The revolution may not be televised but Alex Anwandter proves you may be able to dance to it. The Chilean political pop icon wrapped up a short US tour this past weekend that was hosted at several intimate venues covering Santa Ana, San Francisco, Chicago and NYC. The singer/producer/film maker presented his trademark conscious indie dance music with 19 hits spanning most of his soloist career and touching upon his time with the band Teleradio Donoso. And, the Beat Kitchen was the tour stop of choice in Chicago.
Mr. Anwandter electrified fans with dance move after dance, move kicking off the night with the crowd jolting “Bailar y Llorar” (original release under his band Teleradio Donoso). With disco pop moves on stage that would have equated to a week’s worth of calisthenics for any of us, Alex powered through almost two hours on stage. It’s little surprise that Michael Jackson would be named as one of Anwandter’s musical influences. And, lyric after lyric, fans sang along to other hits like “Siempre Es Viernes En Mi Corazon,” “Tatuaje,” “Tormenta,” and multiple tracks leading to a finale with “Como Puedes Vivir Contigo Mismo” and “Amar En El Campo” (another Teleradio hit).
Photos: Jean Marc Lavoie for Gozamos
Of German decent, Alex Andwanter Donoso kicked off his career in Chile forming the band Teleradio Donoso in 2005. After three albums, the group received recognition for several hits but disbanned around 2009. In 2010, Alex debuted his solo career with the album Odisea followed by three more albums (Rebeldes, Amiga, and Latinoamericana) plus an LP with Gepe named Alex & Daniel. But, with the exception of “Siempre Es Viernes En Mi Corazon,” most of the hits Alex is popular for come off the 2012 Rebeldes.
Beat Kitchen makes for one of the best small venues where you can catch an artist like Alex. The stage is small and low, the artist is practically at arm’s reach, sounds are decent when you have the right engineer, and drinks are not too pricey. Alex Anwandter packed the venue and with tickets at $40 a pop, I must say they did decently well. The night was introduced by hometown fav DJ Resistol 5000 who gave the crowd a set of Latin indie which included more danceable tracks from the likes of Soda Stereo, Titan, and more.
To find all of Alex Anwandter’s socials, music, and news, find him on your favorite platform by visiting: http://alexanwandter.com/