La Misa Negra at Radium Runway

La Misa Negra is a 7-piece band from Oakland known for their unique blend of heavyweight cumbia and high-energy, Afro-Latin music. On stage, they deliver an electrifying performance that explodes with infectious dance grooves and punk rock energy, powered by horn and accordion-driven riffs, a fierce rhythm section, and a vintage-inspired sound.

Since their live debut in the fall of 2011, La Misa Negra has toured the country, sharing stages and festival bills with the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz, Thievery Corporation, SZA, Mon Laferte, Julieta Venegas, Ana Tijoux, Bomba Estereo, George Clinton, Antibalas, Budos Band, and Ozomatli. On the strength of their wild and one-of-a-kind shows, they have gained a reputation as one of the most exciting live bands to emerge from the Bay Area in recent years, garnering a diverse fan base that transcends musical, cultural, and generational divides.

Led by composer, guitarist, and accordion player, Marco Polo Santiago, the unlikely collective combines a wealth of musical influences as diverse as their cultural backgrounds, but it’s Marco Polo’s affinity for hip-hop and heavy metal that inspires much of the band’s sound and identity – evident in their name, on-stage antics, and popular t-shirt designs.

Now, four years after dropping their debut album, La Misa Negra returns with a self-titled, sophomore effort that they’ve dubbed, “the red album.” Channeling Colombia’s Golden Age, they dive into retro-future cumbia, with tracks like “Me Voy Pa’ Porce” and “Acosadora,” and tap deep into their Afro-Colombian influences by incorporating traditional styles, such as currulao and tambora. They showcase their love for Latin jazz on the monster Salsa tune, “Pistola,” and their hyper-speed reimagining of the Cuban classic, “Yayabo.” They also allude to their non-Latin influences, with instrumental tracks and samples that pay homage to Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, and Wu-Tang Clan. Finding common ground between their heavy metal leanings and mambo-inspired horn lines, La Misa Negra’s arrangements serve as the perfect delivery mechanism for both their humorous storytelling and exploration of heavier subject matter, like gun violence, water scarcity, and gender inequality. With their second release, the powerhouse septet unleashes 12 tracks that capture the raw energy of their live shows and solidify them as a new force in today’s Afro-Latin music scene.

NOTE: DOORS OPEN/SEATING BEGINS AT 2PM, MUSIC STARTS AT 3PM. Limited seating is available.  Arrive early to grab your spot. Dine from local food trucks and grab drinks and snacks from the Radium Bar sponsored by Almanac Beer.

Opener: SambaDá

For over twenty years, SambaDá has been mixing contemporary sounds with the roots of brazilian culture. Papiba Godinho is a master of Capoeira, an Afro Brazilian martial art form created by Brazilian slaves, which draws on music and acrobatic movements. Dandha da Hora was born into the rich Afro Brazilian traditions of Salvador, Bahia and the Carnival Group Ile Aiye, and started her dancing career at age 6. Ilê Aiyê has been in the forefront of Civil Rights in Brazil, promoting equality and justice, and is widely recognized as the first Afro Brazilian BLOCO or group to perform in Brazil’s notorious Carnival celebrations. The entire band has developed a type of samba-reggae-funk with a universal appeal. SambaDá musically unites the Americas, drawing from percussion based styles of South and Central America, and blends it with that good old funk and reggae back beat so familiar to crowds of North America.