Rodrigo y Gabriela could have been just another heavy metal garage band from Mexico City and you’d never have heard of them. But a fateful decision to sell their equipment and buy nylon-string guitars and plane tickets to Ireland changed everything.
Busking on the streets of Dublin led to festival gigs, European tours, and then worldwide acclaim, all in a matter of a few years. It seems an unlikely story, but their music requires no marketing. Gabriela Quintero plays her classical guitar like a drum, ferociously beating her right hand against the strings, while Rodrigo Sanchez walks the neck with lightning infused in his fingers.
The staggering sound belies its origin in two acoustic instruments — it’s a “see it to believe it” kind of show. RodGab released their second major studio album, 11:11, in September 2009. Each of the 11 tracks are a tribute to their musical heroes, from Dimebag Darrell to Santana, and Al Di Meola to Pink Floyd.
It’s hard to say how the crowd will react to the duo’s first appearance in Charleston; as in, sit and respect the classical instrumentation, or stand up and start head-banging when they drop into their badass take on Metallica’s “Orion?”
Their performance at the PAC starts at 7:30 p.m.
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