Three semesters of college Spanish isn’t sufficient to decipher Zoé frontman León Larregui’s seductive murmur, but everybody from native speakers to the guy draped in Canadian colors understood the misty vibes from the Mexican quintet’s intoxicating fifth LP, Programaton.
As the final crash of cymbals on opener “Dos Mil Trece” faded, Larregui scanned the waving crowd from behind pristine blue lenses. As the impeccably dressed singer strapped on his guitar for ensuing anthem “Últimos Días,” from 2008’s Reptilectric, he leaned into the mic.
“I see your flags,” he nodded to the green, white, and red colors waving frantically in the air.
The crowd, sleepy from the day’s delayed start and soggy from sitting on rain-soaked turf, picked up on the tempo change with mud-flinging stomps and smooth dance moves. Once again, ACL Fest’s slick sign language interpreter stole the show with his skills miming guitar, keys, and drums. Most of all, he nailed the pulsing rhythm.
“Let’s face it,” said the gal next to me. “This guy is the show.”
Drawing on hits from its 17-year run, Zoé delivered another track from Reptilectric: the crowd-pleasing “Poli.” Those unfamiliar with the band’s south of the border fan base got a big clue when Larregui snatched up a megaphone to project his voice over guitarist Sergio Acosta’s bruising riffs.
New material went seamlessly with the reliable hits. The distortion of their alt-rock past made the perfect foil to Programaton’s spacey interludes. Where they land next is anybody’s guess.
This article appears in October 10 • 2014.