F E A T U R E S         T H O U G H T S         R E V I E W S         N E W S Kinky at the HighLine Ballroom, February 28 By Jeremy Grand When you think of Mexican music, what is the first thing to come to mind? Perhaps fat mustached men with ornate jumpsuits and black velvet sombreros with tassels? Soundtracks over sepia toned images of deserts and border fences? Background noise blasting from the kitchen of the local burrito joint? Now take those images and throw them as far as you can out the window, turn around and look into the modern day image of electronic rock, add it to the shape of Mexico, multiply it by the energy of the modern day twenty-something, and the product will be a band known only as Kinky. On Feb. 28, Kinky performed at the HighLine Ballroom to an absolutely packed house. The Ladrones opened up the show, riling up the audience with a peppy, Latin/ska rhythm unlike anything else, trying desperately to tame a ravenous crowd dying to see the late starting headliners. Once the main band started, however, an already packed house seemed even more packed as the crowd pushed their way to the front for the opening performance of the hard beat driven "Una Linea De Luz." After that, the tone was set, and the energy that exuded off the stage was infallible. Kinky played everything from old to new, mixed together like a perfectly orchestrated best of album. "Mas," one of the band's signature songs (a great single, which was also featured on the soundtracks of Thirteen, C.S.I. Miami and Nip/Tuck), loaded up the crowd with an incredible amount of over-exuberance. After that there was "Sister Twisted," the first track and single from Reina, which played with the audience as giant red balls were bounced up and down over everyone, while a haze of red washed them all in a fun and sexy light. The majority of the audience was Hispanic, and the bands knew that themselves, speaking primarily in Spanish, with the occasional English translation. But just because you don't understand the lyrics, doesn't mean you can't enjoy the music, and Kinky's appeal is wider than a language barrier. They are truly unique, incorporating all sorts of music that generally does not go together, from traditional instruments like the accordion, to modern electronic soundboards, flip-flopping from Spanish to English lyrics, all with a rock hard base. Original, fun, witty and an all around good time, Kinky is one band that will have you wanting mas y mas. Photos by Jeremy Grand Published May 13, 2008   Perpetual Toxins © 2006-2012. All rights reserved. c o n t a c t s / c r e d i t s         c o n t r i b u t e         d i r e c t o r y