerves of the first official show, after a long time, with a new band. Despite this, the setlist was balanced and offered Armando’s beautiful collection of songs with their due tickets of emotion, nostalgia and melancholy. Very punctual, something that thanks the artist already Mustache Productions.

In the end, we all went home with a nice story to tell, and Armando showed that his songs, with or without a band, in Venezuela or in Spain, are capable of connecting with those who allow themselves to listen carefully.

Alejandro Fernandes Riera