KUCR Community Calendar Spotlight Event: 

KUCR’s curated guide to what’s coming up in Riverside/IE – Events, places. Concerts and things to do.

Mucho Gusto Festival 

Saturday, September 23, 2023, 3 – 11PM

What: A community-based live music festival of unique performers to be enjoyed in-person in a secure, friendly, “no-borders,” “all comers,” “something for everybody” kind of vibe. 

Who: Performers and bands including É Arenas (from Chicano Batman), La Perla, mediopicky, Orchestra Gold, Jeremy Sole, QUITAPENAS, Cumbiatón, Nino Francois, Milpa, El Santo Golpe and La Papaya Club. 

Where: Riverside’s Downtown North Park, 3200 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside, CA

Why KUCR recommends this: Seeing live music creates indelible memories. This is a lineup of authentic artists making original music meant to connect with and move the audience. Mucho Gusto is put together by some of the brightest lights in Riverside/IE arts and culture: the organizers from the Riverside Arts Council who stage the city’s amazing annual Dio de los Muertos Festival – one of the largest in the USA with the talent of musician, artist, filmmaker, DJ and founder of the acclaimed band Quitapenas (performing at the festival), with a selection of some of the greatest bands in California together for the first time at Mucho Gusto. 

For more information: MuchoGustoFest.com 

Riverside, CA – We are, MUCHO GUSTO, a celebration of music without borders that inspire change makers to become engaged-advocates in the communities and causes that matter most to them. So that together, we are invested in a future worth celebrating.

Mucho Gusto Fest will be on SATURDAY, September 23, 2023 at North Park in Downtown Riverside at 3172 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside CA 92502 More information at www.muchogustofest.com

This is an all ages event. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

by Aztec Parrot

Boogaloo Assassins at the Lodge Room in Highland Park, April 14, 2023. // Photo by @phtoman

Boogaloo Assassins are a 12-piece Latin Boogaloo, Salsa, and Latin Soul group from Los Angeles, California

10 Years ago, the Boogaloo Assassins released a 7-inch cover of the
classic Dawn Penn song, “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)” which rocked
the SoCal radio airwaves just before the popularity of music
streaming. With the release of their debut album, Old Love Dies Hard,
the Assassins took their mean rent party boogaloo, funky salsa dura 12
piece band everywhere including backing Fania legends Joe Bataan and
Roberto Roena. The run peaked with an appearance at Salsa Parque,
Colombia’s premiere salsa event in 2019.

[Insert COVID] Damn!

After a well-deserved adjournment into other projects, and the
anticipation for their long awaited 2nd album, the Boogaloo Assassins
threw a house party, and brought back the electric feeling of la
pachanga with a long awaited show at Highland Park’s  Lodge Room. The
12 piece ensemble, complete with a 4 part coro, started their show
within their wheelhouse unloading boogaloo, son montuno, charanga and
some funky timba tinted soul. At one point frontman Charles Farrar
asked the sharply dressed and sweaty crowd, “Does everybody have a
drink?” and conducted an official toast to start the party. The
Assassins definitely swing by the signs of happy movement by the sold
out crowd to their seasoned sound.

They ushered in the nostalgia energy with a cover of the Joe Bataan’s
arrangement of the classic standard “I Wish You Love Part 1 & 2” which
starts with a slow crooning by singer Bobby Soul and ends in a smoking
uptempo mambo. The crowd danced in appreciation and enjoyed the band’s
heartfelt efforts to rock the house. Besides the energy of an excited
and energetic crowd of dancers, the Boogaloo Assassins proved that
their brand of funky latin soul pari music can still torch the dance
floor but also survive a pandemic without losing a step. See this band
when you can. Bring your dance shoes and two towels.

–AztecParrot

Listen to Aztec Parrot on Radio Aztlan on Friday Nights * 8pm – 10pm