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“We’ll be playing here every Saturday night from now on “ jokes Fernando: last week’s gig at the “World Famous” Kenton Club reminds him of all the hole-in-the-wall bars he used to play set after set early on in his career. The kind of local bar up the street where ya blow off steam, get drunk, listen to a band with your gal ‘n pals after the long weekly grind of Working For The Man. Décor, probably most of the regulars too, hasn’t changed one iota since Raquel Welsh used the toilet in ‘71, when filming nearby. The stuff of Legends, apparently as the club has called itself “World Famous” ever since.. “It’ll be dive-alicious”, Lewi said, prior to gig. Too true, hombre.

Juxtapose that with the previous Saturday’s gig at downtown’s Dante’s, a punk dive recently yuppified (ie. replace mosh pit with tables & chairs, add sexy hot pink lighting. Note to management: shudda bought new mics & stage monitors, instead). Fernando’s first gig after returning from a 3 month visit to birth place, Argentina, playing to a crowd of his fiercely loyal fans (aren’t they all) glad to see him home. Take a listen to the 1st 3 songs the podcast: the glow from the collective embrace is palpable, the songs hang in the air with a tender timelessness. Move up a week to the Kenton Club: most of this crowd don’t have a clue who-da-hell this band called “Fernando” is: take a long drink, settle back and hope for the best onna Saturday night: maybe the band’ll be alright, get me ‘nother beer while yer up. 3 songs in: Fernando asks, “How are we sounding out there – pretty good?” “Fuuuccckk yeaaaaaa” someone yells, applause swells into the next number. The dance floor is packed and everyone is plugged in to the stage.

Way I see it: Fernando has one foot in the iconic Sun Studios, another foot in Pacoima, his eyes gaze at his sweetheart, while his arms are outstretched to the heavens. He sings of, and for, sinners with smoke ring halos who search the horizon for a shred of salvation. Preachers who need to confess, lousy blowjobs washed down by stale beer at country roadhouses with Elvis, Luke the Drifter and Doug Sahm on the jukebox. you can hear Booker T, Garth Hudson & Augie Meyer percolate up thru Lewi’s keyboards. Guitarist Dan (new nickname: Shakey, Jr) rides his sustain pedal like a surfboard, with Creedence swamp and Neil “Like A Hurricane” abandon. (case in point: “I want one of the cds that he’s on” said a buyer at the cd table, pointing to the guitarist). And finally, the music of Fernando wouldn’t rock up a tempest, crashing like waves, if it wasn’t for Matt’s driving beat & Joe’s hoffner bass & high harmonies and occasional splash of Chimichurri. This is a band that matches Fernando’s songs of passion, gauntlet-throwdown retribution with a heady hope that anything is possible. And, once again, the band has won over another crowd, on another Saturday night. It’s Fernando that should be “World Famous”.

1. Heaven 2. The Devil’s In The Sky 3. Rain In Outside 4. Chanchos Sucios 5. True Instigator 6. It’s A Shame 7. Blue Moon

http://www.myspace.com/fernandoportland

http://www.fernandoviciconte.com/

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