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.
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.
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.