Molotov's Tito Fuentes (photo by Maclovio Pérez Jr.)
Tuesday's Molotov show at The Korova, in front of a near-capacity crowd, was a memorable party for diehard fans and a surreal flashback for anyone who lived through the Los Angeles rock en español boom in the late '80s to mid-'90s. Unfortunately, the sound didn't help (surprise!), and for most of the opening song ("Noko," included in 2003's Dance and Dense Denso) you couldn't hear Tito Fuentes' vocals and some of his key guitar solos. What you hear during most of the chorus ("No comeremos mañana ni hoy, honey/Nos comeremos aquí entre los dos, nena"/“We won't eat today or tomorrow, honey/We'll eat each other, girl") is the crowd, which sang along throughout the whole set.
(If you want to hear the original recording of the song, click here)
Here's what took place during "Frijolero" ("Beaner"), arguably their biggest hit. It is an indictment of racism and border violence against immigrants.
Because I briefly went outside (the place was so hot) I didn't hear the intro to early hit "Puto" ("Fag"), but the sound was so bad I doubt I would've understood a word had I stayed anyway. According to band sources, Molotov announced they were "against any sort of sexual discrimination or violence against gays," and that the song is "about political corruption and not anti-gay." Not a necessary clarification for those who know the band and understand what "puto" really means: it is one of those words that were born out of hate but became something else you can use against anyone who does mean things to you. For example: if you don't allow women to decide what to do with their own bodies, you're a puto. If you don't allow gay people to marry each other, you're a puto. And my own best explanation of the difference between "gay" and "puto" is this: A puto is a homosexual who happens to be a bad person. But being gay alone does not qualify you as a puto. If you disagree with this explanation, you're a puto. Get it?
Another usage: the crowd went puto when the song came on.
In spite of all the sound problems, the other bands on the bill (Crown, Los De Esta Noche, Piñata Protest and Sangre) had solid sets and deserved a special mention. Read it all on Wednesday, August 14's Live and Local online and on our print edition.
