Magic City Hippies bring their winter tour to the city of Boston. The band had its beginnings in music in the year 2015 in the city of Miami, Florida. Their music, inspired by Miami roots, presents a blend of pop, funk, jazz and even salsa. Doors open at 8 pm at Paradise Rock Club to a line of fans waiting in line outside the venue eager to see the group perform.
The opener for this show is CAPYAC. The band, self-identified as a “French House” group, comes to the stage and starts the night with a funky electronic beat and an introduction by the band’s guitarist, Eric. CAPYAC has a reputation for being a vivacious and eccentric music group. These characteristics can accurately describe their music presentation during the night. In the very early minutes of their set, the band asked the crowd to name a rubber pig they had brought to the stage. They later use the sound of that same pig as a beat in one of their songs. The band had the crowd’s attention during the whole show. CAPYAC’s act, as if it were a piece of performance art, creates an environment for carefree dancing and sets the stage for the act to come.
Magic City Hippies start the show with the song “Queen”, a track that was released as part of the group’s last album “Water Your Garden”. The funky smooth sound of this first song transports Paradise Rock Club from a winter day in Boston to a sunny day enjoying drinks by the pool. The band’s lead singer, Robby, surprises the crowd as he sings some lyrics in Spanish, during the song “Qué Pasó?”, once again paying tribute to their hometown.
The night continues as the MCH perform songs like “BRNT” and “Ghost On The Mend”. One of my favorite moments of the night occurs when the group performs “Bennie and the Jets”. The whole crowd sings along. Whenever someone performs this song, the energy of the room immediately shifts, as if it were magic. You can feel a sense of connection and familiarity with everyone in the room. Magic City Hippies are so kind to include this gift in their set list.
Magic City Hippies closes out the night with their song “Body Like a Weapon”. This music group came to Boston and gave us what they promised, as written in their social media pages, “A mosaic of poolside grooves and lingering, sun-kissed melodies”. The band still has 25 more shows across America, they will be finishing the tour in Houston, Texas. If you are looking for a good opportunity to go out dancing while at the same time enjoying the energetic experience of live music, this is a show you want to check out.
PHOTO GALLERY BY María José Torre
