LAGRIMAS DELIVERS AN UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT AT THE SMELL
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RICHARD VELAZQUEZ
Arriving just before doors opened at The Smell for the night of Lagrima’s last US show before heading out on a tour through Europe, the energy was already high and rushing with emotion. As people began to pour into the dimly lit venue known as The Smell, the energy, tinged with tension, seemed to be snowballing. More and more people funneled in, and you could just tell this night was going to be one for the books.
Se Vende, a crust pop punk band from San Diego, kicked things off as people gathered. Waves of sound bounced and echoed through The Smell. Se Vende as an opener was just exhilarating. The more they played, the more people readied themselves for what was to come, myself included.
The second band of the night was scheduled to go on next, but due to some issues, they ended up playing at the very end, and they were just as great. Arsuspex, a crust punk band hailing from the Sierra Nevada foothills, brought in this sense of uneasiness with the very first guitar strums. Though I had never seen them live before, they are a band I would love to dive deeper into, and I would absolutely want to see them play live again.
I was especially excited to see Lagrimas. As both a listener and a fan, I was beyond excited to see what would unfold. From start to finish, Lagrimas is one of those bands where, in my case as a photographer, I have to put the camera down and just admire the connection, the pure love between the music and the fans. In this atmosphere of chaos, it felt like much more than kids leaping off the stage or moshing just for fun. It was pure love, for the music alone.
As Lagrimas began setting up, the entire front of the stage crowded in. As time went on, this buildup of something unexplainable started to fill the room. You could see it on people’s faces: excitement, happiness, this unwavering joy that brought them here to see Lagrimas. Then it was showtime.Slow plucks of strings, mixed with a single crash hit, were followed by the first vocals, unleashing this bursting, clenched ball of energy.
The Smell fell into total disarray. Lagrimas was not just loud. Lagrimas was not just a band. Lagrimas was not simply something people came to see. It was something beautiful. As they continued playing, people rushed the stage, grabbed the mic, sang along, then jumped back into the crowd. The space between band and fan disappeared completely.
Hands were thrown into the air. As the music briefly died down, I found myself on stage, standing on a chair, overlooking a sea of bodies in a sold-out venue. The music relaxed for a moment, then, under the red-lit stage, the crowd began banging their heads in unison. People of all ages were not just enjoying the music. They were feeling it.
Another cymbal hit rang out. The drummer of Lagrimas, also the vocalist, shouted, “Circle pit!” And just like that, The Smell erupted into pure chaos. Fans flew off the stage, bodies collided, and people crowd surfed. The sight on that stage is something I will never forget. It was one of those shows that does not just make you love live music. It makes you realize you had to be there, in that crowd, to truly understand how unforgettable that night was.
