LaSophia: Belanova in Sacramento

Belanova is a Mexican electro-pop group, not the name of the female lead as people often refer to her. Her name is Denisse Guerrero and she is actually from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, not GDL where the group was formed. This I know because my first Mexican lover told me. He also told me he would take me there one day. It was the first, but not the last time a Mexican lover would promise to take me somewhere. To date, by these “fromises” aka fake promises I should have also visited Xalapa, Veracruz and the beaches of Michoacan. Good thing I wised up and explored the Mayan Riviera with my homegirls and not a man. Tangent over.

The good thing about getting to see these Latin artists in California is that the venue is usually more intimate, as the bands have less popularity. In Guadalajara Belanova plays the Telmex Auditorio, In Sacramento, CA, they play “The Tropicana”, a small, neon lit club next to a Chuck E Cheese and an office supply store. Classy.

Of course, I was very concerned about getting there on time, since it was standing room only and I wanted to get good pics of the band. “Don’t worry, they’re Mexican, it will start late,” Lorena calmed me. And she was right. We waited outside in a long line of Raza who looked younger than me before they let us in to sit for 2 more hours until Belanova came on.

We, a group of 3 ladies sat at a table and observed our surroundings. We, a group of 3 ladies were offered drinks which we did not accept. We are some wise Latinas that know nothing in this world is free. Plus, we did not have thirst. And then, a stranger approached the table. He began talking to Lorena and I did my usual cordial greeting, shook my hand out and “mucho gusto-ed” him. Only for him to tell me he had met me before. Oh, now I remembered. This is the clown I gave my number to the night I was a drunk vegan, so drunk that I ate 2 double cheeseburgers after the club which I vomited the next day and blamed it on Lorena and the meat. “Or maybe it was the alcohol…” she texted me. Nonsense! My vegan body was poisoned for a cheap carnivore thrill. Shame was me. I looked at his rosary that had been bejazzled probably somewhere in Hong Kong with bling. It was blasphemous on so many levels. This, coming from the girl who once brainstormed about making “Tupac Rosaries” and commits such fashion crimes as wearing white cowboy boots after labor day. After checking out his rosary, I did everything I could to avoid his gaze. He finally left the table but not before saying the ultimate machista thing, “We will dance later, what do you say, yes or yes?” I say this is machista because it offers a woman no choice. “Si or si?” “Yes or yes” to me is the Spanish equivalent of “Make me some dinner, bitch!” I shuddered in my seat and felt my bobby pins loosen in my hair. Thank God it was time for the show.

Lorena, our fearless leader, chiquita, pero picosa, lead us into the crowd as the band set up. We franced (fake danced) in place as we waited for Belanova to take the stage. Finally, after watching their concert on DVD, I would see them in person and get to sing all the songs I could actually understand. One of the reasons I like Belanova is because their lyrics are easy for an SSL person such as myself to understand. We were so close we could read the set list. There were no surprises in store now except for Denisse’s outfit. Would she rock a face piercing? A big bow? Platforms and a cupcake dress? No, she rocked fishnets, booty shorts, and a side do (which we incorrectly classified as a weave).

Denisse has a big job, she sings all the songs, the majority of which are fast tempo, and has to look cute and dance around. “I love to dance!” She told the crowd. She makes crazy faces and crazy poses. Her voice did sound a little off but after intermission where security whisked her off stage and put on her lipstick, it sounded better. I sang my little emo heart out all the while hoping my camera would not pick it up like it did when I saw Beyonce. She did not sing one of my favorite songs, “Tal Vez,” a slow jam. But maybe someday if I ever see them again, maybe, tal vez, she will. wah wah wahhhh. They gave the crowd an encore after we helplessly chanted “otra, otra!” and Lorena got to shake hands with the bass player, after I pushed her forward in the crowd to reach him. She deserved it more than me since she had thrown some serious bows into some puta trying to push her way through. Plus I didn’t want to get the uh-oh feeling I got once when shaking hands with a band member of Enanitos Verdes when he tocar-ed me like he tocar-ed his teclas, if you know what I mean... FIN.